Did you know that May is National Moving Month?  It’s true!  In honor of the month that marks the beginning of moving season, ApartmentSearch.com has compiled a moving checklist that can help you find the right moving company.  In total, the U.S. Census estimates that over 37 million Americans move per year.  Unfortunately, many are subject to moving scams that cost them time and money and make the already complicated process of moving even more frustrating.  In fact, in 2012 the Better Business Bureau received more than 555,000 moving-related inquiries.  Keep reading for a moving checklist that will help you choose the right moving company so you can complete your move safely and with minimum stress.

Research Moving Companies

The first item on your moving checklist should be research.  A little research at the beginning of the moving process pays off big in the long run.  By checking out a moving company online, you can quickly find out whether or not the company is properly licensed and registered.  Likewise, you can often find reviews of various moving companies online; reading about others’ experiences with a company can be invaluable when trying to choose.

Get an In-Home Estimate

When choosing movers, the next step on your moving checklist should be to get at least one written in-home estimate from the moving company.  Movers looking to scam customers won’t often consent to an in-home estimate and are much more likely to only offer a quote over the phone.

Treat Documents Carefully

Read documents thoroughly, both those online and in person, as you fill them out and sign them.  Never sign a blank document like an estimate; this is a tactic dishonest movers often use to increase the cost of previously-offered quotes and take advantage of customers.  Additionally, make sure that you receive a copy of every document you sign.

More Moving Checklist Help

We hope that this moving checklist will help you kick off the moving season with ease.  Stay tuned this month for more moving tips.  For more information about moving, visit the ApartmentSearch.com Apartment Moving Center.  Want to tell us about your own moving checklist or moving tips?  Find and follow ApartmentSearch.com on Twitter and Facebook.

Moving is a stressful process for everyone involved… but did you know that moving can also be hard on the environment? Before you assemble your moving checklist, remember that there are plenty of things you can do during your move that will eliminate waste. Here are some things can put on your moving checklist  in order to make your move a little more Earth-friendly.

1. Use Earth-Friendly Packing Materials

The first step on your “green” moving checklist should be to find some eco-friendly packing materials. This could be something as simple as obtaining your cardboard boxes from friends or asking local stores for extra boxes, rather than buying cardboard boxes. Some stores are not willing to give boxes away, but others are happy to work with you so you can take their excess cardboard boxes. Alternatively, you can rent reusable packing containers, as well as other packing materials, from environmentally-friendly moving companies.

2. Donate Food

When you clean out your pantry and refrigerator before you move, consider donating all unopened food to your local Food Pantry. You won’t have to worry about wasting food or transporting it to your new home. You can also compost any food that can’t be donated.

3. Clean Out Your Closet

Look through all the closets and storage areas in your home and decide what items need to go with you and which don’t. Those that can stay behind can either be donated or sold. In doing this, you will be using fewer packing materials and making fewer trips between your old home and your new one.

4. Use Green Cleaning Supplies

You’ll be cleaning both your old apartment and your new one, so putting green cleaning supplies on your moving checklist is a must. Plenty of major cleaning product lines have environmentally-friendly cleaners. Swap out your regular cleaners for one of them for a quick fix. You can also search online for recipes to make your own cleaning solutions for windows, floors, ovens and more, all using ingredients you already own!

5. Hire an Eco-Friendly Moving Company

If you decide that making the whole move by yourself is too overwhelming, eliminate a ton of the items on your moving checklist by hiring an eco-friendly moving company! These moving companies can provide everything from re-usable moving materials to biodiesel-powered trucks to assist you with you move.

More Moving Checklist Help

For more moving tips, as well as ways to rent furniture, find storage facilities, and a moving checklist for each stage of your move, visit the ApartmentSearch.com Apartment Moving Center. You can also find ApartmentSearch.com on Twitter and follow us for more great apartment advice.

A major task on a moving checklist is packing a home office. Most offices contain heavy items like bookshelves and a desk as well as delicate items like a computer and monitor. Organization and careful packing are key to a successful move. Use this moving checklist to ensure a painless home office relocation.

1. Lighten the load. This should be the first step of any moving checklist. Sort and organize papers and office supplies. Toss, donate, or recycle things you don’t need. Books are heavy, so cull ones you won’t use again. Sell them to a used bookstore or donate them to the local library.

2.  Get your packing materials. Next on your moving checklist, gather the items you will need, such as packing tape, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and boxes of various sizes. You may want to buy file boxes (also called banker’s boxes) if you have a lot of files to move.

3.  Get your files in order. This should be next on your moving checklist. Put important papers such as medical records and financial statements in labeled folders. Shred sensitive documents you don’t plan to save. Put file folders in portable file boxes.

