3 Little Things You Can Do to Make Moving Day Easier

Moving is overwhelming. The boxes, the bubble wrap…the array of random stuff splayed out everywhere from the sofa to the stoop. It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of packing, only to forget the less obvious—but important—tasks that will make the move go smoothly. Nail down these high-priority to-do items first—like working some KonMari magic and securing the fastest internet available* for your new home—long before you wrap up your first piece of china. Each one will make the big day just a little easier.

Go full Marie Kondo on your stuff at least three weeks before moving day to avoid schlepping anything you don’t use from one house to another. Check which charities in your area accept donations like furniture, large electronics, and other hard-to-carry items, then schedule a pickup slightly ahead of your moving date. Avoid that “I think I’m having a panic attack” feeling by starting small with the decluttering process. Head to the least-used rooms first, then work your way up to high-traffic areas like the kitchen and living room after you’ve gained some confidence.

In a recent survey of Apartment Therapy readers, we learned that almost two-thirds of you will be moving into a new home within the next year. Of this group, 86% are looking to buy almost everything new when they move—from furniture to decor to internet, TV, and phone service.

So one thing you can easily kick to the curb without tears: less reliable cable service. Start fresh in your new space by switching from cable TV to Fios TV. The 100% fiber-optic network is fast enough to support streaming in 4K—on multiple devices at once!

Even after editing down your belongings, you might have more stuff than space in your new home. Don’t stress it—that’s why storage lockers exist. Figure out if you’ll need these extras occasionally (seasonal clothing), once a year (holiday decorations), or nearly never (the porcelain figurine Aunt Marge expects to see on your mantle when she visits…one day). Once that’s done, measure the items you want to store and figure out the locker size you’ll need. Some companies will even come to pick up your stuff, store it for you, and deliver it back when you need it with a few days’ notice.

Why leave it to the last minute? Call ahead to get your internet up and running right before or just after arrival in your new digs so it’s one less task you’ll have to do later. Plus, streaming some motivational music—virtually buffer-free, of course—makes the unpacking process much more tolerable. You can even schedule the installation for while you’re unpacking.

Thanks to a bunch of special deals going on, right now is the best time to switch to Fios. If you sign up for Fios 100/100 Mbps internet for one year, you’ll get a $50 VisaⓇ Prepaid Card (hey, that could be first month’s rent for your storage locker). Get Fios 300/300 Mbps with a two-year price guarantee and get six months of Netflix on us. Or get Fios Gigabit Connection with a three-year price guarantee and a whole year of Netflix-plus a wireless router rental for free for three years. Think how great it will be to have ultra-fast, reliable internet on the ready as soon as you move in: You can order food and stream a show at the same time, even if your pillows and plates are still packed up.

Find out if your neighborhood has Fios and log on to the 100% fiber-optic network.