apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

PERFECT! My boyfriend and I are moving from Tallahassee, FL to South FLA in 6 weeks, so we've started thinking about what to purge, what to sell, and what to pack. Thanks for the tips. I will keep them in mind when we move.

Sounds like a no brainer- but dont pack dusty or dirty items. We just moved two weeks ago, and I was glad that I took the time to wash, dust, and launder things before they got wrapped and packed up.

I discovered this the hard way, moving into my first apartment from California to Boston all by myself after flying on a redeye flight... in your "immediate use" box, include a roll of toilet paper! just in case the former occupants didn't leave one behind. Cuz when you gotta go, you gotta go.

One more Boston-specific moving tip -- don't take your moving truck on Storrow Drive or Memorial Drive. It seems so obvious, but worth repeating in case it saves somebody one of these moments: http://bostonist.com/2007/09/04/fall_is_here_th.php.

When I move into a new place there are a few things I never ever take with me from the old place, I always just buy new and fresh:

shower curtain liner, kitchen garbage can, litter box, toilet seat, batteries from smoke detectors, lighbulbs.

Basically anything that should be replaced every now and then, I just start over in a new place.

i second not taking the moving truck on storrow!

when moving to a new area of the city/burbs - if you are like me and aren't having internet installed on moving day, check out http://www.MBTA.com BEFORE moving to your new place and check out the local bus and T schedules. print em out, jot em down, memorize em, or whatever method you use... but don't leave yourself wandering around looking for the closest bus stop... only to find out that the next bus doesn't come for hours.

it is often worthwhile to sign a lease for August 1 if you need a place for September 1. you have more options for more grown-up, less student-style spaces. consider it forfeiting your current security deposit for the luxury of a month-long move! you can start bringing stuff to your new place 4 weeks ahead of time, in lots of small trips!

If your city has a company that does this, rent plastic moving boxes. They cost me approx. the same as buying boxes, were delivered and picked up, good for the environment and so easy to use. In Vancouver this is the company and they were great to deal with.

http://www.movingblocks.com/help.html

One suggestion when packing for a move (or better yet, for storage) Avoid using newspapers if you can help it, the inks can stain items like some colored dinner ware, metal trays w/ a protectant coating may be affected etc.

I learned this the hard way and besides, you'd have to WASH everything before you can use it if it's been in direct contact w/ the newsprint.

I'm moving into a new place in Portland right now and have another question.

What in the world do you do with all of the excess bubble wrap and broken down boxes after the move?? Only so much can fit in the recycling bin!

I got all of my boxes from Craigslist free listing. And got rid of them the same way.

I dread the prospect of moving ever again in Boston. I would definitely in a heartbeat break my lease not to move on "move-in day". That is the most sensible first tip in any how-to article I've seen in this blog ever, and the most sensible alternative, although a lot hotter weather, is closertotheocean's to take your time all of August... it's a brilliant scheme if you can get it all done in time, because you know what'll happen if you don't.

Kayla here - thanks so much for contributing your own moving tips! These are great (especially splim's comment about the TP in the "immediate" box).

I opt for using Tshirts, old towels or sheets instead of bubble wrap. Whenever you can use something you already have (and want to keep) you don't have to worry about disposing of waste. Its a good idea to avoid newspaper because of the staining aspect but few things work better on delicate glass objects.

Craigslist is a great way to get rid of boxes if you don't have a friend who needs them. Also, most Whole Foods or community grocery stores have recycling centers where boxes can be brought. Save 1 large, sturdy box and collapse the rest, stuffing them into the 1 box to make transporting or pick-up easier.

This move was the first where we didn't have an overlap month to move at leisure. We survived but it was intense to be completely out and completely in inside an 8 hour window. This is another thing that makes all the difference in the world if you can afford it.

If you're moving on Sept. 1 just remember to be prepared for anything! Pack with plenty of time to spare, reserve your moving vehicle FAR in advance and get started early in the morning. Most realtors will give you the key the night before moving day if you just ask nicely.

In my last move, I numbered each box on all four sides and top and gave each a ballpark weight rating, light, medium, heavy or fragile. Each box was referenced on a list I maintained which had contents details. This permitted me to keep track of all 108 boxes, and know exactly what was in each one. Also I was able to avoid crushed boxes or damaged contents because fragile items never ended up on the bottom of a stack of boxes.

In Cambridge, it's helpful/sometimes required to apply for a moving van permit. Allows you to prevent others from parking directly in front of your place for one day so you can park your moving van directly in front. I bet other cities have this, too. http://www.cambridgema.gov/traffic/MovingVanPermit.cfm

You have to have a commercial plate so, if you're just using your friend's pick-up, you won't be eligible for a permit.

I moved within Boston from a fourth floor walk up to a third floor walk up with tricky winding staircases. In both instances, furniture had to come and go out the window! There is a moving company that has this device called a "furniture elevator" that literally plucked my stuff out of the fourth floor window and lowered it down to the truck. Saved any accidents on the windy staircases and took about 1/2 the time!

Of course, I read this after I complete a move...! But I must say, I'm absolutely keeping that clothes-on-hangars idea close to my heart!

i am in the process of packing my things and moving on saturday in boston, so this is perfect timing. . . although
i use newspaper to wrap things, along with clothing and the like as well. i don't really clean anything before packing it but i immediately clean everything in the new place before putting it away.this way the newspaper ink and such doesn't really matter to me.

i've been doing this for years. :)

Another place to get boxes: the dumpsters of electronics places, either retail stores or rental places.

The other option is to spend the money on movers instead of the forfeited security deposit. I've had Gentle Giant move me twice now. The first time I moved the boxes myself and had them just move the furniture. The second time I didn't have time to move myself bit by bit, so I hired them for the whole thing. They worked so fast it didn't cost much more than the first move. And it was worth it! (And they pull all the parking permits for you!)

I, too, use newspaper for wrapping dishes.

I also avoid Storrow Dr in my CAR on Aug 31 and Sept 1. There's always someone who doesn't believe that "cars only" applies to their gigantic moving truck! (If you've never seen a panel truck with the top open like a sardine can, find yourself a pedestrian bridge over Storrow, bring a lawn chair, and enjoy the show.)

Also, mark the contents and destination room with a Sharpie on _all_ sides of the boxes. They never get stacked in the same direction you packed them in. Makes it easier to find things when you can't unpack all at once.

i don't understand why anyone would hire movers... i love the feeling of a move! brings closure to one place, and gets you psyched about the new! anyone else a fan of the day of manual labor, at least in theory?

My fiance's job moved us this time around, so the movers came in first thing in the morning, packed everything (every single thing except our 24 hour box and the valuables we put in our car) and moved us. They got there at 7:30 am and were done by 2 pm. It was amazing. Nothing was broken, everything was packed quickly and clearly labeled. It's going to be very hard to move any other way again.

We used movers the last time we moved, and it was awesome. There was still plenty of stuff left over for us to do - it was such a relief to have someone else moving the heavy stuff.