If you’re planning to move soon, you may be excited about the opportunity to explore a new city or start a new job…but, ugh. You’re dreading the actual process of moving: packing, cleaning, carrying boxes, unpacking, changing your address, setting up utilities, and more. There’s no way to make this task easy, per se, but Jonas Bordo says there are tactics you can use to make things go as smoothly as possible.
“There are a lot of logistics, deadlines, and manual labor involved in moving,” acknowledges Bordo, who is the CEO and cofounder of Dwellsy, and coauthor, along with Hannah Hildebolt, of Everything You Need to Know About Renting But Didn’t Know to Ask: All the Insider Dirt to Help You Get the Best Deal and Avoid Disaster (Matt Holt, August 2023, ISBN: 978-1-6377439-2-8, $21.95) “You’ll thank yourself for researching what to expect, staying organized, and tackling these tasks with a plan.”
Bordo’s upcoming book, Everything You Need to Know About Renting But Didn’t Know to Ask (available for purchase on August 1), is exactly what the title says: a comprehensive guide to help people “win” at renting. It covers the entire process from preparing for the rental search to getting your security deposit back after your lease is up. With several decades’ experience as a renter, landlord, property manager, and current CEO of the largest U.S. rental marketplace, Bordo is a trusted authority on all things rental-related—and over the years, he has become something of an expert at moving into and out of homes, whether they’re rented or purchased.
Here, he shares seven pieces of advice to help you and your household goods get into your new home without having a nervous breakdown.
Weigh the pros and cons of hiring a moving company versus doing it yourself. Most obviously, hiring movers means much less physical labor for you—but it’ll also cost more money. You might consider those dollars well spent, though. Professionals know how to pack your stuff well to minimize breakage, and they’ll handle the logistics of loading and unloading boxes onto a truck. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, stress, and possibly a strained back.
Here’s the caveat…if you’re just moving across town (or even just a few hours away), a DIY approach is often best.
“Hiring movers generally makes the most sense for long-distance moves,” says Bordo. “If you’re moving locally, it’s easier to work at your own pace and make multiple trips to your new place. You might even be able to ask your friends for help—just be sure to thank them with a pizza!”
Make a plan for your “tough-to-move” stuff. Figure out what to do with liquids, gels, food, plants, etc. Many moving companies won’t pack these items—and you might not feel comfortable chucking them in a box and hoping for the best, either. Plan to eat through as much of the food in your fridge as possible. You may want to put some things in a cooler and take them with you if you’re moving a shorter distance.
“If you have space, you can move cleaning supplies, toiletries, paint, weed killer, propane tanks, houseplants, etc. yourself,” Bordo says. “If that’s not an option, try to give these things away to friends or dispose of them properly.”
Change your address and set up your utilities. To change your address, start with USPS and have all of your mail forwarded. You’ll also need to change your address with your bank, and with any business or service that uses it for billing, mailing, and/or delivery.
“Before you move, find out if you’ll need to transfer utilities like power, water, gas, internet, trash, etc. to your name, or if you’ll need to have service turned on,” says Bordo. “Transferring service is usually as simple as a phone call and an accounting change. But you might have to wait several days or longer for an employee to come to your home and turn on the power or hook up the internet. Plan ahead so you aren’t in the dark.”
Pack a box of move-in essentials. You’ll want to keep some items with you during the move, especially if there will be several days (or weeks) between packing your boxes and receiving them at your new location. Consider setting aside the following things:
- An overnight bag with toiletries, charging cords, and a few changes of clothes
- A sleeping bag, air mattress, and/or bedding
- Basic cleaning supplies, a toolkit, and a first aid kit (You never know what you might have to clean, repair, assemble, or disassemble on your way out of your old home—or upon arrival at your new one.)
- Snacks and water
- A few plates, cups, and silverware—disposable or otherwise
- Your most-used cooking tools—think a pot, a pan, a spatula, a chef’s knife, etc.
- Books, gaming devices, and other entertainment (Be sure to include a speaker if you have one. Music makes unpacking go by faster.)
- Any valuable items or documents you don’t want to lose sight of (This could be anything from a family heirloom to your passport and social security card to a hard copy of your new lease.)
If you’re renting, do a documentation walk-through before you move your stuff in. With virtually all rentals, you’ll have to pay a security deposit—and when you move out, you’ll be on the hook for any damages. It’s smart to walk through your rental before moving any of your belongings in, preferably with your landlord or property manager. Look for any and all signs of wear and damage—scuffed walls, cracked tiles, leaky faucets, dented appliances, etc.
“No sign of damage is too small to point out unless you’re comfortable with the possibility of paying to repair it,” says Bordo. “Write down what you find, take pictures, and if possible, email them to your landlord. That way you have time-stamped evidence that these issues were present before your arrival.”
Clean before unpacking. Maybe your new home has been meticulously scrubbed by the previous occupant or a professional cleaning service. If so, lucky you! If not, it’s much easier to clean before unpacking. (Hence why you’ll want to have a few cleaning supplies with you.) A good strategy is to clean each room starting at the top—ceiling fans and cabinet tops all the way down to the floor. Pay special attention to disinfecting places like bathrooms, countertops, and the inside of your fridge.
Set up rooms in the right order. Resist the temptation to start ripping open boxes willy-nilly. First, make sure each box is in the correct room. (You labeled them, right? Of course you did.) Bordo suggests unpacking your bedroom first. Make your bed and hang your clothes so you’ll sleep well, feel confident, and have an oasis of calm in the madness.
“Next, focus on the kitchen, because you need to eat,” suggests Bordo. “First, just make sure all appliances, tools, utensils, and food items have a home. You can fine-tune the organization later. Then, move on to the bathroom, which probably won’t take long, and finish up with your living areas. Also, get furniture in place before focusing on smaller items and décor.”
“Perhaps the best thing about the moving process is that it doesn’t last forever,” concludes Bordo. “No matter how stressed, tired, or frustrated you are, you will get through it. But why make things harder than they have to be? When you know beforehand what you have to do, you can make a plan and set a timeline that will help keep things manageable.”
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