The average person moves at least 10 times in a lifetime, so why aren’t we getting better at it? We’re willing to bet that it’s because moving is the worst, has always been the worst and always will be the worst. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if instead of trying to strap your mattress to the roof of your sedan you could focus on your awesome new place instead? Here are five problems you’ve definitely had moving in the past and how to solve them in the future:
1. You Don’t Have Any Moving Boxes
So you’ve run out of moving boxes (or you never had any to begin with) and now you’re shoving clothes into garbage bags or just grabbing piles of stuff and putting it all into your trunk. This method works in the sense that your belongings will get to your new place, however whether or not they get there in one piece is another story. Instead of leaving it to chance, go to a grocery store, liquor store or convenience store and ask for boxes. Because they’re just going to be recycling them anyway, they’ll give them to you for free. Another option is to search the free section of Craigslist. If you can’t find them for free, remember that you can buy them at a lot of storage facilities at prices that are much lower than major retailers.
2. You Have No Idea How to Move Your Cable/Wifi
Save yourself the 10,000 hours you’ll inevitably spend on hold with your cable provider’s tragically unhelpful customer service department and see if you can find their local office instead. That’s right; go there in person. The opportunity to actually deal with a real human who can tell you exactly what to do will simplify the process and more importantly save your sanity. Another option is to do it all on your online account and then look at YouTube tutorials that show exactly how to get your wifi up and running at your new apartment. Spoiler alert: It’s much easier than it sounds.
3. Your Furniture Won’t Fit in Your Car
Moving sure is a breeze when you own a truck, right? For the rest of us, moving the big stuff is a lot harder. First, disassemble anything that you can. If you’re struggling with a particular piece and you know who made it, contact them (or do a Google search) and get guidance. Second, hire a mover but only have them move the stuff that absolutely won’t fit in your car and plan on handling everything else yourself. Moving companies charge by the hour, so you’ll be surprised by how cheap it is to have them make just one trip, especially if you’re able to have everything outside and ready for them when they start the clock. If you’d prefer to avoid hiring a moving company, consider a
portable storage unit. It gets delivered to you, you fill it up at your leisure and then it gets picked up and brought to your new place where you can unpack it on your own time.
4. None of Your Friends Want to Help You
If all the beer and pizza in the world won’t change their minds, it’s time to outsource the job. If you don’t need or want to pay for a moving truck, look to a moving company like
Bellhops. Instead of hiring a crew and a truck, they let you hire just the crew, saving you about $180. If you’re planning on using self storage to help you move, consider looking for a facility that also rents moving trucks, as many will offer these up at no charge (or at least at a discounted rate) as a new tenant special.
5. Your Stuff Doesn’t Look Good in Your New Place
Your old apartment had hardwood floors and your new one has carpet, or the walls are a different color and your landlord won’t let you paint, or maybe there’s a fireplace where you were planning on putting your table. Don’t worry; you don’t have to throw out all of your old stuff and buy new stuff. Instead, change up less expensive accents like decorative pillows and throws to give furniture a fresh look. You can also consider
temporary wallpaper that can easily be removed. Another option is to repurpose those pieces you own that don’t seem to quite fit with the layout of your new place. Nowhere to put that entertainment center in your living room? Move it to your bedroom and use it as a makeshift dresser. Can’t find a place for your bookshelf? Use it to display succulents on your patio. And if all else fails and you do have to get rid of some items, look for charities that will come to you and pick them up, or sell them online and use the profits to buy new stuff.
Happy moving!
