Published: October 12, 2021 I APARTMENT LIVING

I’ve moved a lot over the last 10 years (I think about 20 times!) including moving to another country to work 3 times. I tell you, it’s a lot of work – especially the packing! Preparing is something I had to do, otherwise, I would’ve been too overwhelmed.

So, before buying boxes or thinking about what to pack first, organizing and planning your move to your new apartment are a must! If you ask, how long does it take to move into an apartment? Do I need to hire a mover? Then, we have lots of great tips and hacks to help you out. Let’s carry on!

What you’ll learn from this article:

• Planning and organizing your move
• Setting timelines and deciding your best moving day
• Packing and preparing your stuff (what to pack first and last)
• What to do a few days before the move
• Tips for actual moving day

Grab our free printable checklist if you’re moving to a new apartment.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING YOUR MOVE

Step one is to take a deep breath and start asking yourself these questions before moving into your new apartment:

• How much time do I have before the move? If you’re suddenly transferring or relocating because of work, then you might not have a lot of time on your hands. (I personally experienced this as my company wanted me to transfer to a new city within a week because of a branch opening!)
• How much money can I allocate for the move? You need to consider our budget as well.
• What does my schedule look like in the next couple of months, weeks, or days? Will I be busy at school or work?
• How much stuff do I have? (appliances, bed, big cabinets, clothes, etc.) Decide which specific items you’ll throw away, keep, or buy for your new apartment. For clothes, if you haven’t worn it for 6 months or more, then you don’t have to keep it.
• Can I move in by myself? Do I have family members or friends to help me?

After asking yourself these questions, you need to start deciding if you need to hire the services of a mover or not. If you have a lot of stuff, then you may need a mover to help you load all of these, rather than going back and forth fitting them in a cab or your car. You may not need a mover if you don’t have a lot of stuff to carry with you to your new apartment or will just buy most of your appliances and furniture when you transfer.

Are you a first-time mover? Then you may carry only your clothes and some important stuff with you. When I first moved, my apartment was already fully furnished, so I didn’t have to buy a lot of stuff.

Here are the pros and cons of hiring a mover. Think of them as a hassle-free and money-saving option.

• Hiring a mover is more efficient, faster, and safer because fragile items will be moved by professionals rather than being carried by yourself. However, this is more expensive as most movers are usually paid by the hour, depending on your geographical location.
• Moving things by yourself isn’t a bad idea. It will just depend on your money and time situation. If you decide to do this, you need more energy and patience to move all your stuff.
• A combination of hiring movers and packing your stuff by yourself means you can ask the movers to load your stuff in their vehicle and transfer them to your new apartment and you can then unpack the stuff later.

SETTING TIMELINES AND DECIDING ON YOUR BEST MOVING DAY

How many weeks or months will it take to move into an apartment? In setting your moving day, 4 to 9 weeks is a good estimate if you’re thinking of packing all your stuff and buying what’s needed for your new apartment and if you’ve already decided what to bring with you. If you have work on weekdays, then you’ll only have the weekends to prepare, so that’s 8 to 18 weekend days to do it. Allot more time if needed if you aren’t comfortable with this timeline.

Also, the best moving day is on a weekday, according to Gentle Giant Moving Company, as the weekend availability of moving companies is mostly limited. If you want a cost-saving move, try moving in during late fall through early spring. But if you need more time to move in, you can ask your boss for a leave.

Talk to your current landlord immediately once you‘ve decided on your moving day. It’s important that you discuss your last payment terms or if you could use up your deposit.

Once you’ve decided on the moving day, schedule the movers or call family or friends to help out if needed.

THE ACTION BEGINS

Start Packing and Preparing!

How far in advance should you start packing for a move? Put this in your list of things to do ASAP; don’t put this off until a few weeks before your move because you might have limited time to do it and end up cramming! Some people are comfortable packing on the week before the move, but most likely, there will be unavoidable interruptions to your packing schedule, like a sudden work deadline. Life happens/ gets in the way, so you need to anticipate these things.

Thus, it’s highly recommended to start packing as early as you can. If you’re going to be busy weeks before moving, you can allocate 2 hours every weekend to pack. This way, you’ll also have time to reflect on items you may need or not.

• Categorize items to know what to pack first, and then buy boxes as needed. You can categorize by area (living room, bedroom, kitchen, entryway, garage). Remember, fragile items such as mirrors and glassware need more time to pack.
• Identify valuable items that you ought to carry personally during the move, for example, laptops, jewelry, designer bags, and designer shoes, as well as important documents such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport, employment documents, etc. Make a copy of important documents on Google Drive or a portable hard drive.
• What items should you pack first when moving to a new apartment? Start with items you don’t use often (for example, seasonal clothes, décor, books, sewing kits, jewelry).
• Check which items you’ll still need the week before you move so that you’ll pack those last. These include house clothes, work clothes, toiletries, and makeup that you’ll use during the week before moving.
• Buy boxes in packs (priced around $20 to $150 at Walmart the last time I checked 🙂 ) or individually (priced around $2.39 to $8.00 at Ace Hardware more or less 🙂 ); prices will depend on the dimensions.
• You’ll also need Ziploc or zip-top bags, labels, pens, packing tape, scissors, cutters, packing paper (better recycle old newspapers!), bubble wrap, plastic bags, and trash bags (for throwing away stuff).
• For valuable items previously mentioned, use separate boxes for important documents.

