Tips for a Successful Apartment Move: Part 1 - Upsizing

Apartment living has been gaining popularity recently. While always a popular choice for many individuals, there has been a recent surge of people who, although ready and interested in becoming home-owners, have turned to apartment living instead. This is largely due to the 2021 housing market boom, a phenomenon strongly linked to the Covid-19 virus. There is virtually no area of our lives untouched by this continuing virus, the real estate market being no exception.

With the lockdowns and the uncertainty that came with Covid, many individuals sought both more space as well as security. This affected current homeowners and those interested in becoming homeowners in the same way. Current homeowners were reluctant to put their homes up for sale in these uncertain times while at the same time, prospective homeowners scrambled to flee cities and rentals in search of more space and the security that comes with owning a home. With a lower supply of homes and a surge of interested buyers, housing prices have gone sky-high. And while many are paying those high prices, many more are choosing (or have no choice but) to wait out the housing market boom and extend their rental lifestyle, most often in apartments. That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that these individuals are staying put. While some are extending their current rentals, others - especially those who were seeking more space - are upgrading to larger apartments.

While the decision to wait out the housing market boom is a big reason individuals today are choosing to rent apartments, it’s definitely not the only one. The rental lifestyle has always had an appeal for certain demographics for a variety of reasons. Some people simply like city living, or just find it convenient. Others aren’t ready to be homeowners yet.

For whatever the reason, if you are planning an apartment move, the first step is to make sure you team up with the right moving company. Apartment moving can be complicated. With the stairs and narrow spaces that are almost always involved in moving things into an apartment, you want to make sure your belongings are being handled by professionals who know what they’re doing.

At All Jersey Moving & Storage, we definitely know what we’re doing when it comes to apartment moving. Having moved thousands of apartments, our movers know how to handle all the challenges unique to apartment moving including any number of stairs, city parking and the many rules and requirements of many residential hi-rise buildings.

If you are looking to move to an apartment, All Jersey Moving & Storage is definitely your number one choice. We are ready to partner with you to make your apartment move as seamless as possible and we’re more than happy to guide you as you get ready for your move by sharing some packing tips and tricks. Additionally, in part I of this series, we’ll also share some pointers specifically for those who are upgrading to larger spaces. (If you’re downsizing apartments, look out for part II of this series, where we’ll share tips for downsizing!) Many people assume that it’s only downsizing that requires planning and preparation and that upsizing is simple - just pack up everything you own and go. That isn’t always the case. Here are some things to think about as you get ready to move into your new and larger space:

Getting Ready to Upsize

Get Rid Of What’s Not Coming With You 

Many people think that you only need to get rid of furniture when downsizing. However, that isn’t always true. Many times, even if you are moving to a bigger home, there are certain things that just won’t work in your new space. For example, if the crib you kept in the nursery of your old apartment won’t work in the dimensions of the baby’s new room, you know you need to toss it. Or if your new home office can’t accommodate your L- shaped desk like your old office could and you have no other use for it, you need to get rid of it. Or maybe your old couch won’t be able to fit through the door of your new apartment and can’t be taken apart. If you do find that you have any pieces of furniture that can’t come with you, look into selling or donating them. You can sell on a site like Craigslist or you can donate to a local charity like The Salvation Army. Many charities even offer free pick-up services which can be very convenient when you’re busy with a move. 

Think About Your New Space While Packing Up

When packing up, it’s always important to label your boxes.Some people choose to label their boxes by contents and others choose to label them by room. If you prefer to label by room, think about your new apartment and the set-up there, including new rooms that you didn’t have before. With more square footage, and more living space, you’ll find that a lot of your belongings won’t end up in the same place that they did in your old apartment. The books that you stored in your bedroom may now find a comfortable new home in your office. The artwork you hung in your entryway may now look better in your new living room. While it’s true that you may not know exactly how to decorate and organize until you live in your new space for a while, you have nothing to lose by thinking ahead now, during the packing process. Label your boxes with their future destination in mind since that will make the unpacking process easier. 

Start Thinking About What New Items You Will Need

Take stock of the additional space in your new apartment. What new items will you need to buy? In general, it’s best to try and wait a bit before actually buying since often, after living in a space for a while, you’ll get a better sense of what you truly want and what will work for you. However, it is good to scope out your new space in advance because sometimes there are certain things that you may want to buy sooner than later. Maybe you love to host and want to buy that guest bedroom set as soon as you can. Maybe you need a new desk for your home office that can’t wait. As soon as you can, take the measurements for the furniture you know you definitely want to buy and keep them handy. This way, you have the liberty of shopping around a bit and waiting for a good deal. Many people move towards the end of the summer so if you’re prepared with measurements and know exactly what you’re looking for, you can take advantage of the end of the summer furniture sales like clearance or Labor Day sales.  

