When you’re preparing to start your life in your new Athens apartment, it can be overwhelming. Moving can make you realize just how many things you have when you need to pack it all up. Do yourself a favor and follow these tips for moving to your UGA off campus apartment.
Get Prepared Before Packing
To stay ahead of the stress on move-in day, you should start preparing for your move weeks or even months in advance. The first step is surveying what possessions you currently have. This will save you time and money when it comes time to pack. You go through everything, not just your wardrobe. Go room by room and put everything into one of three categories: keep, donate, and trash. Look for any duplicates, broken items, or things that you can’t remember ever using. If anything in your donation pile is in good condition, consider selling the item for some extra moving cash. After finishing this process, you will eliminate the extra bulk and have a much smoother move.
Start the Packing Process
The way you pack will depend on how many items you have and their size. A general rule is to start by packing your non-essentials first. Start several weeks before you move with for example, sweaters if you’re moving in the summertime. Slowly proceed with this method, until you’ve gotten to move day and you’ve only got your essentials left unpacked.
How to Get Your Stuff There
If you’ve collected a decent amount of furniture or are even just bringing your mattress and bed frame, it is likely that you’ll need a truck in addition to your own car for the move. You can rent, drive, and pack this truck yourself, but know this will take significant manpower, time, and money. If this is your chosen method, you’ll want to ask around for help from a friend to load and reserve a self-driven truck weeks ahead. If you’re busy with school and work, or simply want some of the moving stress relieved, try researching a moving company to do the heavy lifting for you. If you don’t have family or friends in the area, this can be a lifesaver.
Manage your time
Whatever amount of time you think you need to pack boxes, load the boxes, clean the apartment, and get to your final destination, add a couple hours of buffer. When you move make sure to budget for the unexpected because you don’t want to be caught in a difficult and stressful time crunch. Especially if you’re moving from a rental, you want to have plenty of time to get your former apartment in good shape so you can receive your full security deposit.
If you plan ahead and think through all the little parts of move-in day, then you can focus your excitement on living in a great Athens apartment!
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