4.  Prepare your computer. The first step on your computer moving checklist should be to back up all your files. Burn them to DVDs or put them on a flash drive. Store the backup files with your computer manuals and discs. Then unplug the computer, and disconnect the components. Label the cords using masking tape.

5.  Pack your computer. Once you’ve completed the previous step on your moving checklist, it’s time to pack everything. Use the boxes your computer, printer, and components came in if possible. If not, a moving company may have suitable boxes. Use Styrofoam inserts to hold components in place or wrap them in bubble wrap. Add packing peanuts to boxes to make everything snug. Mark the boxes “Fragile.”

6.  Pack incidentals. Another step on your moving checklist is to gather up all your office supplies, pictures, lamps, and other items. Wrap glass items, lampshades, and lightbulbs well, and pack them carefully. Pack fragile lampshades in separate boxes so they don’t get crushed.

7.  Prepare furniture. Next on your moving checklist, get your furniture ready to move. Remove loose shelves from bookshelves and stack. Wrap glass shelves or table tops in bubble wrap and tape. Put cushions in plastic bags. If any furniture needs to be taken apart, put all the screws and other assembly pieces in a plastic bag and tape it beneath the item.

Work your way through this moving checklist, and voila! Your office will be ready for relocation.

Use our printable moving checklist to get your entire move organized. And make it a rewarding experience: Find your new place through Apartment Search, and you could get up to $200 in Renters’ Rewards.

When you make a moving checklist , packing the kitchen is bound to be one of the biggest jobs. It may seem overwhelming (all those drawers and cabinets …), but we can help. Use these eight simple steps, and you’ll be ready to go faster than you thought possible.

1. Simplify. This should be the first step of your kitchen moving checklist. Go through each drawer and cabinet and get rid of anything you don’t really need. Why pack chipped glasses, nearly empty condiment bottles, or things you never use? Donate useful items to friends or a thrift store.

2. Gather your packing materials. Next on your moving checklist, purchase packing tape, bubble wrap, packing paper, and a variety of sturdy boxes. Use medium boxes for glass and heavier items. Large boxes work well for light but bulky items like baking pans.

3. Set aside the essentials. As part of your moving checklist, group the items you will need up until you leave your current apartment and as soon as you arrive in your new place. This might include paper towels, dish soap, a can opener, a sauce pan, coffeemaker, and a few dishes, glasses, and utensils.

4. Pack the nonessentials. You can get a jump on your moving checklist by starting with items you don’t use much. This may include cookbooks, vases, aprons, baking pans, and rarely used small appliances.

5. Pack breakable items. The next step on your moving checklist should be to pack up dishes, glasses, and any other fragile items. Wrap them carefully to prevent breakage. Extra dishtowels can be used as cushioning between plates.

6. Pack pots, pans, and utensils. Next on your moving checklist, pack your cookware. You can also wrap groups of utensils and cutlery and place them in this box.

7. Pack food items. As a last step on your moving checklist, pack your pantry. If you’re paying for your move, check the weight of each item and ask yourself if it’s worth the cost. Wrap glass items. Use medium-sized boxes, and don’t pack them too heavy.

8. Label and tape. To finalize your moving checklist, label each box clearly. This will make unpacking much easier. If some boxes aren’t quite full, use packing paper or newspaper to fill them in and keep items from shifting. Then tape each box securely.

That’s it! We know that packing the kitchen is just one step of a relocation, so we’ve created a printable moving checklist you can use to help you stay organized throughout the moving process. And keep in mind that if you find an apartment through us, you could get up to $200 back in Renters’ Rewards!

Seattle apartments on your mind? Without a doubt, Seattle is the epitome of Northwest cool. If you’re relocating here, smart move.

OK, Seattle apartments ain’t cheap, but you get what you pay for if you consider the gorgeous setting, the thriving economy, the unique art and entertainment scene, and the pure hipness of the Emerald City.

But when it comes to Seattle apartments, how can you know where to look? One way is to factor in your favorite activity. Here are some ideas as you hunt for the best Seattle apartments for your needs:

• If you’re a biker, there’s no limit to where you can search for Seattle apartments. A little bit of precipitation doesn’t stop bikers here. In fact, more than a third of Seattle’s half-million residents bike for fun, and from 4,000 to 8,000 are bicycle commuters. You’ll feel right at home on two wheels in Seattle.
• If boating is your bag, this is the city for you because water is never far away. You’ll have easy access to Puget Sound if you look for Seattle apartments in Queen Anne, Ballard, or West Seattle. Or consider Seattle apartments in the Central District, Madrona, and Madison Park neighborhoods. They border Lake Washington, which is great for sailing. The centrally located Lake Union is a hotspot for houseboats and kayakers.
• If you live to ski but need to live in the city, you might want to look at Seattle apartments in southeast Seattle so you can make the run up to the Summit at Snoqualmie with ease. Its four ski areas offer something for everyone from the rank novice to the thrill-seeking backcountry skier.

