Is moving to an apartment making you feel stressed? Don’t sweat it! Stay on top of your to-do list, timeline, and other important paperwork with a special moving file.
This handy tool will help you stay organized throughout your move so you can cut down on stress and be as efficient as possible.
What’s a moving file?
A successful move requires a lot of planning. First you’ve got to go apartment hunting; then, you have to make time for packing, transferring utilities, changing your address, getting moving help, and doing many other important tasks — all before moving day rolls around. All of those little tasks can add up to one big headache if you don’t stay organized.
That’s why you need an apartment moving file. A moving file is a place to keep all of your important paperwork, receipts, moving checklists, and anything else you might need to keep handy when you’re moving to an apartment. Place this information into a binder or accordion folder that you maintain during your move.
The value of a moving file is that it keeps you organized and, most importantly, sane. Moving to a new place can be stressful and chaotic. With open boxes in every room, drawers and dressers being emptied, and artwork coming off your walls, it is easy to feel like nothing’s in its right place anymore. When you’ve got all your important documents in one easy-to-locate moving file, you’ll at least feel like everything’s in order when it comes to planning your move. And you’ll be able to spend your time more efficiently when you don’t have to hunt around for important papers.
What to put in your moving file
So what exactly goes in your special moving file? In short, any paperwork relating to your move that you may need to get your hands on at a moment’s notice. Common things to store in your moving file include:
- Contracts, receipts, and brochures from your moving company or rental truck company
- Your old and new apartment leases
- Maps and other information on your new city (if applicable)
- Your moving checklist
- Your moving calendar
- Pens, pencils, highlighters and sticky notes
Make sure all of these papers don’t become a jumbled, disorganized mess—they won’t be much use to you if you can’t find them. Add tabs or folders for each category of paperwork within your moving file to keep it organized.
Making the most of your moving file
Like all organizational tools, a moving file is only helpful if you make it easy to use. Make the most of your moving file by keeping it in a safe, convenient place. This place should be somewhere that allows you easy access to the file (like one of your kitchen drawers, for example). Every time you get more moving paperwork, add it to the file as soon as possible. Stay on top of your moving file, and you’ll feel like you’ve got your move under control at all times.
For more moving tips and advice, see Apartment Guide’s Moving and Packing articles.