Top Apartment Moving Tips

It's been a little over two months since I moved into the city. The apartment is nearly fully decorated and we've settled into a nice groove in our new neighborhood. I'll have a full apartment tour coming soon, and wanted to share some of the lessons learned so far.

Prioritize window dressings

Our apartment doesn't face the street, but instead looks over a garden that belongs to a neighboring building. It's lovely and I am so happy that I have greenery to look at and no street noise. However, we can see quite clearly into one neighboring apartment and there's another building across the way that we can partially see into. 

There were absolutely no window dressings when I moved in and I wish I had taken measurements when we decided on the apartment and bought them first thing! Our windows are very large and it was a bit challenging to find options that would work. I went with drapes for the bedroom and this awesome shade for the living room. They offer many dimensions and it was so easy to install. 

Start with the bare minimum and build from there

Because I was moving out for the first time, I didn't have a ton of "household" possessions. Even when I went away to college, I always lived in a dorm and never had a kitchen. It wasn't until my final year of college that I even had my own bathroom.

My mother and I purchased some basics, like a pot, pan, and a few utensils, and I've been getting more of what we need from there. Better to start out with less and avoid overbuying.

Bring lots of cleaning supplies

This is something I am more of a maximilist about haha Bringing more cleaning supplies than you think you need will allow you to not have the excuse of "oh, I need to go out and buy xyz before I can get the place in tip top shape." I invested in a Dyson vacuum (definitely go to Costco for this) and filled the space under my sink to the brim. 

Buy the less expensive mattress

They say you should invest in things that keep you off the ground; shoes, tires, beds. I agonized over choosing a mattress and nearly spent double because I thought it might make a difference. Luckily I went with the $500 option instead of the $1,000 from Mattress Firm and absolutely love it. Make sure you're still getting quality, but you don't need to buy into all of the "technical" speak about it. If it feels good when you lie down on it, just get that one.

Be prepared for assembly to take longer than you expect

We got the majority of our furniture from Wayfair and Home Depot. We spent a few nights assembling everything as it was delivered. We made it fun, but it certainly took longer than anticipated. So far we've been very happy with the quality and I love that we choose everything in less than a half hour on the fourth of July to take advantage of the sale. 

Those are the top things to keep in mind when you're moving. It's fun and exciting and, if you stay calm and trust that everything is going to work out, it doesn't have to be stressful.

What did you learn when moving? Does anyone have a move coming up? 

-Alyssa J

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