Apartment Moving Checklist: Your Guide for Planning Your Move

Moving can be a stressful time, but planning ahead and keeping track of things can make it a whole lot easier. If you’re moving away from Deerfield Beach to a new apartment elsewhere, this apartment moving checklist can help you plan a smooth, hassle-free move.

Apartment Moving Checklist

This apartment moving checklist can help you take care of all the little details in the weeks leading up to your move. This list covers the month before you move to a new apartment, week by week.

Six to Eight Weeks Before the Move

• Review your lease agreement, and make sure you’re able to move without paying a hefty fee. Your lease should have directions about what to do if you’re moving, including a 30 day’s notice.
• Start researching moving companies, and try to get a few estimates before making a decision.
• Figure out your moving budget. This will determine what you can spend on professional moving services, as well as other incidentals that accompany apartment moving.
• Transfer your renters’ insurance to your new apartment.

Four Weeks Before the Move

• Give your landlord a formal, written 30 day notice.
• Schedule your apartment moving date with a reputable local moving company. This is important, because most local moving companies near Deerfield Beach are booked well in advance.
• Clean out your closets. Now is a great time to purge belongings you don’t really want to keep. Old clothes can be sold or donated, as can furniture and other items you won’t be taking with you. High quality items can often be sold on eBay or Craigslist. If it won’t sell, donate it to a thrift shop. Only broken or unusable items should be thrown away. If your landlord allows it, you may also want to consider having a yard sale prior to your move.
• Get the packing materials you’ll need. Cardboard boxes are pretty cheap to buy, but you can often get them for free in the “Free Stuff” section of Craigslist. You’ll also need permanent markers and packing tape.

Three Weeks Before the Move

• Start packing, beginning with non-essential items that you don’t use everyday. Important things can be packed last, so you can continue to use them up until your move.
• Take down art and photos from the walls and pack them up. If you own fine art, like oil or watercolor paintings, you can protect it by wrapping it up in Glassine and bubble wrap. Flat LCD TV boxes work well for transporting paintings. If there are holes in the wall where they were hanging, fill them in with some spackle.
• Stop buying groceries you’re not going to use immediately. Transporting perishables to your new place can be a hassle.
• Contact your bank, credit card company, and other financial providers to change your address. Do the same for insurance companies.
• Go to the post office and get the USPS to start forwarding your mail to your new address.
• Email your contact list about your new address.

Two Weeks Before the Move

• Cancel or forward your utilities, like water, electricity, natural gas, cable and internet, and landline phone if you have one. You may also need to change your address with your cell phone company.
• Cancel or transfer any newspaper and magazine subscriptions.
• Return any library books, rented DVDs, or things you’ve borrowed from other people, so they don’t get lost in the move.
• Keep packing.

The Week Of the Move

• Pack essential items together to bring with you to your new apartment, which you’ll need in your first few days there. Other things can be unpacked after you’ve settled in.
• After your apartment is empty, clean it thoroughly. You can hire a cleaning service for this if you’d prefer not to do it yourself.
• Leave a written note for your landlord with your new address, so they can give you your deposit back.
• Return the keys to your landlord.

Apartment Moving Services in Deerfield Park

Need professional movers for apartment moving in Deerfield Park? At Orange Movers, we provide residential moving services for renters and homeowners alike. To find out more, call us any time, or contact us now.