Apartment Moving Tips

When it comes to moving into a new apartment, the earlier you start this process, the easier it will be. Whether you are moving across the country or down the street, we have narrowed down some tips and hacks to help you prepare, pack and move into your new apartment with ease.

1. Notify your landlord of your move
Most apartment complexes require a notice between 30 and 60 days. Check your lease to find out what your current place requires.

2. Prepare for moving day
Four weeks before moving, start gathering supplies. You need boxes, packing tape, markers, basic tools such as a screwdriver and hammer, and some packing materials (paper or bubble wrap) for breakable items. You’ll also want a measuring tape. If you haven’t done so, measure your furniture to make sure it will fit in your new space. If you are able, measure the doorway of your new rental to see if it is wide enough for your largest furniture to pass through. If something won’t fit through the door, look for other openings, such as a large window, that might work instead. Try breaking oversized furniture down to make it smaller, such as removing doors from a cabinet or legs from a table. If something is simply too large to move, you might want to consider selling or donating it and getting something smaller after you settle in.

3. When in Doubt Choose Three
If you’ve got more space in the apartment, you may not be sure how many movers to hire. It may feel counterintuitive because many of us are looking for the best savings, but often if you are unsure whether it’s a job for two or three, then it’s a job for three. Usually, the only way to save money by hiring two movers is if they can get the job done in four or fewer hours.

Adding the third mover increases their efficiency by double, rather than just 33%. That means a two-man crew takes around eight hours to accomplish what a three-man crew can get done in half the time.

With a three-person crew, two of the people can do the heavy lifting while the third is able to efficiently stack and arrange the moving truck to maximize space. This type of ‘relay’ is more difficult to achieve with only two movers, causing the job to take longer (and therefore cost more money).

4. What not to pack when moving
There are things you shouldn’t pack. Here are things you’ll want to keep with you or dispose of properly:

• Valuables and irreplaceable items and documents
• Flammables and explosives
• Houseplants
• Perishable foods
• Medications

Rather than packing everything, think about what you might need if you can’t unpack right away or the movers get delayed. Here are some things to bring with you for your first night:

• Your child’s necessities (favorite snacks, blanket, diapers)
• Your pet’s necessities (food, water, bowls, leash)
• Paper towels and a roll of toilet paper
• Toiletries, eyeglasses, and other essentials
• Phone and charger (make sure your phone is fully charged on moving day)
• A set of clothes for each member of your household
• Soap (hand soap, dish soap, shampoo)

5. Moving into your new apartment
Two weeks before you move, contact your utility companies. You’ll want to schedule the power and water to be turned off the day after you move out (not the day of, or you’ll be trying to move in the dark with no running water). Schedule the power to be turned on at your new apartment the day before you move in (again, not the day of, for the same reason).

About a week before your move, contact your new apartment community to inform them of your move-in date and ask if there are any special requirements. You’ll want to ask where to park and how to get the keys.

On moving day, be sure to give your old apartment a good, final cleaning after all the boxes and furniture are gone. Contact the apartment manager to conduct a move-out walk-through if you haven’t already done so and ask how to return the keys. Make sure your old apartment community has your new address so they can refund your security deposit.