Moving into a new apartment can be both a stressful and joyous experience. It gives you a fresh opportunity to get organized and set yourself up for a comfortable life, but there is also a long to-do list to get your apartment set up just the way you like it.
Where to Begin
Here are 10 tips to make the transition go smoother.
Inspect First
Before you even move a single item into your apartment, take out your camera and walk through the apartment. Take pictures of every room, especially any damage that may be pre-existing. You may never need these pictures, but it’s better to have them just in case.
If you notice any damage that needs to be dealt with for your apartment to be livable, make sure you notify your landlord sooner rather than later to have it addressed.
Deal with Utilities
If your utilities aren’t included in your rent, you will likely need to drive around to the appropriate power companies and water municipalities to get your utilities turned on. Expect to pay some setup fees if this is your first time connecting utilities in your own name.
Vacuum
Yes, your landlord should have done this before you begin moving into a new apartment, but better safe than sorry. It is much easier to clean now than it will be when you have boxes stacked everywhere and realize that it didn’t get done.
Move Your Belongings Into Their Rooms
By the time you reach your new apartment with heavy furniture and boxes full of stuff, you may be keen to drop it all in the front room and deal with later. However, if you unload the items from your moving truck directly into the appropriate rooms, unpacking will go a lot faster and you’ll have less physical moving to do over the next few days as your body recovers.
Set Up Your Bed
Always your No. 1 priority, you’re going to want to just flop down in bed and rest by the end of moving day. You don’t want your bed to be buried behind a stack of boxes or other heavy furniture. Again, if you move it into the bedroom immediately, this is a lot easier to do.
Focus on Essentials
A key part of learning how to settle into your new apartment is to start with the essential functions first. For instance, you need access to your toiletries every day, so you should prioritize your bathroom. In addition, unless you plan on eating out every meal of every day, your kitchen should be up there, too.
The good news is bathrooms are typically small and fast to unpack so that won’t take very long. Kitchens tend to be more complicated, but make sure that you unpack items in a way that makes it easy for you to function as you cook. It’ll be a much bigger hassle if you have to rearrange cabinets post-move.
Work Your Way Into Living Spaces
Now that the essentials are done you can turn your eye toward the living room and dining room. Now you can decide where to hang your artwork and just how to situate your couches. You can take your time decorating these rooms without losing their essential functions for day-to-day living.
Forward Your Mail
Ideally you filled out the paperwork to forward your mail before you moved, but if not make sure you get it done in the first week or so. You can even go online and have your mail forwarded through the USPS website, and they will offer to update your voter registration while you’re at it.
Figure Out How to Pay Your Bills
Some apartments want you to drop off a physical check every month while others have a convenient online payment portal. If you need to pay your bills online, make sure you are signed up for an account so that you receive your first statements on time. Input your bank information if you are signing up for auto-pay. This way you won’t have to worry about all of these details in 30 days when they all hit at once.
Continue to Personalize
Moving to Phoenix or Las Vegas can be an enjoyable experience. Once all the hard work is done, you have plenty of time and opportunity to continue adding personal touches to your apartment with time. Choose window drapes or hang a painting that you found in an art shop. Then kick back and relax in your great new home.
These 10 steps make it easy to move from anywhere in the country to Phoenix or Las Vegas and get on to living a happy, healthy life. Your new apartment is all about you and your lifestyle, so it makes sense to begin planning your finished apartment during the moving process.
The most important thing to remember is that the faster you get through with moving, the more comfortable and stress free your life will be! Don’t leave those boxes stacked up in the kitchen or the bedroom just begging for you to have a free moment because you’ll start to feel like your apartment is too cluttered or too small. Get everything out of the way at once instead.
To learn more about apartments available in Phoenix and Las Vegas today, contact Heers Management. Our team is here to assist you in finding the perfect location for you or your family.