The thought of moving to a new place is thrilling; this new apartment is your bright and shiny oyster and you can’t wait to turn it into a home. Before you can get to work house-warming, decorating and enjoying your new apartment, you have to get yourself there…along with all of your stuff. Don’t panic. Here are 9 tips to make you a packing ninja and get you settled into your next apartment in no time.
Once you know there’s a move in your future, begin exploring your options for hiring movers, truck rentals, shipping costs, etc. Get familiar with what the cost of your move will likely be using a site like MooVooZ. They’ll help you tally up how much stuff you have to move, estimate how big a truck you’ll need, then compare rates from top moving companies and even let you book your move online.
As early on as possible, begin stock-piling any shipping boxes, wine boxes (don’t judge us), and packing materials that come through your door. If you are as devoted to Amazon Prime (and wine-drinking) as we are, you’ll have enough boxes to start packing in no time. Keep your bank account and Mother Nature happy all at the same time.
DO NOT wait until you get to your new apartment to begin organizing your things. Every night leading up to your move, pick a drawer, cabinet, or corner of a room and tackle it! Decide what will come with you, what can be thrown away and what will be donated and take action. When the time comes to pack everything up, your items will already be together with like items, and all of the stuff you no longer want will be long gone.
Invite a couple of good friends over for a little light packing and lots of fun. Do not try to pull one over on them: make it clear that you’re hoping to enlist their help but that you will reward them handsomely for their time, whether that be with dinner, drinks, or some cold hard cash. Having someone to give you the boost you need to start filling that first box is a huge mental and emotional help.
Once you start filling your boxes, take the time to record each and every item you put into each box. Simply assign each box with a number and mark it with what room it belongs to. That way, only you know what valuables are inside each box. Trust us on this one: when it’s time to unpack, you’ll wish you could kiss yourself for being so organized!
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Cardboard boxes are great for most items, but things like books and shoes can get really heavy, really quickly. If you have suitcases at home, take advantage of their sturdy nature (and wheels!) and use them to pack your heavy stuff.
Go to your kitchen, grab your cling wrap and give it a big old hug because you’re about to become best friends. Use it to wrap furniture so corners don’t get dinged, wrap dressers to keep the drawers intact, and use it to group together items with awkward shapes and sizes like curtain rods.
Before you wrap those dresser drawers up nice and tight, grab whatever linens you know you’ll need for the first night (bedding, towels, etc.) and throw them in a drawer. That way, there’s no digging through piles of boxes when you’re already exhausted on your first night.
Finally, when you’re ready to pack up all of your electronics, take photos of your current set up. When it’s time to reassemble there won’t be any guessing games about what cord goes where. If cords are getting packed, put them together in a ziplock bag and clearly label what item they belong to.