As you think about moving to an apartment, you should seriously consider having a good camera to aid in the apartment search and move-in process. Digital cameras are great because you can instantly access your photos and make sure you’ve captured exactly the right shots. [click to continue...]
From the category archives:
Moving Tips
There is no denying that moving can be stressful for humans. After all, there are boxes to pack and unpack, lives to uproot and replant and new spaces and places to get used to. Now, imagine being a pet and going through the upheaval. It doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?
So, what can you do to help your pet adjust to new digs and get comfortable in his or her surroundings? Fortunately, there are a whole lot of things you can do to help make moving to an apartment easier on your feline or canine friend. [click to continue...]
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Moving to an Apartment for the very first time can bring with it all sorts of questions. Perhaps one of the most confusing issues that crops up is [click to continue...]
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When it comes to insurance, we have all been well versed in the benefits derived from health insurance, life insurance, and even automobile insurance. But on closer inspection [click to continue...]
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Moving to an apartment comes with a great many responsibilities, not the least of which is packing up the whole of your belongings and readying them for moving to your new space. [click to continue...]
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Moving to an apartment can be an amazing experience – one you will never forget. The time period that you spend in your apartment will surely eclipse the actual move-in day, but you are still likely to never forget those special hours you spent bringing your belongings into your new apartment and settling in to this new life. Moving day can be stressful, crazy, exciting, and full of roadblocks, but rest assured, if you spend some time planning the day in advance, you are likely to avoid many of the more common pitfalls.
Timing Is Everything
When it comes to moving to an apartment, the actual hours during which you can move may often be somewhat restricted. Such guidelines are put into place to keep the disturbance to other tenants to a minimum and allow for the resources that you will need: the elevator (if it’s a multi-floor apartment building), access to stairs and ramps, and keys (to storage facilities). The most important step in planning your move-in day, therefore, is to ensure that you work closely with your landlord to pinpoint the most convenient date and time for to make this move happen.
Solicit Help
Moving to an apartment often requires quite a bit of muscle power – more than we can effectively provide on our own. While professional movers can easily handle larger pieces, you may want to call on some friends and family to help you move boxes and keep the day moving at a good pace.
Put Important Items Aside
Very quickly into moving day you will realize that every box looks the same; even if they are clearly labeled, it may be difficult to locate one specific box among the masses. And what to do when something you need is somewhere in the fray? Prior to moving to an apartment, set aside important documents – as well as items that you will need for a few days including toiletries, a couple of changes of clothes, medications, and the like. This will give you the much needed time to dig out of the boxes and get yourself organized.
Don’t Forget To Eat!
Food is important every day and moving day is no exception. In the excitement you may forget that you need to eat in order to keep up your energy and pace your day. Work with a friend or family member who will be helping you during move-in day to pre-arrange food that everyone can eat throughout the day. Your friends will appreciate the planning and you will be glad that you took the time as well.
Great Tips For Making Moving Day Meals: It’s quick and easy to run to the closest fast food restaurant to load up on junk, but you don’t have to if you plan ahead. Try these tips for moving day meals made easy.
- Since the Kitchen is usually the last to get packed up, cook meals and freeze them. Choose dishes that are easy to freeze in individual portions and reheat in the microwave like lasagna.
- Pack healthy sack lunches.
- Provide healthy and energizing snacks and beverages throughout the day.
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Apartment moving is a big step, involving many big decisions. As you select your new home, take a moment to consider an issue of the utmost importance: your personal safety.
Visit The Neighborhood
One of the most important things to consider when moving to an apartment is the level of safety that the neighborhood – and the apartment itself – will offer you. Look around the neighborhood for clues regarding the apartment safety and security.
If you are not familiar with the neighborhood it is a good idea to visit the area during the daytime – and during the evening – to assess the activities that are happening around your apartment. A phone call to the local police station will tell you of the level of crime in the area; be sure to ask about your street and apartment building in particular.
Investigate The Apartment
Make sure there is adequate lighting in the parking lot and surrounding walkways for when you are coming and going after dark.
Check that your apartment locks have been changed prior to your move-in date and that no one but the landlord has access to the master keys. Doors should be in good working condition with several layers of locking mechanisms.
Ground level apartments should have safety bars on the windows – although you should always make sure you can easily remove the bars from the inside of the apartment in case of a fire.
Use Your Head
Use common sense when it comes to moving to an apartment. Often you will simply get a feel for the area, as well as the apartment complex, by making several visits at different times and giving yourself a chance to get to know the area.
Trust your instincts. No matter how good a deal the apartment is, you will not be happy unless you feel safe and comfortable.
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For many people, moving to an apartment is your first foray into living on your own; a first chance at independence and having a space to call your own.
At this time in your life, you are undoubtedly looking for a place to call your own but at a price you can afford. Moving to an apartment can definitely be less expensive that purchasing a single-family home, and there are ways to make your move, and your time spent in your first rental, as affordable as possible.
The City Outskirts
In many cases, those moving to an apartment look for a living arrangement within a major metropolitan area. While living in the middle of a city can be appealing because of proximity to every convenience you can imagine, it can also be extremely expensive. You may find that, by looking just along the outskirts of the city, you will save yourself a significant amount of money, while still being close enough to those conveniences that are important to you.