• Label all the boxes and list the items included in them. Do this while packing, otherwise, you’ll forget what are inside the boxes later.  
• Contact charitable organizations where you can donate stuff, or give them away to friends who might need them.
• Empty your refrigerators and food shelves. It’s better to buy fresh food for your new apartment.
• Change post addresses of websites, delivery apps, mail subscriptions, credit cards, and other companies that have your contact information. You can also ask them to send an electronic receipt to your email instead.
• Pay all arrears/ remaining utility bills and cancel fitness memberships (otherwise, the next tenant might have some problems after you’ve moved out of your old place).
• Cancel services like electricity, gas, cable, Internet, etc.
• Arrange assistance for your pets during the move.
• Remember, when you move out of your old apartment, leave it as neat and clean as possible, too.
• Book a place to stay (Airbnb or hotel) just in case your new place isn’t livable yet after you move in.
• Schedule a cleaning day for your new apartment BEFORE you move in. If you need to hire pest control services, schedule that, too. It’s easier to just “slot” all the stuff into your newly cleaned apartment after you unpack. (Note: I usually hire cleaners because I’m allergic to dust, so you may need to consider this.)
• Setting up of the following utilities should be confirmed with your landlord: electricity, water and sewer, trash collection, gas (natural gas) for cooking or heating during cold weather, security alarm systems, telephone, Internet, and cable TV. If it’s your responsibility to set up any of them, then contact the respective utility company and ask how many days are required for setup. Some companies only take 1 to 3 days, while others might take a week. You also have the option to contact one company to set up several services. For example, in America, Xfinity is a subsidiary of Comcast that provides cable TV, telephone, and wireless Internet, aside from cable and fiber Internet services.

Hey! Did you get our free printable checklist before moving to your new apartment?

DAYS PRIOR TO MOVING DAY

This is when you need to review all the things you’ve done so far and assess what still need to be done. If you need additional help, you can hire someone to help you. Below are other important things you need to take care of:

• Prepare the money needed for the actual moving day.
• If you’re moving by yourself, you also need moving carts to easily move the boxes from your apartment to the parking lot. You can ask someone for help to watch over your stuff in the parking lot, too.
• If you hired a mover, make sure to tell them in advance where to park to avoid other cars being inconvenienced. Parking at the new apartment should be arranged. There might be other movers on the same day as you, so other vehicles might be all lined up, which will delay your unloading.
• Review any guidelines set by the landlord and items that need to stay with the apartment.
• Remind your current landlord about your moving day. If you still have any deposit to claim, arrange it with him.
• Rain might inconvenience you on your moving day, so check the weather beforehand.
• Do a general cleaning of your old apartment before the move, including refrigerators, cabinets, drawers, etc.

THE DAY IS HERE (HELLO NEW APARTMENT!)

This is the actual moving day, so make sure you have enough strength and sleep the night before. Start early so that you can accomplish all the moving tasks. If 1 day isn’t enough, then schedule another day but start early as well. It’s better to arrive at your new apartment before the movers do, so that you can guide them where to place your stuff.

• Before you leave, do a final check of your old apartment and see if there are any stuff you left behind. Don’t forget to check under drawers, tables, backs of cabinets, and the attic. All electrical appliances, lights, and water must be turned off.
• Surrender all keys, passwords, etc. to your current landlord or the next renter.
• If your landlord isn’t present when you move out, you can send photos of your empty and clean old apartment.
• Stay in communication with the moving company throughout the process to avoid problems. You can also monitor each box being unloaded and check with your list. After all the boxes and stuff have been delivered to your new apartment, it would be nice to tip your movers.
• It’s more convenient to place all the boxes in one area first to avoid cramping your new apartment and feeling overwhelmed by the mess.
• Inform your new landlord that you’ve already arrived.

Hooray on your successful moving day!

So now what? It will take you a few days to more than 2 weeks to unpack and get settled in, so it will be great if you could plan to unpack your boxes and stuff daily or each week depending on your schedule. But first, celebrate!

Need to go shopping for your new apartment?

• 28 Important Things to Buy for Your Living Room (Plus Tips!)
• 50 Things to Buy for Your New Bedroom + Bedroom Essential Items Checklist
• Ultimate Kitchen Items List For Your First or New Apartment
• Buying Guide: Bathroom Shopping List for Your New Apartment

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