All Moved In, Now What?

"Unplugged - no computer, no internet, possible?" by photosteve101 is
licensed under CC BY 2.0

Just when the tiring process of moving all of your belongings is over, then comes another series of tasks to complete before you’re feeling settled in. There are a lot of things to think about -- food, internet, and uh, which box is your toothbrush in? Apartment Guide shares these essentials to completing the move-in process:

Unpack the Essentials

If you’ve just moved, the very first thing to do is unpack the most essential items from your boxes. Necessities like toilet paper, soap, paper towels, basic kitchen supplies, and bedding items are typically the first things people unpack.

If you want to begin unpacking everything else, that’s fine, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be done right away either. As long as the essentials are out, you have some time to take care of the other important tasks on your list.

Do a Quick Walkthrough

Before setting up the furniture and unpacking all of your boxes, it’s a good idea to take your phone or camera on a quick walkthrough of the new place and snap pictures of any damage that was there before you moved in.

If you do end up finding some damage and taking a couple of pictures, send them to your landlord with a quick friendly note. He or she will likely appreciate the initiative, and it’ll ensure the damage is documented as early as possible, which will hopefully save you some money when it comes time to get your security deposit back.

Get the Internet Going

Unless you’re content using your smartphone for all of your Internet needs, it’s a good idea to get a wireless router set up as soon as possible.

We often take the Internet for granted, but having it running will make your life infinitely easier– especially if you start unpacking and realize you need to find a nearby hardware store or suddenly become famished and need to order a pizza ASAP.

If you don’t have your own router, you may need to contact your Internet provider to have them set one up for you. That can take a couple of days, so make an appointment right away.

Call Your Utility Companies

You should also call the rest of the utility companies for your building to get everything set up in your name.

Unless utilities are included in your rent and handled by the building, make sure to contact your energy, water, gas, and cable providers.

Hit the Grocery Store

An important first day task after you’ve moved into a new place is to hit the local grocery store. Acquaint yourself with the setup and pick up at least a few essentials to get you through the first couple days post-move.

While you’re there, it’s a good idea to see if they have a membership card you can sign up for. Since you’ll be shopping there for at least a year, having a discount cardcan only be beneficial for your bank account.

Change Your Address

It’s also a good idea to officially change your address with the post office as early as possible after moving into a new place so your mail starts getting forwarded right away. The U.S. Postal Service’s website makes it easy to change your address online, so start there.

Make sure to also change your billing address with your bank and credit card, and provide a new shipping address for any subscriptions you receive. You may even want to send out a quick email to friends and family members – one of them is guaranteed to ask for it at some point.

Transfer Your Prescriptions

Even though you don’t technically have to transfer prescriptions until it’s time for a refill, it makes sense to get everything set up at a new nearby pharmacy as soon as possible.

It’s easier to transfer all of them over together, and you’ll feel better knowing all of your prescriptions are taken care of.

Take Measurements

Make a list of all of the furniture and decor you need or want to buy after moving in. Decide where the new items will go, then take measurements of the areas where you’ll be putting them, making sure to mark down the measurements on your list.

Take note of the sizes of your windows and the height of your shower curtain rod. If the shower curtain rod is high enough off the ground, you may need to pick up an extra-long liner.

Scope Out Your Neighborhood

Arguably one of the best parts about moving to a new place is the chance to explore a different neighborhood than you’re used to – unless you move only a block away, which has become a habit of mine. The best way to get a feel for your new neighborhood is to just start walking.

Walk up and down the busier streets near you and take note of the cool cafes, eateries, and shops within walking distance of your place. Look for public transportation stops, fast-food options, and even a gym if you’re thinking of joining one. Most of all, just enjoy taking in the sights of your new city.

Cold and Flu Season Essentials

"Tea for two" by Naama ym is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

We are right in the middle of cold and flu season, so if you haven’t been sick so far, congratulations! If you do get sick though, the last thing you want to do is leave the house. While you’re healthy, make sure you stock up on these sick day essentials, courtesy of The Kitchn, so that you’re back to health as quickly as possible!

The Drink Essentials

Herbal Tea: Make sure your stash is well-stocked, as herbal tea is probably the #1 go-to drink for most of us when we get sick. Black and green teas are nice too, but don't soothe the throat quite as well.

Honey: Tea by itself is fine, but tea with honey is extra soothing...

Lemons: ... and even more so if you add a squeeze of lemon. In fact, why not just go ahead and make this ginger honey and lemon tonic? The shot of whiskey in the recipe is optional, but highly recommended. (Trust me.)

Ginger and/or High-Quality Ginger Ale: You'll want fresh ginger for the tonic above, or to make any one of these stomach-soothing teas. You may also want to pick up a bottle or two of high-quality ginger ale — the kind made with real ginger, not just ginger flavoring and sugar — when you're feeling like a little light carbonation would be helpful.

