Did you know that “moving” is the third largest stressor for human beings!? I literally just learned this over the weekend and couldn’t believe the act of packing up & moving from point A to B falls directly behind stresses such as divorce…

In exactly one week from today, I will be fully-moved out of my first studio apartment, officially beginning my new chapter of downtown livin’ in FiDi!

Since reading The Ultimate Guide To Sell A House Fast, and officially making the decision to move, I started my move-out preparation almost instantly. This gave me exactly one month to get my sh*t together, figuratively and literally, and kept my stress levels very balanced for now.

If you’re planning to move in the near future, here are some of my suggestions that will assist in the organization of the matter & keep you from feeling more overwhelmed than necessary:

MARK THAT CALENDAR

The minute your application is accepted for that new space, determine exactly when you plan to be moving out and mark your calendar accordingly. This allows you to see how many total weeks you have to prepare to get all your items packed and ready to go. It’s also important to mark down the time(s) you set for your actual move-out/move-in, provided if you live in an elevator building or intend to hire professional movers.

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RESERVE MOVE-OUT/MOVE-IN TIMES IN ADVANCE

In reference to the above: If you live in an elevator building, you will have to reserve times to move out of your current building and into your new one. I HIGHLY suggest emailing the landlord/property manager of both buildings as soon as you narrow down what time you will have your movers arrive (if applicable) and when you intend to be out/in each place. The sooner you lock that down, the more flexibility you will have with preferred timing when reserving elevators – given most buildings DO NOT allow for moves to occur during the weekend.

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COLLECT & PROVIDE ALL PAPERWORK PRIOR TO MOVING DAY

If you plan to hire professional movers (highly suggested for city), then make sure you receive Certificates of Insurance (COI’s) from the moving company to provide both buildings with BEFORE the actual moving date. If you fail to do this, chances are you won’t be able to legally move your items out. If you are moving items “yourself,” then most buildings request you sign a waiver acknowledging your responsibility for any damages to the elevator or building that might arise during moving day.

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DON’T BUY BOXES, RENT INSTEAD!

Talk about a stress-free and eco-friendly alternative to collecting and packing up cardboard boxes. Gorilla Bins provides you with a “package” deal of hard plastic boxes to rent when packing up your space, with door-to-door delivery & pick-up included! I chose to rent the “Studio Package” which will provide me with 20 boxes to pack my belongings in ONE WEEK BEFORE my move. The best part is that they will not only deliver these to my actual door, but also pick them up from my new apartment ONE WEEK AFTER my moving day! They’ve seriously made figuring out where to pack up all my things THAT MUCH SIMPLER!

LOCK DOWN YOUR TV/INTERNET APPOINTMENT ON MOVING DAY

Getting cable & internet in your new apartment is like Christmas morning, so make sure you make an appointment for it to be installed/set up the same day you move-in. Of course, this is totally an option and based on how desperate you are for TV & Internet access. But for someone like me whose work heavily relies on Internet access, having this taken care of the day of my move is prime.

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 DECLUTTER, DONATE, DECLUTTER SOME MORE

Moving triggers the excuse to sort through all your possessions and determine what exactly you need versus what you can donate or get rid of. For me, cutting down on my wardrobe inventory is going to be the biggest challenge. I’m gaining a bedroom door but losing closet space, so there’s absolutely no way all my clothing will be able to make the trip. I found making a list of “areas” to tackle one day at a time has made this a more manageable challenge. For example, Tuesday I’ll sort through the shoes, Wednesday will be for the jackets, etc. Trust me, I’ve made sure I have A LOT of time to spend on this…

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 DETERMINE THE NEW APARTMENT ESSENTIALS

Another optional thing to consider is making a list of what item(s) you will need to purchase or have delivered on moving day. In my circumstance, I’ll need to purchase a TV for my living room given that the cable/Internet guy will be around to install it on moving day. I’m also intending to replace my shower liner and ensure I have trash bags, toilet paper, and paper towels handy the day of. Although these are simple things to prep for, you’ll be shocked to see how relieving it is to not have to worry about stepping out to get any of these little things last minute. You won’t want to search high and low for the box holding these items, nor want to leave the apartment to grab them once you’re in the moving groove.

PHEW! That’s a lot & I’m sure there’s more I should have included.

Everybody’s intended “move” will be different, but hopefully these suggestions are helpful to keep in mind for when the time comes to move!