Tips for organizing a move to a new apartment

Move to a new apartment — where to begin?

Moving to a new apartment begins with drawing up an action plan. You may not need a plan at all, but it helps to organize the whole process. There is no need to create complex worksheets in Excel – all you need is a piece of paper and a pen. The plan can be divided into weeks and days that remained before the moving:

1. Four weeks before the moving:
   - to make a complete inventory and make a list of your belongings;
   - to decide which of them you are going to take to your new apartment and where you will place them;
   - to get rid of unnecessary things – to sell, return or throw them away;
   - to contact the transport company and agree on the date of transportation of your belongings or pre-hire a roomy car;
   - to buy household chemicals and cleaning products for cleaning your old and your new apartment immediately after moving.
2. Three weeks before the moving:
   - to connect telecommunication services in your new apartment: internet, telephone, television;
   - to buy packing materials: scotch tape, cardboard, stickers, markers, bubble wrap, vacuum bags for bed linen, clothes covers;
   - to prepare or buy suitcases and bags for your belongings;
   - to start collecting less essential items (e.g. out-of-season clothing, jewellery, books);
   - to collect the documents (e.g. certificates, diplomas, medical records).
3. Two weeks before the moving:
   - to clarify all the details with the transport company – arrival time, parking, destination;
   - to order additional services (for example, knocking down the furniture or cleaning) if necessary;
   - to cancel all the services connected with the old apartment (for example, unsubscribe from the newsletter, contact the provider for disconnecting the Internet, telephone and television).
4. A week before the moving:
   - to knock down and prepare the furniture you are going to bring to your new apartment;
   - to make a list of faults that should be reported to the new owner or tenant of your former apartment;
   - to prepare a bag with essentials that you may require immediately after the move: pyjamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, cosmetics, etc.
5. A day before the moving:
   - to specify the time of arrival of the truck that will take your belongings;
   - to defrost and thoroughly clean the refrigerator;
   - to pack kitchen and household appliances;
   - to secure houseplants (for example, by wrapping them in a plastic bag or carefully tying the branches with threads);
   - to put your documents, money and keys into a bag that is always at hand;
   - to prepare a set of tools for unpacking the boxes in a new apartment;
   - if your family or friends want to help you with the move, you have to make sure that you agree with them on all the details;
   - to fully charge your mobile phone;
   - to set an alarm.

Day X has finally arrived, and you can breathe a sigh of relief - with a plan, you have complete control over everything. It's time to move to a new apartment!

The day of your moving to a new apartment: what’s next?

On the day of moving, be sure to get up early and check if all things are collected, packed and labelled. It will also not out of place to save all the meter readings by taking a picture on a mobile phone, so that you have a weighty argument if there are discrepancies in the readings with the owner of the apartment or new tenants. After all the things are taken out into the street, it’s necessary to shut off the gas and water, turn off the electrical distribution box, and also close all the windows and the door.

Now that all the things have been brought into the apartment, you need to start unpacking and putting them in places. It is worth following a simple procedure:

• to unpack your belongings from your “essentials bag”, to get out the cups and a kettle and organize some resting corner to have breaks from unpacking;
• to carefully examine all boxes with your equipment and belongings to make sure that nothing has been damaged on the way and nothing is missing;
• to put your documents in a safe place where you can easily find them;
• to check the meters in your new apartment and record the readings on them;
• to unpack your belongings ranging from larger items such as household appliances and furniture to small and personal possessions.

After unpacking, you will need a few more days or even weeks to find a suitable place for each thing, rearrange the furniture and generally furnish the apartment so that all family members feel comfortable in it. After taking up residence, be sure to get to know your neighbours to find out more about the residents of the house and the neighbourhood.

Useful tips for moving to a new apartment

Moving to a new apartment is a big change in life. No wonder, many people experience a lot of stress when moving. Although changing your apartment is also a fresh chapter that you would better start with joy. How should that be done? Here are some practical tips.

Take your time

Even if the deadlines are tight, take your time and check everything carefully. This will allow you to properly organize and plan the entire move. You cannot start preparing a week before the planned departure, because in this case you will be short of time to organize everything well and efficiently. When should you start preparing? The earlier the better. If you used to rent an apartment, let the landlord know your plans. The sooner you do this, the better – the landlord should have a chance to find new tenants.

Pack wisely

Packing takes time, but if you prepare for it correctly, nothing will be lost or damaged along the way. Start with items you don’t use every day, such as seasonal clothing, books you’ve read, spare towels or bed linen. Once your new apartment is ready, you can gradually start moving your belongings. You will get away with the accumulation of a large number of boxes and packages in your current apartment. When collecting belongings, get rid of unnecessary things, for example, clothes that you have not worn for a long time, old books, souvenirs and unnecessary knick-knacks. You don't have to throw them away. The clothes in good condition can be given to those in need, the books can be auctioned or taken to the nearest library, unused items can always be given to friends or organize a sale. This will give your belongings a new lease of life, and you will bring only really necessary things to your new apartment.

Hire a truck

Moving into a new apartment is usually the transportation of not only personal possessions, but also large household appliances and furniture. It is problematic and often impossible to transport such a load on a personal car. Besides, it is worth considering your own fuel costs and efforts aimed at loading/unloading furniture, equipment and other things. Hiring a truck can save you a lot of time. Transport companies offer transportation of any type of goods, including fragile items, as well as additional services, such as loading and unloading, or unpacking things in a new apartment. All you have to do is to sign all the boxes so that the moving men know which of them require more careful handling.

Prepare your new apartment in advance

If you already have a key to your new apartment, you should prepare it for the move in advance. Usually, when buying a home from a developer, it already has interior doors, windows, and often a simple finishing repair has been made. Otherwise, you first need to whip your residence into shape. There is no point in moving things to a dusty apartment. If the repair has already been done, dust off first. This can be done several times, because the dust can settle for several weeks after repairs. Wash windows and doors, walls and floors, and ventilate the apartment well. Wipe the furniture, even if it is new, so that after the move you can immediately put the transported belongings there.

Let yourself be happy

Despite being stressful, moving is a great excuse to start something completely new. So enjoy your new apartment, jump with joy, invite your friends and celebrate the move together.