But you don’t have to break a sweat to have a blast in Seattle. If your idea of an exhilarating activity is hitting the latest dim sum place or shopping for vintage clothing, the city abounds with neighborhoods that will appeal to you. Check out Seattle apartments in the University District, Fremont, Belltown, Seattle Central, and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. You’ll find Seattle apartments in a variety of price ranges in these areas.

Bonus: If you find your Seattle apartment using ApartmentSearch.com, you could score up to $200 in Renter Rewards!

If you’re ready to take on a big city but not sure Seattle is the place for you, we’ve still got you covered. Check out our selection of awesome Austin apartments, delightful Dallas apartments, or fabulous Phoenix apartments. And when you’re ready to start putting it all in boxes, use our Moving Checklist to get organized.

So what are you waiting for? Get a move on!

The quest to find an apartment frequently involves tremendous research and hours of contemplation, not to mention the need to make very important decisions. Without taking into account all of the preparation necessary to prepare and pack up belongings, moving day comes with its own unique and sometimes frustrating challenges. However, by thinking strategically well before moving day, you can avoid much of the aggravation associated with relocation.

Sometimes, what looks like a simple move of a few boxes and a few furniture items, can turn into a real hassle. Busy lives and packed schedules can turn moving day into one big hurry to catch up. Yet, whether you are upsizing or downsizing, a few preparation tips can make the job of moving to a new apartment much easier.

If there is a plus side to the moving process, sometimes there are opportunities to sort through belongings and to discard or sell things you no longer need. For the household items you will be moving, it’s best to start sorting well before moving day and pack items that are not necessary for immediate living needs. This can also free up space, allowing you to clean areas that were not accessible prior to packing. It is also a good idea to minimize grocery shopping and consume your stock food and perishable items right up until moving day.

When it comes to packing, matching like items and labeling their boxes is always a good idea and will help make unpacking that much easier. Yet, allocating and distributing items in boxes by weight can help keep you from struggling to move heavy boxes in and out. Your moving helpers will thank you for it.

Of course, there are all kinds of extraneous items that need to be taken care of prior to — and even during — moving day such as arranging the disconnect of utilities, gathering and organizing vital records and changing your address. A moving checklist can assist you with staying organized and meeting goals even if you have the busiest of schedules.

When you plan your move into a series of mini-steps and small accomplishments, moving day will move much more smoothly.

Moving from one apartment to another can be an exciting time, but it’s also certainly a hassle.  There are a lot of elements you need to keep track of when you’re orchestrating that perfect relocation, and keeping tabs on it all can seem like a full-time job when you’re in the thick of it all.  Here are some primary issues you’ll need to stay on top of.  Consider breaking these down further into a checklist so you can keep yourself organized when you’re switching apartments.

Packing Up Your Apartment: When doing this, you’ll need to take into consideration the size of your current apartment and compare it to the size of the place you’re moving into.  If the place is much smaller, or if the rooms configure differently (say, if your old place has two smaller bedrooms and your new place has one large one), you’ll need to pare down what you can bring along.  That can be a tough process, but a necessary one.

Cleaning: In order to get that security deposit back, you’ll need to put some elbow grease into cleaning your apartment.  Ideally, you’ll want to do this after you move all of your stuff into your new place, so nothing gets in between your cleaning wrath and your apartment’s dirtiness.  You’ll also want to get your new place spick-and-span.

Decorating & Restocking: If the place you’re moving to is larger, or is configured differently like we mentioned before, you’ll need to buy new furniture and decorations to make your new pad feel truly homey.  Try to get items that compliment your current furniture so everything doesn’t look cobbled together.  If you’re looking to start fresh, you could just donate everything but the essentials and build your new place from the ground up!

Whether you’re already in one or not, if you’re looking for an apartment for rent, we can help.  We have loads of excellent Dallas apartments, Phoenix apartments, Austin apartments, or Seattle apartments to look over in our easy-to-browse, ever-expanding database.  These cities are great, but there’s obviously many other wonderful places you might want to move.  Thanks to our excellent search tools, you can now find an apartment anywhere across this fine land.  Should you choose to do so, you can be eligible to earn up to $200 in renter rewards!