Your Simplified Apartment Moving Checklist

Moving? Stressed? It’s normal! Whether from house to house or to another apartment, moving is a huge life event. Thankfully, with our apartment moving checklist and Enzo, your next move will be MUCH easier. 

Let’s take the anxiety out of relocating from one apartment to the next by providing you with an easy-to-follow apartment moving checklist. You can use this guideline no matter how much stuff you have at your place. 

Bonus: The items on a checklist such as the one you’re about to scroll through can easily be added to your Enzo chore management app. All the information will be in the palm of your hand, guiding you through the process. 

We’ve provided you with a comprehensive strategy that will assist you in remembering everything, and put your mind at ease during the moving process. Deep breath—now let’s start. 

 

Plan, Prepare, and Budget

If moving is one of the most stressful parts of life, then effective preparation is one of the most crucial activities in anticipation of such a monumental task. The planning phase will take out a great deal of stress from your moving process, and will adequately prepare you to complete everything on time and with efficiency.  

Add these steps to your chore app and mark off each one as you complete it. 

 

Create a Moving Budget and Timeline

Decide when you will move, and how much it will cost to do so. Keep a list of everything you need (based on the rest of this checklist) and what it will cost, and then make sure you schedule a convenient day to do your moving.

Having a visual representation of the moving timeline along with the tasks spread throughout the weeks or months leading to the move, may even help you prepare mentally. You won’t feel so overwhelmed when thinking of everything that needs to be done, because you’ll see there’s enough time to get it done. 

 

Notify Your Landlord and Utilities of Your Move-Out Date

Your landlord will need a certain amount of notice of your moving intentions. Be sure to notify him/her before you plan anything else and put it in writing so they can’t dispute how long your notice period was. 

 

Schedule a Moving Truck

Contact a hauling company and decide whether you want to hire a truck, or schedule a moving truck driver and helpers. Add the estimate to your moving budget and look over your finances to make sure you can afford it.

 

Stock Up on Packing Supplies 

The following are moving essentials: 

• Boxes
• Wrapping tape
• A black marker
• Bubble wrap

 

These also need to be sourced, budgeted for, and eventually purchased in preparation for your moving day. Be sure to add this important planning phase to your apartment moving checklist. 

 

Update Your Address with Important Accounts

Don’t forget to notify your local post office that your address is changing. Also be sure to inform your bank, insurance, and any subscriptions you might have of these changes. 

 

Arrange Any Necessary Repairs or Cleaning

Go through your old apartment and look for anything that needs fixing or deep cleaning. Pay special attention to the bathroom and kitchen areas, where dirt and grime have a propensity to build up over time. 

 

Prepare for Furniture Placement at Your New Apartment

It’s important to measure your new apartment as well as your furniture to make sure everything will fit comfortably. If not, you may want to consider purchasing new furniture for your new apartment. 

 

Pack and Organize

Now comes the part most of us don’t look forward to—the packing itself! But don’t fret, this apartment moving checklist has you covered.

 

Declutter 

Use this opportunity of moving out to declutter your possessions. Either throw away or donate anything you haven’t used in a long time, and prepare yourself for a fresh start at your new rental. 

Tip: Stay motivated to declutter by selling off unused items, to help you cover the moving expenses.

 

Label Boxes by Room 

Time to grab your black marker! As you pack, be sure to mark each box right after you seal it. Knowing which room the content is for will make unpacking that much easier.

 

Turn Your Attention to Fragile Items

Good thing you got that bubble wrap!

It’s time to pack those fragile household items. Packing with bubble wrap will make sure they don’t break or get damaged while in transit. Keep these wrapped up items separate from regular boxes.

 

Pack a First-Night Box with Essentials 

After arrival, you’ll be grateful to yourself if you ensure that you have some first-night essentials for your new apartment.

It’s likely that you will be constrained for time once you’re moved in, and probably won’t be able to unpack right away. Besides, you’ll be drained from the day’s activities, and will appreciate some much-needed rest together with some of your creature comforts available to you. So, pack a First-night box with essential items that may include:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Fresh clothes
• Clean bedding
• Water bottle
• A few snacks

 

Keep Corresponding Electronics and Cables Together 

If you’re packing a television or stereo, be sure to include the right cables for each respective appliance. This also goes for kitchen appliances. Getting them mixed up might prove to be a nightmare to sort out later. 

 

Take Photos 

Add some time to your apartment moving checklist to take a few photos of your old apartment. Not for the sake of nostalgia, but so that you have evidence of the condition you left it in. New tenants may say that famous line, “It was like that when I got here.” With photo evidence, you can be sure you won’t be held liable for someone else’s neglect. 

Consider sending these photos to your old landlord once you’ve taken them. This shows good faith and honesty—traits your old landlord will appreciate if there are any disputes down the road. 

 

Move and Clean

Once the truck is full of all your valuables, turn to the cleaning tasks on your apartment moving checklist. These tasks are important for the sake of your convenience, but some are also essential to perform for legal reasons. 

 

Clean Your Old Apartment 

Make sure you’re in good standing with your old landlord by conducting a thorough clean of your old apartment. If you’ve hired a cleaning crew, be sure to coordinate with them regarding all the areas your landlord is likely to check. Get all the necessary cleaning supplies for this part, and don’t forget to add them to your moving budget. 

 

Turn in Your Keys

Arrange a time with your old landlord to drop off your keys. Give them a rundown of everything you’ve done so far, and if necessary, ask them for a written reference which may come in handy later on when you move again. 

 

Arrange Your Security Deposit

Ask your landlord when and by what means he or she will be returning your security deposit. It may be necessary to get this deposit sooner rather than later if you need it for your new landlord. 

 

Take Photos of Your New Apartment 

Before you unpack anything, walk around your apartment, and take photos of the conditions. If anything is damaged or broken, be sure to gather that evidence before you start living there. Notify your new landlord of any discrepancies you notice so that you won’t be held liable for them later on. 

 

Unpack and Organize Your New Apartment

Now you get to arrange your new apartment exactly the way you want it! Move each labelled box to its respective room and begin the unpacking process.

Tip: don’t overwhelm yourself, or your experience in your new space won’t be as positive as you expect it to be. Do one box at a time and get a friend or family member to help you if you want it done quicker. 

 

Set Up New Apartment Utilities and Services 

For utilities, filling in of forms and providing personal details will likely be necessary during the first few days after you’ve moved in. Correspond with the necessary departments to arrange the setting up of your utilities and essential services.

Tip: enquire about this beforehand so you’re sure to have power and running water on day one. 

 

Utilize Your App Effectively for Helpers

Remember, if a friend or family member is helping you with your move, get them to download the Enzo chore management app. The features allow you to share the tasks and be on the same page during the entire moving process. It will help everyone involved if each person can see which tasks on your apartment moving checklist have been completed, and which still need to be done. You can even manage some of the bills easier by using the app. 

Now that’s easy delegation, right?

Enjoy your new apartment, and don’t forget to keep Enzo on your phone for the next big task on the horizon.