Relocation incites a lot of list making; organization is a key factor in making sure a move moves along smoothly! Here are 5 things you should keep in mind when you have lugged the final boxes into your brand new place.
1. Hopefully all those boxes were labeled so you can easily place them in the appropriate room for the grand unpacking. Many people suggest starting with the essentials and then moving right along to setting up the bed. Your body will thank you later!
2. If you are an apartment dweller, closely check your new space for any preexisting damage and take note to inform your landlords. Also take note of any required fixes
—a faulty cupboard door, problematic shower head—the kinds of things you might not have caught on the walk-through before calling the place home.
3. Wipe down the space. Hopefully your new dwelling is spic n' span, but there is a good chance that the tops of door frames, ceiling fans, and other out of the way places have been overlooked. It is best to clean those now before all your belongings find a home and make those areas hard to access.
4. Confirm appointments with all utilities that are set to show up and make sure they have the correct contact info!
5. Test your speaker volume. Turn up your tunes and duck into a hallway to see how the sound travels. This is also a good opportunity to meet the neighbors and show your considerate side, ask them what is "too loud" and arrange for mutual noise curfews.
(Image: cheapcheapmovingboxes.com)
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I always unpack room by room, you feel less stressed out if you are completely finishing rooms. I save the kitchen until last as I can often survive on takeout for a bit (usually just load up on some whole food deli/salad bar stuff in the fridge). I usually pack a little travel toiletries set to use & a set of sheets in a suitcase until my bathroom stuff makes out of the boxes.
I usually have a staging area in the corner of each room where the boxes are stacked.
Regarding your boxes... I don't just automatically drop off at the recycling. I usually post on my facebook that I have boxes up for grabs, someone usually can reuse them.
When I moved into my first "adult" apartment, my cousin (who also helped me move in) left me a surprise goody basket, which I found that first night. What it contained: toilet paper, some extra things she had cleaned out of her own kitchen (some jars, tupperware, a few pots, some utensils, a couple of vases), tea, chocolates, and some girly soaps. Everything was wrapped up with a note and looked super cute-- it made the first night in my apartment really special. The toilet paper was also something I had not thought to bring, but was definitely needed (!). :)
I agree with setting up your bed as soon as possible. I give the task to a friend and make sure it's set up as it comes in. It doesn't have to be made (a sheet overtop is fine); but that runs a close second.
Cleaning is always easiest if you can do it before the boxes arrive. The first things in my "new" apartment are always: broom, cloth, dust pan, toilet paper, bucket & soap. Two more: stickies & marker. Great for labeling rooms & switches.
Speaker volume is a cool one to test; but I'd think testing your water pressure, that the toilets flush and that your taps don't leak is more important. You want to do this ASAP, and if the apartment was previously inhabited -- your first chance to do this will be the day you move in.
My recent place was empty a month before we moved in; so I had time to clean, get it painted and check things out before the boxes arrived. We found that the washer hook-up leaked like a sieve once it was opened & then shut. The previous tenant must have used a wrench to close it; and even then it was slipping. It was replaced before we moved in.
The first thing I do is put the bed together and put on the bedding.