Moving is a daunting task – there’s no doubt.
Here at Hampton Plaza Apartments, we’ve gotten to know thousands of residents
moving to downtown Towson over the years, commiserating with them during their
move-in process, so we’re pretty familiar with the ins and outs of moving to a
new apartment.
Though there’s no guaranteed stress-free way
to move from home to home, over the past several decades, we’ve picked up some
tips that might help make your move a little smoother than it might be
otherwise.
Plan
Ahead
Get a head start on a great moving day by
planning ahead, even before you start the packing process
- Purge:
Donate and discard items you do not regularly use or need
- Start
a File: Dedicate a file to notes about bills you’ll
need to forward, addresses you’ll need to update and services you’ll need to
discontinue; that way, you can tackle all the cancellations and forwards in an
organized manner
- Change
Your Address: Don’t forget to officially change your
address both with services (like credit cards) and with the post office and DMV
Start
Packing Early
The earlier you start, the easier packing will
be. Earlier packing also gives you an opportunity to sell items or donate
without a rush.
- Dedicate
a Space: So you don’t feel like you’re living in a
messy space, dedicate one part of your house to boxes and packing (preferably
an out of the way spot you can avoid)
- Start
with Non-Essentials: First, pack away things you
don’t use on a regular basis (this is a great time to identify which items you
might be able to sell or donate)
Pack
Smart
Packing itself is the toughest part of the
job. These tips will help you handle it as smoothly as possible:
- Keep boxes under 50 pounds
- Cluster items by room, packing
things that will go together in the home into boxes together
- Make sure the boxes are sturdy
and taped well
- Label box contents on the
outside
- Use fragile stickers when
necessary
- Use lots of packing materials
to keep your items safe and sound
- Electronics components should
be individually wrapped
- When packing mirrors and
glass-front pictures, use masking tape in a star pattern to protect the glass,
then separate from other pictures or mirrors with layers of bubble wrap or foam
- Consider crating especially
valuable or special items
On
Moving Day
When moving day comes, be prepared for a busy
and possibly hectic adventure.
- Grab
Cash: If you’re working with movers, you may want
to tip them, so be sure to have some cash on hand
- Find
Tools: Make sure you have scissors or a knife
readily available (not packed away), so you can easily open boxes that are
taped
- Say
Hello: Move-in day (or possibly the next day) is a
great time to introduce yourself to the people you’ll be living near, including
immediate neighbors, front desk staff and the people working at local shops
you’ll frequent
by 
