I recently moved to Midtown and it was an ordeal. I’m settled in now, but it took a full week for me to get that way. I feel like I got hit with quite a few curveballs this move and I wanted to share some tips with you guys to make sure your moves go smoother than mine.
Move out notices – Most apartment complexes require 60 day notices, so that means filling out whatever paperwork you need to have turned in so that you don’t face any kind of penalties. This also means you should find a new place to live. Whether you’re moving for a change of scenery, to be closer to work, to be closer to loved ones or whatever other reason, I would suggest securing a place of residence before you sign the move-out paperwork for your current place.
Movers – One of the things I did with this move that completely changed the game was hire movers. I asked around for recommendations, but I ended up using Groupon. There were quite a few local movers with specials and their rates plus the regular coupons that Groupon offers I was able to save quite a bit on my initial 2 hours of my move. I definitely recommend doing your research and reading the reviews of the companies, and finding one that’s been around for a while. I would also suggest that you make sure that the company you hire has adequate coverage in case the unthinkable happens.
Don’t let it rain on your parade – I wished, hoped, prayed and even did a rain dance asking for decent weather on the day of my move, but that just didn’t happen. It started raining just as my movers arrived and didn’t stop until I left work that evening. It was truly one of the worst conditions to move in, but I felt like we handled it well. It added an extra hour to my move, but we made sure that the movers were safe and that my stuff was safe as well.
Double your budget – I had a figure in my mind for my movers, I really didn’t want to spend more than $250 for them, but that all changed the day of when it was practically a monsoon outside. My dad and middle sister told me to budget more, but I didn’t listen. I should’ve and I’m hoping you guys can learn from my mistake. Add an additional $100, plus tip for your movers in your budget. Don’t forget about those final utility bills. You might be keeping the same service providers, but you’re likely to get a new account number with your new place, especially from your electricity provider. Unless your bill cycle lines up with your move perfectly you’ll have a few days overlap so budget for that.
Follow up – You might be able to arrange for you to move your service online, but follow up with everyone! Follow up with your movers to make sure that they still have you on their schedule, especially if you’re moving on a weekend. Follow up with your cable and internet provider and make sure they don’t cancel your appointment. I trusted that my move requests were enough, and for every provider except cable and internet it was. They canceled my appointment at the last minute and I was without cable and WIFI at my place for an entire week. Thank God for kind neighbors and Hurricane Chris.
Go with the flow – You can plan everything down to the last detail, but be prepared if things don’t go exactly as planned. Whether it’s a 4-hour move instead of a 3-hour one, having to go into the office after you’ve spent all morning moving, or even coming into your new place and seeing that it’s not quite ready. Just remember to breathe, smile and that just about everything can be fixed with a work order, phone call and a glass of wine.
I hope that these tips helped you guys, and I hope your moves go a lot smoother than mine did. I have a few more tips to share with you guys later this week, those will be more for “after the move”.