How to make moving simple, easy and stressfree

Happy New Year, we wish you a year full of happiness, joy and new beginnings. Just in case a new home is one of those new beginnings, this post is for you! It's all about how to make moving to a new apartment simple,easy and stress free!

Establish a moving plan/timeline include all major items (see ideas below)

1) Give notice at your current residence – usually 20 days is required check your lease
2) Find a new place – check out our ‘Fresh sheet’ at www.PRcommunities.com or try craigslist.org
3) Start ‘editing’ your possessions, give away unneeded items – Why move things you really don’t need?
4) Once you have picked on your new home, think about how you want your new home to flow, furniture arrangement and room usage.  A little planning and you can make the most of your new space and truly love where you live. Make a print out of the floor plan and play with different furniture ideas on paper it’s much easier to erase a line than to move a 90 pound sofa! The following links have more helpful information.
free graph paper and furniture cutouts 
furniture template 
tips on moving, furniture arrangement, floor plans and more 
common furniture dimensions

5) Make moving arrangements (do you need to borrow or rent a truck?)
6) Recruit help (5 people work 5X faster than 1 –if you plan ahead no one will have to work very hard and things can get done quickly and easily!)
7) Contact utilities, schools, work, change of address, drivers license etc. we have links to most of these on our website… www.PRcommunities.com (we did the work so you don’t have to)
10) Sign new lease (Do this ahead of time if possible so that on moving day a quick stop by the office to pick up the keys is all that is needed.)

Now it’s time to think about actual packing… 3 simple steps to make packing easy

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1) Pack a ‘Suitcase box’ for each room and each person.  Include everything you need for 2 or 3 days. That way you can take your time unpacking and still have everything you need. An example for a ‘suitcase box’ for the bathroom would be 2 towels, toilet paper, toiletries and personal items. A bedroom box would contain sheets, pillows and bedding. A child’s ‘suitcase box’ might include a favorite stuffed animal, toy, blanket, 2 changes of clothes, a jacket, and school supplies. The Kitchen box could include a place setting for each household member, a box of cereal, a pot or pan, some soup or pasta and a can opener, just enough to make a super simple meal or snack.  Continue thru each room in the same manner.  Then pack a suitcase box for each household member, packing the
items that will be needed to be comfortable and productive. (Don’t forget the keys and remote control!)  Label these boxes clearly and don’t lose track of them!  Once you get these few boxes taken care of, you can relax and take your time unpacking the rest of your belongings.

2) Label remaining boxes with both room name, and person when appropriate. That way your moving helpers will know where to stack the boxes.

3) The last boxes to move are cleaning supplies and the contents of the refrigerator, that way you can clean you old apartment and get as much of your deposit as possible, and move your perishable food items straight form one refrigerator to the next without getting side tracked by things happening with the move in general.

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