Congratulations! You’ve found that perfect new place (perhaps a brand new luxury apartment in Bethesda, MD?), that you’re all excited about. But before you can get settled into your new digs, you have to go through the the hard part: the actual moving. Most people don’t have any sort of plan when they move and end up driving themselves (or their friends) crazy during moving day. For you it will be different, because you’ll plan ahead and be armed with these easy moving tips that will keep you sane.

Lighten Your Load

The first way to make moving day easier (and cheaper) is to simply move less stuff. Now is the time to weed out all that stuff you don’t really use or need in your new home by selling it on Craigslist or donating it to the charity of your choice. Don’t be afraid to be ruthless, you’ll probably never wear those old t-shirts (or whatever you are on the fence about) anyway.

Try to pack everything you actually need first so you’re just left the expendable items. Also, there are certain things (such as pantry foods, open bottles, old magazines, and used paints) that aren’t worth the pain moving, so you can just throw them out.

Pack an Overnight Bag

Chances are that you’ll be exhausted after moving day no matter who you are, and won’t feel like rooting through all your boxes for stuff just to get through the night. That’s why you should pack an overnight bag to get you through that first night in your new place so all your essentials (i.e. toiletries and next day’s work clothes) are in one easy-to-access place. We recommend putting your laptop/tablet in this bag as well to make sure it doesn’t get broken or stolen during moving day.

Color Coordinate

By designating a color for every room in your new home (e.g. blue for the kitchen or orange for the living room), you can make moving and unpacking a whole lot easier. Place a sticker in the appropriate room color on each moving box so that way the people moving your boxes will know where each box goes. When you unpack, everything will already be in the right room, making the job that much easier for you.

Make Sure You Have Lots of Supplies

Think of all the supplies that you think you’ll need for the move. Now add 25% to that number. That is is a good rule of thumb to make sure that you don’t end up short when it comes to moving day. Any supplies that you don’t use can remain unopened and be returned after the move. Supplies that you’ll make sure you want lots of are:

  • Boxes – Having about 10 extra boxes set aside is good for those last minute items on moving day (such as your bedding, clothes, and cleaning supplies).
  • Tape – The more packing tape, the better.
  • Filling for boxes – Unprinted newspaper, packing paper, or bubble wrap will make sure you stuff doesn’t break in transit.

Pack Before Your Friends or Moving Company Comes to Help

Lastly, don’t be the person who makes their friends or moving company wait for them to pack before they help you move. This will annoy your friends and cost you more money from the moving company that is just waiting around for you. If you have a few friends helping you, have them come in shifts—some in the morning to help you pack the van, and some later to help you once you get to your new place.

With these easy moving tips, you’re all ready for to move into our brand new luxury apartments coming soon to Bethesda, MD. If you’re interested in a vibrant apartment community with unparalleled amenities, sign up to learn more today.