You’ve Found the Perfect Apartment—Now What?
Finding the perfect apartment is just one step toward getting ready to live in it. You also have to figure out what steps you will need to take before you can move in and get it set up. Make sure to keep the following actions in mind.
Sign the Lease
The first thing to do is to sign your lease. This lets you secure the apartment and ensure that no one else will take it. As you sign the lease, you’ll figure out what your move-in date is. This is crucial for your planning, especially with long-distance moves.
Get Renter’s Insurance
Next, you want to make sure to get renter’s insurance. Some landlords require you to have it, but you should get this coverage even if yours doesn’t require it. Renter’s insurance essentially protects your belongings in a property that you rent. It also typically includes liability coverage and additional living expenses, like a hotel room if your apartment is temporarily uninhabitable. Renter’s insurance can even cover your belongings if you go on vacation or travel.
Hire Movers
Next up is one of the most important steps: finding the right movers. You will want to do research on the best long distance moving companies to figure out which one works best for you. While cost is an important factor, it should not be your only consideration. If you choose the cheapest movers, you will likely get what you pay for. Your items may arrive damaged, or they may get delayed.
It is worth paying a little more for a well-reviewed moving company with a great reputation. You may wonder whether you can do the move yourself. If you only have a few bags of items and are moving from one furnished apartment to another, you can likely handle it yourself.
However, if any furniture is involved, your items can’t all fit in a car, or you are moving a long distance, you should hire movers. Hiring movers will take the stress off you. You won’t have to worry about lifting heavy items or figuring out how to navigate a couch in a hallway or stairwell. More importantly, you can avoid accidentally injuring yourself and save energy for other moving-related tasks, like unpacking.
Pack Your Stuff
Once you have hired your movers and set up a date, it is time to start packing. Since movers are going to handle it for you, you can make the boxes heavier, as long as they remain sturdy. Consider labeling boxes with what room they will go in. This will let the movers place each box right where you want, so you won’t have to move heavy boxes around at your new place.
As a bonus, consider labeling a box as “first to unpack” and put the basics you’ll need right away in it. For example, put the following in that box:
Unpack and Organize
On the day of the big move, you let the movers handle all of your possessions for you. You just get to supervise and handle other details. Once they are gone, it’s time to unpack and organize your new space. If you labeled your boxes well, this process will go very smoothly.
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