To make your moving day less stressful than it already is, it’s best to have a plan of action set in place ahead of time. Not only will it help your anxiety, but it will also give those around you an idea of what to do so they spend less time standing around staring at walls.
But where should you begin? What comes first? What types of things should you know to make the move as easy as possible? Here’s a simple checklist of what to know and how to prepare for your big day.
1. Start Scavenging for Supplies
The last place you want to be at 6 AM on the day you move out is at your local home improvement store looking for packing materials. While the boxes you find will certainly be sturdy, they’ll also be grossly overpriced, costing you an extra couple hundred dollars to make your move in materials alone. Instead, ask your friends or put ads on Craigslist to ask if anyone has any leftover boxes and tape. Make sure they’re quality – you don’t want boxes tearing open on you during your move – but you may luck out and find some good scores on the cheap.
2. Measure and Plan
Will your new place have enough space for everything you want to move into it? Will your new closet be able to hold all of your clothes? If not, plan to sell the things you won’t be able to take with you or, better yet, donate them to a charity that can benefit from your gift and get some sweet tax deductions in the process.
3. Enlist Your Friends
If you’ve got some favors to call in, now’s the time to use them. The more people you have to come by and help, the quicker and safer the whole process will be. You’ll need some help moving those bigger items like furniture and appliances, so make sure you have some strong people that can lend a hand (and a back). If you’re stuck having to lift heavy objects by yourself, here’s a guide that will show you the proper technique.
4. Transfer Services
Some places require you to schedule a change of address or cancellation of services a few weeks in advance, so as soon as you know you’ll be moving, make sure you tell all appropriate utility services about it. While some apartments may have certain utilities included in the rent, make sure you switch over the ones that don’t, like television, internet, electricity, etc. These days, you can even change your address with the USPS online, which saves you an extra trip.
5. Rent a Truck (or Trucks)
If you don’t have a truck of your own or any friends that will let you borrow theirs, you’ll need to rent one. U-haul is one of the more visible names in this space, but several other options exist, some even local, so check around get the best rates. Be sure to not only include the price of renting the truck itself, but also the mileage and any insurance in case you get in an accident.