Orange juice or oranges: Give yourself an extra shot of vitamin C with a glass of orange juice, even better if it's freshly-squeezed. (But hey, you're sick! Do whatever is easiest.)

The Food Essentials

Chicken soup: It's not all in your head; there's scientific proof that chicken soup really does help soothe cold symptoms, so buy a few cans for your pantry, or make and freeze a big homemade batch. Looking for the perfect soup recipe? Try one of these → 5 Soups to Soothe a Cold and From Chicken Noodle to Egg Drop: 10 Soothing Broth-Based Soups.

Applesauce: An essential part of the BRAT diet, applesauce is low in fiber but has lots of calories, so it's easy on a delicate stomach.

Bread for toast: Keep a loaf of sliced bread in your freezer, and you'll be so glad you have some bread around when you can't keep anything else down.

Quick-prep frozen meals: If your stomach isn't the problem and you're just wallowing in a head cold, quick-prep frozen meals (like these Trader Joe's recommendations) mean you can get some food in your system fast. You can also reheat one of these excellent freezer meals.

Your favorite comfort foods: This is different for everyone. What makes you feel good when you're sick? Maybe it's something from childhood, like mashed potatoes or a bowl of ramen noodles. Whatever it is, pick it (or the ingredients to make it) up the next time you go to the grocery store.

Do you have any secret cold and flu fighters?

Living without a Closet

"two-twenty-six/three-sixty-five" by Laura Bittner is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Apartment living does not always offer ideal storage space, especially if you’re a shopaholic. While most apartments include closet space, more often than not, the available closet isn’t big enough, leaving us to find other, more creative ways to store our clothing and accessories. What are some alternatives to a closet? Apartment Guide offers some solutions:

An Armoire or Dresser

One of the most obvious solutions is to buy a large armoire or dresser to store clothes in. What’s great about armoires over dressers is that they offer a place to hang any clothing that you’d rather not fold.

Dresses, blouses and easily wrinkled items won’t have to be shoved into a dresser drawer, which could potentially save you from having to pull out the iron every day before work.

Dressers, on the other hand, are great for people with a lot of foldable clothes. Either piece of furniture comes in various sizes, so those who live in a small space will be able to easily find something that fits their room.

A Clothing Rack

Stores like Target and Ikea sell clothing racks of all different shapes and sizes. You’ll easily be able to find smaller standing clothing racks that have a single bar on which to hang your clothes.

There are also full closet organizers that you can mount to a wall with multiple shelves and rods great for holding an entire wardrobe. Though not as affordable, these are a one-and-done solution to not having a closet, and they’re pretty easy to install on the wall.

Bookcases

The variety of bookshelves available in stores and online is truly amazing, so they’re a great organization option for bedrooms with nonexistent closets. The bookshelves with cube-shaped cubbies are particularly useful for organizing different types of clothing and accessories.

If you’re planning on using bookshelves in place of a closet, be sure to buy plenty of baskets and bins that will help you keep the shelves neat and uncluttered.

Floating Shelves

Floating shelves are another useful storage option, and they’re especially great because they can fit onto walls of any size. Hang floating shelves across the width of an entire wall, or stack them from floor to ceiling. You can even install dividers on your shelves to keep all of your clothing items separated.

Under the Bed

Installing drawers under the bed is both practical and unobtrusive, so it’s a perfect solution for people who live in a small space. You can also inexpensively lift your bed to create even more storage space under it, using store-bought bed risers.

Consider storing shoes, handbags and other less-often-used items under the bed so you don’t have to get down on the floor every time you change clothes.

A Trunk

For a storage solution that’s part decorative and part amazingly effective, find an antique or vintage trunk to keep at the foot of your bed.

Trunks are very spacious, so you’ll be able to store a lot of your wardrobe in just the one area. Use it for bulky items like sweaters, sweatshirts and sweatpants that don’t stack as easily on shelves.

Create Pretty Decor

Some of the prettiest and most colorful items in a person’s apartment can be found in their closet, like shoes, handbags, scarves and jewelry. Instead of tucking those items away into storage, find creative ways to display them around the room and apartment.

Buy a small coat rack just for your scarves and hang them by the front door. Line pretty high heels and handbags along the bookshelves in your living room or entryway. Hang your statement necklaces from pretty hooks on the wall above your toilet, rather than using that space for a piece of art.

Use a Curtain

Many of the storage solutions in this survival guide will leave your clothing out in the open or on display, but simply hanging a curtain can help you tuck your wardrobe out of sight. Attach a curtain to your bookshelves or simply hang one from the ceiling in front of your shelves to hide your clothing.

Mix and Match

If you have one wall in particular that would work well for a “closet,” mix and match the ideas to create exactly what you need for storing your own personal belongings. Hang floating shelves across the entire wall, then attach a closet rod to the wall beneath them. Or, find two small armoires and put them on either side of a short bookshelf.

