5 Tips for a Stress-Free Moving Experience

If you’ve ever had to move, you know how difficult the whole process can be. From having to pack everything up into boxes to physically moving your stuff into a moving truck, you can easily get overwhelmed and stressed out. But, if you stay organized and start early, you can easily turn moving into a hassle-free experience. Here are five tips, from certified NYC movers, about how to get a head-start on your moving experience.

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1. Table of Contents

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   Plan Your Move a Few Months in Advance

It’s always best to plan, and that’s especially true when it comes to moving. A few months before the big day, take a day or two off and write down a few of the tasks you’ll have to do before moving day is upon you. Things such as looking for a new apartment, hiring professional movers, if you want to do that, and finding packing materials are important aspects that you’ll want to start working on as soon as possible. Don’t just leave everything up in the air, you’ll likely end up overwhelmed by the number of things you’ll have to do.

Remember that the early bird takes the worm, and this applies especially to things such as apartment hunting. You can’t move unless you have somewhere else to go, and with the market being as competitive as it is, it’s key to start looking for an apartment at least a few months before you plan to move. If you also plan on using movers, then keep in mind that a lot of them are booked months in advance.

2. Talk to Your Landlord

This tip doesn’t apply to you if you own your home, but if you don’t, then know that you need to talk to your landlord and let him or her know that you’re not going to renew your lease. Your landlord needs time to find other renters, and it is simply good etiquette to announce your move. Another aspect you might not have thought about is that if you end up separating on good terms from your landlord, he might also give you a good reference to use when searching for a new place to live.

Other reasons you might have to talk to your landlord include getting back your security deposit, which is probably going to be quite substantial, and dealing with cleaning troubles and other such issues. It’s usually required of you, as a tenant, to leave the apartment the same way you found it when you moved in. You’ll also have to set a date for when to turn in your keys.

3. Budgeting is a Must

If you’re going to move, you should seriously consider saving up on cash. This goes back to the previous tip of planning your move in advance. If you don’t have the necessary cash to rent a new apartment, including paying the security deposit and two months’ rent, then you probably won’t be moving at all. Then, there’s also the money required to actually move, as no matter what choice you’re going to make, using movers or doing everything by yourself, it’s still going to cost you quite a bit of cash.

Know that even if movers seem more expensive, moving by yourself won’t be cheap either. You still need to rent a moving truck if you’ve got a lot of stuff, and if you don’t, there’s also gas money to consider, if you’re planning on using your car. Other unexpected expenses might pop up, such as traffic or parking tickets, or packing supplies.

4. You Don’t Have to Move Everything

Living in your old home, you’ve probably accrued quite a few things that you don’t use anymore. Things such as old clothes or old pieces of furniture that you have no use for any more don’t need to come with you to your new place of living. While you could throw those things away, you could also donate them to charities. There are numerous organizations that specialize in giving unwanted things to disadvantaged families, where they’ll definitely be put to good use.

Another way you can get rid of unwanted things is by holding a yard sale if you can. No matter the method you choose, by donating, selling, or throwing away what you don’t need, you’ll end up needing much fewer boxes for your move, and in the end, spend much less on packing supplies. We know budgeting isn’t easy, so this is a good way to save a bit of cash.

5. Pack Properly

Packing isn’t as easy as it might seem at first, especially if you’re going to do it last minute. First of all, ditch the cardboard boxes; most tend to break apart after a single use. Instead, try to find plastic boxes to pack your things into. Not only will they last you much longer, but they’re also better for the environment since plastic boxes won’t end up in the bin after one use. Then, you should pack room by room, and properly label everything so you know what’s inside each box.

You can go a step further and try to color-code your boxes based on what room the items inside belong to. This way, you’ll know where each box belongs when you reach your new home. Another thing you should definitely do is pack an overnight bag with all of your essentials, such as toothbrushes, deodorant, and a change of clothes. You don’t want to end up having to scrounge through every single box to find where these essential items are located.

Related article: 5 Moving Hacks for Easier, Faster, Less Stressful Great M-Day