The process of switching apartments can be stressful and frustrating, which means that the experience of packing is often left to the last minute or is vastly disorganized. Packing to move apartments doesn’t have to be this big of a problem, however: a little organization, a little thought for the future, and you will find yourself well situated for your future home!
Packing Tips for Moving Apartments
1. Gather supplies from friends who have moved
Most people don’t need a pile of cardboard boxes, markers, or colored sticker dots after their move is complete. Ask any friends who recently moved if you can take some of their moving supplies off their hands well before you need to move. This way, you can start the process of packing early, but you don’t end up spending a lot of extra money on packing supplies that you aren’t sure you will need.
2. Make a list of items to buy for packing
Once you’ve got some free handouts from friends and family, catalog what else you need. How many rolls of paper towels or bubble wrap do you need to keep your plates and glasses chip-free in transit? How much packing tape do you have, and do you need one of those great dispensers that you can use with one hand? Don’t spend an arm and a leg, but consider the whole picture and remember: you can sell a hand-truck or other moving equipment online to recoup your costs if need be!
3. Use apps that make your apartment life transition easier
The packing process requires a lot of steps, and there are now plenty of phone apps that can make that process easier. For instance, Sortly can be your best friend for sorting and categorizing each item so that it is easy to find and understand the boxes you have so carefully packed. Other aspects of the apartment process get easier with apps as well: Zumper, for instance, can be your companion through the apartment hunt and will even let you apply on the spot at many apartments. The time you save in the search can be spent getting the rest of those fine china dishes wrapped up in dish towels.
4. Label everything
At the moment, it can feel better to just put things in boxes and assume you will handle items as they come out of the boxes in your new apartment. However, truly good packing tips for moving apartments are not complete without the exhortation to label more than you think you need. One simple example of why this is valuable is that you will need some things before others: if you have to go to work the next day, you may want your lunch box, your hair dryer, or your briefcase and knowing where it is will be essential! We may think we can just go into a new apartment, sleep on a mattress or a sleeping bag, and unpack later, but usually, there are a few essential items that should be in a box labeled for the first evening, so that life can go on in a less interrupted way.
5. Take this opportunity to donate what you don’t need, and get a receipt!
In the course of packing, do the smart thing and evaluate: is this item really worth lugging to the new apartment? If the answer is no, find a way to get rid of it, preferably through a tax-deductible donation! We can all use a few new tax deductions, especially if this new apartment is a little pricier, so save yourself at least one trip across town (and maybe a much larger trip!) by getting rid of items during the packing process rather than waiting until you see them in the new apartment and realize you are ready to part with them.
6. Take the time with the breakable items
Many packing supplies exist purely to keep your breakable items safe, and in a lot of cases, it is worth using them! For durable but chippable items like dishes, you may be alright folding them in clean dish towels or layers of paper towels that you can use later, but for the truly priceless items in your home, invest in the bubble wrap. You and your friends can have a bubble wrap popping party at your next apartment, or you can save those items in a back closet for the next apartment change. Your future self will thank you for preserving the items you treasure!
7. Save anything out that you’ll need for final apartment cleaning
Part of positive parting ways with an old apartment is to get that full security deposit back! Don’t pack all your cleaning supplies or wall spackle, and budget in time to do a really thorough cleaning between moving your last item out and turning over your keys. The payment of your security deposit will be a nice cushion toward the next month’s rent, and having made the time to do this will make you so much happier when you see that check.
So to recap:
– Start early, and ask for supplies from recent friends’ moves.
– Use labeling, list-making, apps that make moving easier, and all the bubble wrap you need.
– Donate items before you move them, so you don’t have to move them again.
– Save time (and a floor mop) to clean your old apartment to a sparkle.
– Last step: revel in your new apartment and your well-organized system as you start the last leg of the journey: unpacking in a new apartment!
With these packing tips for moving to a new apartment, you’ll be sure to know where your items have been stored. You’ll be confident that your possessions are protected in the case of jostling in transit, and you’ll have saved a little money by taking the time to do things well. It may require getting started quite early, but when you see your orderly items in the new apartment you found and easily moved into, it will all be worth it.
Contenu associé
