Most of the time, your first step in the journey of becoming a real-life adult is an actual journey that involves you and all your shit moving out of one place and into another. Personally, this is a topic near and dear to my heart because I have moved my shit from one place to another more times than one 23-year-old person should have. (Lesson one: figure out how to stay in one place longer than a hot minute?). I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter if you’re moving across the country or to the apartment across the street, moving out on your own or in with someone else, or moving from your couch to your bed, moving is terrifying. Here are a few tips to help you avoid homelessness and insanity during your next move:
- Make a budget!
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This is my number one tip for probably everything you do as an “adult”. Create a budget for rent/mortgages, utilities, moving expenses, etc. and do not budge unless absolutely necessary. If you walk into an apartment complex and are wishy washy about your price range, you are wasting your own time and the time of the already annoyed person taking you on a tour for the tenth time that day.
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– - Figure out what your deal breakers are.
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For example, I have an abnormal amount of shit for one person so I need a walk-in closet and storage closets throughout the home. Do you like to cook? Maybe your deal breaker is counterspace in the kitchen. Do you tend to spill your wine while you’re Netflix and chilling alone? Maybe look for a place without carpet (or just drink your wine faster – spilling only happens if there is wine in the glass, after all).
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– - Once you’ve found a place, book your movers ASAP.
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If you’re driving/hauling your own items, book your U-Haul, Penske, Budget, etc. reservation sooner rather than later and be realistic about the size vehicle you are using. However, if you are a weakling/procrastinator/lazy trash person like me, you can hire movers to help you with things like packing, junk removal, loading and unloading of all your shit. It is definitely worth the money in my opinion, but always do your homework and shop around before booking with anyone; I almost always find good deals on Groupon or LivingSocial.
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Call your new apartment/landlord and ask them about your move in date. Will there be a loading dock you can use? Will you need to reserve the use of the elevator? Where can you park the moving truck?
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– - Figure out your one time vs. monthly payments.
- What are you expected to pay for in your lease agreement? What is covered by the landlord/apartment?
- What are the deposits? These are one time payments for things like application fees, holding fees, pet deposits, security deposits, etc. and some may or may not be refundable. Always ask what you are responsible for prior to move in and what can be refunded to you.
- Are there restrictions on which providers you can use for cable, internet, gas, electricity, etc.? If not, feel free to shop around for the best rates. I ended up getting rid of my cable and sticking to internet only once I moved to an apartment that gave me freedom to choose providers.
- Do they require renter’s insurance? If so, make sure you understand the amount of coverage you are required to carry.
- Is valet trash included in your rent or is it added on per month? This is a stupid cost in my opinion and more and more apartments are adding it on to the rent. Try and find a place that allows you to opt out of this “service”.
- Is there a pet rent each month? Again – so stupid. Until my cat starts working and paying for his own rent I will never understand why this added cost is necessary on top of a pet deposit, but alas, something to be aware of.
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- Get creative with packing.
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Have a ton of throw pillows? Now they can finally serve an actual purpose other than “tying the room together”. Whenever I need to move, I buy a few Large and XLarge moving boxes from U-Haul, gather newspapers/buy packing paper, and find the largest roll of packing tape I can find. From there, it’s all about understanding what items you already have and categorizing them: i.e. soft, fragile, heavy, literally will not break ever, etc. From there, it’s easy to layer your items based on those categories: first layer – blanket, second layer – wrapped dishes, third layer – cutting boards, fourth layer – another blanket/throw pillow, etc.
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Heavy and/or large items may be best to just wrap separately, and if you are using a mover to help you, they will typically wrap standalone items for free. They will also typically disassemble and reassemble things like bed frames, couches, etc. for free.
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For your hanging clothes, don’t bother taking them off the hanger and DO NOT blow your money on the pre-made clothes packaging. Just take a few trash bags, cut a hole in the bottom for the hook end of the hanger to poke through and tie the top of the bag to secure the bottom of your clothes. You can fit a few hangers with clothes per one bag, and it makes it a breeze to unpack them later.
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Get rid of your shit. I’m serious. You have too much shit. Don’t go and become a minimalist, unless you really want to, but I guarantee you will realize while you’re packing that you have too much shit. If you haven’t worn it or used it in the past year, toss it or donate it. Most cities should have a Salvation Army, women’s shelters, buffalo exchanges, etc. Get rid of your shit, and get a tax write off while you’re at it.
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– - Don’t be afraid to creep on your future roommate.
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I do not mean you should follow this person day/night and hang pictures of them all over your walls. That is illegal and creepy and you should not be creepy or do (most) illegal things. What I do mean, however, is that if you do not already know your roommate well, you are entitled to do some light creeping and ask questions to make sure he/she isn’t going to hang pictures of you all over their walls. I’ve had many roommates in the past, and I will tell you that the worst scenario you can put yourself in is one with a roommate you do not get along with.
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In most cases, your apartment complex and/or landlord will require things like proof of employment, credit history, background checks, etc. from each tenant, however, in the cases when that is not already required, ask the questions yourself. Does this person have a steady job? Have they supported themselves financially in the past? Are they responsive and easy to contact? Do they look like they bathe regularly? Perform an “ocular pat down”. If you don’t understand that reference, go binge watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and get back to me.
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Other key questions to ask your future roomie include:- Do you take showers in the mornings or at night?
- How do you feel about guests/family visiting?
- How do you feel about smoking/drinking?
- Are you allergic to any animals and/or foods?
- Are you bringing in any furniture that would be used in the shared spaces?
- How would you like to split the cost of rent/utilities?
- Do you like to go out or stay in most nights?
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I’m not going to lie to you, you will hate everything about moving your shit. You’re going to consider ditching it all and living under a bridge. I’ve been there. I’ve also learned that any overwhelming, horrible, shit tornado like task is so much easier when you break it down and attack it step by step. Plan ahead and budget your time and money realistically. Last tip: budget for wine, you’re going to need it.