Create Happy at-Home Habits

"Wine" by Emiliano DeLaurentiis is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The new year is a great time for a fresh start and creating new habits. While many people are focused on losing weight or working out more, think about focusing your energy on creating daily, positive moments at home in your apartment! Yes, there’s almost always some chore that needs to be done, but balance it out with doing something enjoyable for YOU! Apartment Therapy offers these tips for creating those happy moments:

1. Have one daily ritual that is just for you. For me, a mom to two young kids, I like to drink my coffee in peace in the morning. Even if it means getting up earlier, that quiet time before the family routine kicks in helps me ease into the day and do something for myself before I start doing things for everyone else. Your ritual could be anything that brings you pleasure or peace, even if just for a few minutes. My mom, for instance, took a hot bath almost every night of my childhood.

2. Set aside time in the week to listen to music. For some people, music is always playing at home. I envy these people. I live in a small apartment with three others and more often than not, the sounds filtering through our home come from the tv, iPad games and noisy toys. On Sunday mornings I like to very intentionally put on music that we can all enjoy and keep other sounds to a minimum. Set aside time in your home when music is all that you can hear. If you live with others, perhaps rotate playlists.

3. Use what you have. Go ahead - use the "nice" soap, light those spendy candles, break out the fabric napkins. Treat yourself well at home. Too often we squirrel away little luxuries at home and only bring them out for company. Let your home provide you with small pleasures; you deserve them.

4. Cook or prepare something, for pleasure, for yourself once a week.Cooking, even for people who love to do it, can be a grind when it's a daily obligation and particularly when it's on you to feed your family. If you can, make something for yourself as often as you can that is not completely utilitarian, even something simple like salted avocado spread on toast. It may help you reconnect with the parts of cooking you do like and, of course, the eating of it will bring you enjoyment in the short term.

5. Choose one weekend day when you don't do any housework.Wouldn't it be great if you did a little bit of housework each weekday so you could just relax and enjoy your home on the weekends? Yeah, that doesn't really happen. Try to condense your household chores to one part of the weekend and have one day, Saturday or Sunday, that is reserved for being home, not cleaning home.

Organize Your Apartment Search

"agenda" by JessicaMasulli is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The process of finding a new apartment reminds us a lot of how it felt as a high school junior looking at colleges. There are deadlines to keep straight, tours to schedule, applications to fill out and more. As an adult searching for an apartment, we have a lot more commitments than we did as a high school student. So how do we keep everything neat and organized? Follow these ideas from Apartment Guide, so that your perfect apartment doesn’t slip through the cracks!

Take Lots of Notes

Did the one bedroom on First Avenue have laundry in the unit, or was that the studio downtown? If you see numerous rentals during your apartment search, the details about one apartment start to become muddled with the amenities of the next.

Take copious notes while you tour apartments so you can keep the rental properties straight in your mind. Label the top of each set of notes with the address of the apartment and the name of the complex, when applicable. You might feel like you’re back in school, but taking notes now can spare yourself a lot of confusion later.

Create a Detailed Online Calendar

Rather than relying on a system of Post-It notes that could be destroyed by a strong breeze or overzealous housekeeper, put your faith in an online tracking system. Let your Google Calendar (or similar) be your best friend during an apartment search.

Make a calendar event for each open house, private rental viewing and rental application deadline. Also create a calendar alert for when each unit is becoming available. Update the calendar with the notes you take at a rental viewing so you can track the highlights or downsides of each apartment in one place. If you’re online calendar has an app, download it to that you can update it at any time to ensure that everything is up to date.

Have a Filing System

Even though most of your apartment search appointments can be stored in an online calendar, you may still walk away with some paperwork after a viewing. Rental applications, credit check forms and apartment complex brochures all need to be kept in one place.

Create a filing system using a filing cabinet or folders placed in a designated drawer. Put all paperwork for each property into a separate file. Always remember to organize your paperwork as soon as you get home from viewing an apartment that is going on your short list.

Take Pictures

Creating a mental picture of a rental is great, but even with detailed notes you may forget how big the closet really was in a particular apartment. Ask the property manager if you can take a few snapshots with your camera.

Even just a few shots of the living space and bedroom will help jog your memory when you try to remember important details about the layout. Label all pictures appropriately as soon as possible so you remember which apartment listing they belong to.

Start Eliminating Apartments Early

Keeping a long list of possible apartment rentals will only complicate matters, so it’s best to start eliminating apartments early on in your search process. Rather than maintaining a list of every unit you see, set aside or throw away the rental applications or photos of units that you already know you’re not interested in.

Work toward creating and maintaining a short list of possible new homes. As you add a new apartment to this list, make yourself eliminate one to prevent the list from getting out of hand. Remembering the details of just a few units allows you to remain organized and not become overwhelmed with information.

Searching for a new home involves a lot of planning and plenty of paperwork. To ensure that you don’t miss out on a great property due to a lost application or a missed deadline, learning how to stay organized is absolutely vital. The best units in your city will have you competing with other renters, and staying organized is your secret weapon for getting the best apartment on the block.