Packing for a Move
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Packing for a Move

Welcome to my website. I’m hoping to provide you with some useful packing tips. My name is Ellen Monday. My family and I moved from a very large home to a large home. My point being, although we still live in a large house, we did downsize. It was almost like packing for two moves because we had belongings going to the new house and some going to storage. We had to make decisions about what we wanted to keep, store and get rid of. I have some tips on how we made those decisions, and the best ways we found to pack. Items that were going into storage were packed differently than those we were moving to the new house. Boxes had to be carefully and clearly marked so we didn’t end up storing our everyday dishes or something tragic like that! Hope you enjoy my blog.

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Packing for a Move

Country Mouse To City Mouse: Tips For Moving To An Urban Area

Aaron Carroll

If you are a young adult moving from your parents' large suburban or rural home into a tiny city apartment, or if you are moving to a large city for a new job, you might be surprised at the logistics involved. While any move can have its difficulties, moving from a more rural to a more urban area carries considerations that a more parallel move does not have. Take a look at these tips on moving from the country to the city.

Think small.

You might be moving to a big city, but if you're used to suburban or rural living, you might be a little shocked at how much smaller your home will likely be. Apartment Guide explains that the average apartment size is under 1,000 square feet, with much smaller spaces common in large cities like New York and San Francisco. When you consider that the average house built nowadays is close to 2,600 square feet, you might need to downsize drastically in order to make your items fit inside of your new pad.

In the weeks and months before your big move, it is helpful to purge as much as you can. It will be easier to take care of extra items now than it will be once you're in your new place and trying to get all of your boxes unpacked. Have a garage sale, drop off extra belongings at a thrift store, or invite your friends to come help themselves to items that you are no longer using.

Consider traffic and parking logistics.

When it comes to your actual moving day, you are going to have to work around both traffic and parking limitations. If you hire movers who are familiar with the city in question, this should be less of a problem, because they will know the best routes, where they can park, and so on. If you're doing it solo or hiring movers from your current area, however, you'll need to do some homework.

Try to avoid driving through busy areas during rush hour. Also, think about when people are likely to be moving their vehicles, parking them, and leaving their parking spaces. In most cities, this will be in the morning and in the evening. If you move during the week, concentrate your efforts in the middle of the day, if possible. Sunday evenings can also be a good time to get some moving done, as people are often in early and preparing for the workweek ahead.

Know your building.

If you are moving into an apartment building, ask about what the limitations are on moving. You might be restricted to a certain elevator or certain hours if you are moving furniture up and down. In some buildings, you might need to use the staircases. If this is the case for you, or if the hallways seem narrow, grab a tape measure and determine whether you're going to have trouble getting some of your items up the stairs or down the hallways. While you're at it, measure your doorways.

Be creative with room separators.

Depending on the style of your new city apartment, you might have to be creative with how you use the rooms. For example, you might be moving into a studio apartment or trying to make a one-bedroom apartment work for two roommates. Using temporary dividing walls or even hanging a curtain from the ceiling can add privacy that you might otherwise be lacking.

If you don't need more privacy but would still like some delineation when it comes to separating different spaces, you can use different color area rugs or creative furniture placement to give the illusion that one large space is functioning as two or more rooms.

Moving from the suburbs or country into the city can be a challenge, but it also comes with many benefits, including good public transportation systems, amenities, and being close to where the action is. Thinking through the specifics of your move can reduce your stress and make the whole process easier.


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