During the past two weeks, I have split my time between studying for finals and packing up my room in a condo and moving myself (with the help of two amazing friends of mine) to a studio apartment. Due to my being stressed out from trying to juggle school, packing, moving, and the basic functionality of my life, I definitely had, at least in my opinion, a somewhat messy move-in process. In order to help you avoid some of the mistakes I made, and maybe even use some of my accidental accomplishments, I have compiled a short list to (hopefully) help you out!
AVOID: Throwing everything in random boxes and bags.
I was practically running around like a headless chicken while doing my packing and moving process, and I definitely fell victim to this. While this was the quick way to pack, it made it hard to keep track of everything once it was in a box or bag. It made unpacking a nightmare as well. It was hard to find the few specific things I was looking for in a sea of boxes, bins, and bags filled with unknown things. I’m still looking for a few things that somehow vanished while I was either packing or unpacking.
DO: Take time the day after move-out to clean your old place.
I’m not too sure if this tip will work in the dorms, but since I lived off-campus, I was able to do this. I knew I would probably leave behind a mess of dust, hair, and paper scraps from boxes and packing materials, so I wanted to be sure that I was able to clean my bedroom, bathroom, and my desk area in my old place before I left. I knew I would likely not have time on my move-in day (I absolutely did not), and I wanted to leave my landlords with a clean place for their next occupants instead of making them have to get cleaners out to the condo.
AVOID: Buying moving boxes.
If you are using storage bins to keep things organized in your new home, use those to move your things! It is more cost-effective, and you won’t have to break down cardboard at the end of the day.
DO: Clean your new home prior to move-in and take photos and video to document any and all damages to your new home.
This trick is especially helpful if you are moving in somewhere where you are renting (apartment, condo, duplex, etc). Oftentimes you will need to take notes of damages and conditions of your new home on a move-in itinerary, and doing this before there are all sorts of furniture and other stuff in your way is very helpful. It is also nice to move into a clean home instead of a dusty or dirty one.
Moving itself is a stressful thing to do. I hope that these tips helped you!