Apartment Moving Checklist: Make Your Next Move Stress-Free

Moving into a new apartment can be an exciting time in your life as a new layout, new location, and hopefully better amenities can provide a better quality of life. However, the anxiety of a move can sometimes feel overwhelming.  As a result, we at Movegreen, Southern California’s premier eco-friendly moving company, have provided a checklist of tasks that will ensure your next apartment move goes smoothly and stress-free.

30-90 Days Out

1. Turn-in Your Notice - To kick-off your move, you will want to ensure that you turn in a proper move out notice to your landlord or apartment office of your current residence. This will let them know you plan on not renewing so that they will know when they need to do their inspection of the apartment.
2. Start Stockpiling Packing Supplies - With have 1-3 months of planning, you will have plenty of time to start collecting some packing supplies. This will include bubble wrap, boxes, and any other materials you may need. If you need boxes, contact Movegreen to find out more about our extensive line of eco-friendly moving boxes and moving supplies.
3. Begin Sorting Things You Need to Keep/Sell/Donate - While you are starting to get all of your things packed up, now is an excellent time to sort your items into what you want to keep/sell/donate to cut down on the amount you have to move and possibly make a little extra money.
4. Notify Utility Companies - With a move, you are going to want to make sure your utility companies know that you are going to be moving. In addition, you will want to provide advance notice that service will be needed at your new location.  Typically, adding and terminating utility services can be scheduled ahead of time.
5. Hire a Professional Moving Company – If you’ve ever tried to move to a new location without the assistance of professional movers, you are mostly likely aware of the stress and challenges that go with renting a truck, purchasing materials to pack your valuables, and of course trying to rally friends and family to help you with what is literally the heavy lifting.  When you hire a professional moving company, like Movegreen, you can be sure that your items will be moved safely and securely, and most importantly, stress free!
6. Schedule a Change of Address with the US Postal Service - To make sure that you receive all of your mail at the right address, submit an address change form to the post office well ahead of your move.  This ensures that your mail will be forwarded, and the start date can be scheduled to coincide with your actual move date. 
7. Start Making Your Inventory List - Make a list of all of the things that you are packing to allow yourself a checklist for when you unpack everything at your new home. This will help you to stay organized during the unpacking phase of the move. 

1-2 Weeks Out

1. Ramp Up the Packing Process - With only two weeks left until your move, it’s time to put the packing process into high gear.  If you find yourself overwhelmed by how much you have left to pack and how little time you have before your move, call a professional packing service like Movegreen who not only can alleviate your stress during the packing process, but can also pack your oversized and valuable items in the safest and securest way possible.
2. Clearly Organize Your Boxes - To make the moving process more manageable, you will want to make sure your boxes are clearly labeled and organized. Using different color tape and large labels to indicate which boxes go to each room can help make this process much easier.
3. Leave the Essentials Unpacked until the End - When packing up all of your items, you can easily forget that you need to keep a few things out. Leave out the essentials such as toiletries, towels, a few cooking items, and anything else you use daily.
4. Start the Cleaning Process - Once you have made headway on your packing, you can start to clean items that will be staying in your old residence, such as appliances.

Moving Day

1. Track Your Move with Your Inventory List - With moving day here, you will want to check off your inventory list as items are loaded into the moving truck.
2. Do Your Final Run-Through - Once everything is removed from your old apartment, make one final thorough run through to ensure you are not leaving anything behind.

Moving In

1. Walk-through Your New Apartment - Before you start to move in your items, it is recommended to do a thorough walkthrough of your new residence so that you can note any damage or issues with the premises prior to unpacking your items.  It is useful to take photographs of any potential issues while the unit is empty so that you can ensure that the landlord is aware that these issues preceded your move. 
2. Unpack the Necessities First - Last but not least, the unpacking. The biggest tip here is to start unboxing anything you need on a daily basis just in case you cannot finish your unpacking for a few days. Note that with a professional full-service moving company like Movegreen, you can leave the unpacking process to the pros.  Relying on the experts to unpack your belongings is a great way to cap off a stress-free move and start enjoying your new apartment immediately!