Hello!

Well, I’m moving this week and will not be doing any reading. Here are some tips I had to remember when moving…

1. Call the electric, cable, water, etc. companies at least two weeks prior to your move. Make sure you check with the rental as well so you can verify everything is set. If you’re just switching addresses there are some awesome companies like APS who let you do EVERYTHING online. If you have a sucky company (like my cable company), you may want to call even more ahead to make sure they do everything correctly. Don’t forget to follow up a few days before so that you have everything ready to be turned on.
2. Turn on the main breaker (or have your apartment complex turn it on). Many electric companies forget to mention that you need to have your apartment complex switch the main breaker on (and those places seem to forget they need to do that).
3. Do a walk-through with your landlord – make sure to mention even the smallest thing wrong. You may end up paying for something the previous person did.
4. Verify that you actually want to move everything that you’re packing. Are you sure you need all those decorations and half burned candles? If you can’t envision where it will go in your new apartment or can see life being just the same without it, it may not be worth packing (and then unpacking).
5. Make sure you have enough people to help you move the heavy stuff – it’s not worth hurting yourself. It may be easier to hire someone to move the furniture – do you really want to do it yourself?
6. Make sure you remember when you’re supposed to move – I kept thinking it was two weeks away – until I realized it was THIS week.
7. Don’t pack your books and papers into big boxes – it seems easier until someone actually tries to move it. Make sure all boxes are easy-enough to carry.
8. Provide plenty of food and drinks (of whatever type your helpers enjoy).
9. Don’t pack your hanging clothes. It seems like an easy thing to do but it’s even easier if you just leave everything on the hanger - it may take up extra room in your car but it’s worth it when you don’t have to re-hang your clothes.
10. Clean up your apartment afterward (if you’re renting) – don’t rack up the cleaning fees if you don’t have to. If you need to clean the shower and have stuff that won’t come off, most apartment maintenance people suggest oven cleaner. Don’t forget to clean the drip pans for the stove, the oven, and in some places, the windowsill. Fill in any nail holes that are very visible and make sure that overall it will pass the standard look-over.
11. Unpack everything as soon as you can – the longer you can do without items the less you need them. After about six months go through boxes you haven’t unpacked (as long as these weren’t “keepsake” boxes). If you haven’t even thought about the stuff and it isn’t for memories, give it (or throw it) away.