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Tips for Couples When Moving into a New Apartment
Moving into a new living space is always an exhausting process. There are so many things to keep in mind and so much physical work, it’s easy to become stressed out. Luckily, moving does become a bit easier when you’re not doing it alone, but even then, there’s still quite a lot of work to do. So, if you and your significant other are moving into your new nest, here are a couple of things that should help you keep everything under control.
Give yourself time
If both you and your partner are employed, if you have children, or if you simply lead a busy lifestyle, give yourself time. It’s very hard to move in a day, especially when there are other things you need to think about. Plus, there’s always that issue of possibly forgetting things and having to go back for them, which is why it might be best to move things gradually. Of course, this might not be possible if you’re moving far away. However, if your new home is still within the same country, designate a couple of moving dates, decide which things you’ll move on which date, and inform the proper parties (your boss, children’s school, doctors, etc.).
Start saving on time
Moving costs not just time but money as well. You might need to rent a temporary storage unit, hire a moving company, or pay for extra gas if you decide to move on your own. Moreover, you should also have a bit extra money in case of any financial surprises. This is why you should start saving up at least a few months before the move so you don’t have to think about it later.
Get some help
As mentioned, if you or your partner own a car and have the extra time, you can do the move yourself. However, hiring professional help might be best simply because it would be faster and more efficient. After all, professionals know how to handle everything from fragile kitchenware to sturdier furniture items. For example, there are also companies that can help you with moving house utilities such as MyConnect. So, do your research, look at reviews, ask around for references, and there shouldn’t be any problems.
Take care of the essentials
The first thing you should do as soon as you get your keys is – get new ones. More precisely, you should change the locks. Of course, this depends on whether you’re the owner of the apartment or are moving into somewhere like one of these studio rental apartments (some landlords still allow their renters to change the locks). Next, you should take care of the details – set up the internet, change your address at the post office, and change your mail address if you’ve subscribed to any delivery services. This would ensure that your stuff is safe during the moving process Moreover, if you or your partner work from home, your online work wouldn’t suffer during the transition.
Prepare your new home
While your home is still empty, take the opportunity to decorate it. Paint the walls, install new cabinets and shelves, polish the doors and closets, refinish the floors, etc. In short, if there is anything that needs to be repainted, sprayed, waxed, or in any other way restored, it should be done while there aren’t any physical obstacles.
Figure out the layout
One of the more fun parts of moving is figuring out the new layouts. Before you start bringing in the items, measure each room, and decide on the purpose. A good idea would be to draw the rooms on paper, so you can visualize them more easily. If you’ve done an inventory of your possessions, this would also help you decide where you want to place your furniture. Once you put everything on paper, you will have one less thing to worry about when your items arrive.
Get moving boxes
Big empty boxes are an inevitable part of moving, but most people don’t think about them until they start needing them. Luckily, they are fairly easy to find if you know where to look. Most grocery stores, clothing stores, and supermarkets have a lot of empty boxes that they don’t need. They can sell you the boxes for a low price, but if you ask politely, you might even get them for free.
Use hangers for clothes
If you and your partner have a lot of clothes, and you probably do, plastic wrap might become your best friend. Instead of wasting time on removing the clothes from the hangers and folding them, wrap them together with the hangers and pack them like that. It would take up much less space, and it would be easier to “unpack” later.
Mark boxes with colors
Organization is extremely important when moving, but staying organized can sometimes be hard when there are so many different boxes and things to pack in them. Not to mention the chaos of trying to find what you need after you arrive at the new apartment. Therefore, consider labeling different boxes by using different colors. Come up with a color-coding system, and use markers, post-it notes, colored tapes, or any other colored means of marking your boxes.
Make use of linens
Towels, pillows, throws, and other linens usually take up a significant amount of space, which is why you should use that space wisely. So, wrap the more fragile objects into your sheets, towels, and other soft fabrics. This way, you’d keep your fragile items safe, and you’d save some money on bubble wrap.
Declutter
Assuming that you won’t be moving again any time soon, you should use this chance to declutter. While packing, go through your things, and put aside everything you don’t need. You can sell or donate those things, and you’d save yourself some packing room. Think about what you want your new home to look like, and get rid of everything that doesn’t fit into that image. It’s a unique opportunity to restart your living space, so don’t waste it.
Moving into a new apartment can be a drag, even when you’re not doing it alone. So, give yourself enough time, plan things ahead, use the opportunity to prepare your new place and do some decluttering, and your new home will be ready for your fresh start.
About the Author dereklotts
Derek Lotts is a Sydney based writer and researcher, a regular contributor at Smooth Decorator blog. He writes about décor, gardening, recycling, ecology and business. He thinks all of these topics fall under the self-improvement category. He believes in the power of sharing ideas and communicating via the internet to achieve betterment.
