My First Apartment Checklist and Tips

A move to another home generally requires the coordination of professional moving services. But for those who are moving to an apartment, often such complex services are not required simply because the amount of furniture and personal belongings making the move does not require the efforts of – or price associated with – such professionals. In such a case, those who are moving may opt to coordinate the move themselves – along with the assistance of willing and able family and friends of course.

Photo by: jan glas

Schedule Help

Your first apartment – while often less cumbersome than a move to a larger, single family home – can still be overwhelming and will require detailed planning. Those planning a move should be sure to plan the days of their move with care, ensuring that the help that they need will be available. The creation of a calendar can even be helpful for all those involved as it will allow them to plan accordingly and set aside the time you need. Be sure to enlist assistance for packing as well moving.

There are several basic things that you will want to include in your calendar:

• Enlisting family and friends for moving help
• Checking moving quotes and reserving a moving truck
• Collecting packing supplies like boxes, tape and bubble wrap
• Filling out a forwarding address form at the post office for bills and mail
• Confirming your move in date

Larger Items Last

It is always a good idea to move all lighter items – those that are boxed and can be easily transported by car – first; larger items including furniture should be the last to be moved. If you are bringing your furniture with you, it may be necessary to rent a larger truck in which to fit your items. Be sure that you get enough help to be able to lift and move these larger pieces. However, moving to an apartment may require that you purchase more suitable furniture. If furniture is being delivered have the delivery scheduled before anything else is moved into the apartment.

Rent A Truck

Even if you are moving to an apartment in another city, you do not necessarily have to engage the services of professional movers. With the availability of smaller, inexpensive moving trucks that you can drive yourself, you may be able to easily move all of your items in one trip.

Photo by: Ben Gertzfield

Top 3 Rental Trucks

1. Penske Truck Rental
Pros: Inexpensive, guaranteed a newer truck, most popular.
Cons: Some trucks need help.
The Bottom Line: While every move has its own issues, Penske continues to provide great service and low prices to people every day.

2. Budget Truck Rental
Pros: Cheap, truck condition is moderate, 2nd most popular do it yourself truck rental.
Cons: Customer service is fair, prices tend to fluctuate frequently
The Bottom Line: Budget comes in a close 2nd with some frequent customer service issues and moderate to heavy complaints from customers. Trucks tend to be in ok condition, but pricing is not as dependable.

3. Uhaul Rent a Truck
Pros: Inexpensive; Quick reservation process; There when you need to rent a truck last minute.
Cons: Trucks are typically in horrible condition; Known for breaking down; Vans are painful on the eyes, with no luxuries, and uses tons of gas. Make sure to fill it up before returning the truck or you could be paying $5-$7 dollars a gallon for Uhaul to do it.
Bottom Line: U- Haul, for all its faults and mishaps, continues to be many peoples moving company of choice. It’s there when you need a truck, but also causes strain to your eyes when you look at it and checkbook when you have to fill it back up.
Coupons: Go to local post office and request a relocation packet. USPS will usually send you Uhaul coupons with a change of address or before moving in or out of state.

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