Figure Out What Your Monthly Bills Will Be

Moving to a bigger space almost always means that you have to be prepared for more expenses. Not only will your rent be more expensive, but your utility bills will also be higher. You don’t want to be hit by any surprises when your first bill comes, so crunch those numbers ahead of time. While you probably already figured out the basic range of your new expenses before you made the move to ensure you could afford them, it’s still nice to be prepared with a better idea of what those bills will be to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

General Moving and Packing Tips

Book Your Movers ASAP

Make sure that you book a moving company as soon as you know your moving time frame. At All Jersey Moving  & Storage, we will do our best to accommodate your every moving date, even the inevitable last minute moves, but if you do know your move in advance, it is in your best interest to call as soon as possible. While this is true all year round, it is especially true in the spring and summer since those months are prime moving season and when moving companies are at their busiest. 

Start Packing Early

It is always a good idea to get an early start on your packing to avoid a stressful, rushed and inevitably disorganized move. Putting aside the time to do the job right will allow you to have a smooth and easy moving day as well as an easy time unpacking and settling in to your new home. Give yourself at least a month in advance of your moving date to organize and pack everything neatly. Enlist the help of family and friends if you can. Packing up your home by yourself can be overwhelming, but with help from others, it can be surprisingly easy and manageable. 

Have All Your Supplies On Hand

Don’t begin packing until you gather everything you will need for the packing process. A few days before you plan to start packing things up, ensure you have moving boxes - including wardrobe boxes since those make packing all your hanging clothing much simpler, lots of packing tape (buy extra! It goes faster than you think), labels, permanent markers, scissors or a boxcutter, packing paper and bubble wrap. All the supplies you need can be purchased at most home improvement stores or self-storage facilities. Making sure you have everything you will need ready to go a few days before you start packing up will make the process go much more smoothly and efficiently. There’s nothing that disrupts the momentum of packing like realizing you ran out of boxes or tape, so buy even more than you think you’ll need. You can usually return any unopened, unneeded products when you’re done. 

Tackle One Room At A Time

The easiest way to make packing manageable is to break it down into smaller packing jobs. Packing room by room is way less daunting than tackling your whole apartment at once. Create a list of the rooms in your home and just check them off as you go along. You can either start with the smaller areas and rooms like closets or bathrooms so that you can feel the momentum of moving quickly through your list or you can decide to address the larger, more complicated spaces first to get them over with while you have the most energy and stamina. After taking care of the larger rooms, the smaller ones will seem easier to do, even if you don’t have the same energy level as before. Whatever you choose to do, the most important thing is to take it one room at a time. Packing will be easier and more manageable that way. 

Look Into Packing Services

Some individuals choose to skip the packing process entirely and hire a packing service instead. There are a variety of reasons why some choose to do this; some individuals don’t have friends or family who are able to help them out and they find the process too overwhelming to do themselves, some people don’t have the time and still others simply don’t trust themselves to pack up their fragile belongings securely. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself in need of a packing service, call All Jersey Moving & Storage today to learn about our full range of affordable packing and unpacking services. All Jersey Moving & Storage has years of experience with packing and unpacking everything from clothes to artwork to antiques in a neat, orderly and professional manner. Contact us today to find out more about our different packing services. 

The Upsizer’s Pre-move Checklist

Go over this basic checklist before you start packing to make sure you’re ready to begin.

• Have you made sure that all your current pieces of furniture will definitely work in your new space?
• If you do have pieces that won’t be coming with you, have you decided on a means of getting rid of those items and made the necessary arrangements?
• Have you scoped out your new space and taken any necessary measurements for furniture?
• Have you booked your movers?
• Have you enlisted a few helping hands or looked into a packing service like All Jersey Moving & Storage?
• Have you made sure you have all the necessary supplies, including:
  • Boxes (different sizes and types including wardrobe boxes)
  • Tape
  • Permanent markers
  • scissors/boxcutter
  • Packing paper
  • Bubble wrap

After reviewing this checklist, you should feel confident that you’re prepared and ready to begin the packing process. Good luck!

Choose All Jersey Moving & Storage for the Best Moving Experience

With the right planning and preparation, and of course, with the right movers, apartment moving can be simple and stress free. At All Jersey Moving & Storage, we aim to make your apartment move as seamless as possible. We have decades of experience not only with local, long-distance, residential and commercial moves, but specifically with apartment moves as well. We know how to handle the challenges of apartment moves, from stairs and narrow hallways to busy city parking and unloading. We offer very affordable rates and flexible packages for apartment moves; we can dispatch two man crews and we can even load or unload your own rental truck. For those short on time, we offer a full range of packing and unpacking services. For those with belongings they can’t take with them but that they don’t want to part with (not just a problem for downsizers!), we offer climate-controlled, secure containerized storage services. 

You’ll always find that we’re willing to accommodate your needs, no matter how big or small. There’s a reason All Jersey Moving & Storage is one the most trusted names in the moving industry and has been recognized as a “Circle of Excellence” New Jersey moving company. With thousands of satisfied customers and decades of experience, there’s no one better to handle your next move - call us today for your complimentary, no-obligation consultation!