Roommates Can Cut Costs
Even the most affordable apartments can be expensive for a first-time renter. One or two well-chosen roommates can help make moving to an apartment much more affordable – and even enjoyable.
Aside from splitting the rent, roommates can split the cost of everything from utilities to food, and make this first living experience much more financially comfortable.
Affordable Apartment Furnishings
Moving to an apartment often means choosing furniture pieces that will fit in your space and still provide the maximum of comfort and functionality. Luckily, there are many different lines of furniture created for apartment living and offered at inexpensive prices. Ikea is a well-known store that offers trendy designs at reasonable prices.
Moving to an apartment gives you an opportunity to explore your style and creativity. This may be a good time to explore some secondhand shops where you can find remarkable deals on solid and functional pieces of furniture, clothing and other household items.
Ask Friends and Loved Ones to Help
When moving time rolls around, feel free to call in the help of friends and family. After all, moving to an apartment for the first time only happens once. Make the move as smooth and affordable as possible by asking for assistance. There will come a time when you can re-pay the favor.
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Moving can be enormously stressful. It leaves little doubt why it’s been dubbed one of the all time most stressful events in a lifetime. And depending on where you are moving, the issues are different – from house-hunting in another state to moving to an apartment, each move brings with it its own set of challenges.
If you are considering apartment moving, there are a number of specifics that to think about. And while moving is inherently stressful – the stress can be significantly minimized. Chances are that if you plan carefully and stay organized in the steps leading up to the move, the stress come move-in day can be kept to a minimum. But where to begin?
Review Your Lease
First and foremost, when moving to an apartment there are a number of contractual elements to look at prior to your move.
The signing of the lease legally binds you to the apartment. Before signing anything, have the lease reviewed by an attorney. While most leases use standard language, they are not all the same. In order to protect yourself and have the most comfortable living arrangement that you can, it is
imperative that you examine the details of your lease. For a small fee and a little bit of time you can save yourself a headache later.
Be sure to cite any repairs that need to be made or damage that has been previously done in the apartment. This will alert the landlord to any renovations and repairs that need to be tackled before your agreed upon move-in date, as well as release you from any liability for damages that occurred before your arrival, thus protecting your security deposit.
Getting Ready for the Move
Now you can begin the planning for your move-in date. Moving to an apartment may require that you downsize some of your belongings to allow for a smaller space. If this is the case, it may be time for some pre-move organization. Doing the work now, however, alleviates the stress of moving too much stuff into too small of a space. Choose those items that are absolutely coming with you and pack them ahead of time; next, separate the remaining items into categories including those you will sell, donate or put in storage.
The same strategy works well for furniture when it comes to moving to an apartment. Take careful measurements of your new apartment so you are absolutely clear on what will fit and where. It’s a waste of money and time to move a piece of furniture that will not fit in your new home so be prepared to make some difficult decisions ahead of time.
Moving is an exercise in organization; do your homework early and remain committed to keeping organized and on track. The more pre-work you do, the less stressful your move will be.
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At some point, some of us may decide that moving to an apartment is the next step in our living arrangements. Packing for a move to an apartment is especially challenging. For starters, there are just as many people who move to an apartment from a larger living arrangement as those who move from apartment to apartment. Obviously, when apartment moving from a larger home, a certain amount of downsizing is required in order to be able to fit all of your personal belongings into a smaller space. But even those who move from apartment to apartment must face the specific configurations of their new living space in order to pack appropriately.
Determine new space with measurements
Packing for such a move comes down to organization, plain and simple. If you are not organized right out of the gate, you are likely to run into quite a few obstacles along the way. Moving to an apartment entails really understanding the space that you will be occupying so that you can fill it with an eye towards form and functionality. Begin by getting accurate measurements of each and every room in your apartment. From those measurements you can create smaller scale drawings of each room (enlist the help of a creative friend if drawing more than a straight line makes you nervous). Such drawings can help you do a “test run” of furniture placement as well as organizational systems that will hold your possessions. Facing the reality of your space can help you make much-needed decisions before you actually make the move.
Separate your possessions into piles
Once you have determined where your furniture will best fit – or if the new space requires you to purchase smaller scale furniture that is more appropriate – you can begin to make decisions about what to pack. Boxes are great for packing; but before you actually put anything in the boxes you need to decide exactly what you’re taking in an organized and efficient manner. Separate your possessions into piles – things you are absolutely taking with you and will fit appropriately, things you are giving away, things you are selling, things you are discarding, and things you are putting into storage.
Pack your piles and consolidate the rest
Begin by packing those things that you are absolutely taking along with you and seal the boxes. This is incredibly helpful in curtailing your desire down the road to change your mind and add more things to the boxes. Once your boxes are packed you can deal with the other things; decide how you are selling certain items – perhaps have a yard sale or sell the items online; drop off giveaway items to a shelter or thrift shop; discard those items that you have deemed to be trash; and rent a storage facility space for those things with which you can not part but that will not fit into your new space.
Here are some resources for downsizing from a larger place:
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