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Our oldest will be moving to a furnished apartment (with two roommates) in early August. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of all the things they'll need, so I can help them move in as inexpensively as possible.
Any tips or hints on the most-needed items for a first-time mover?
first time move'''''''''''''''does your son or daughter want the help? my son didnt''''''''''he wanted to move out''ok man time in my case''''''''''''''''''''''''''''but a good kid ,my huband said he will tell us'and did he''''''''let them find there own space'''then add'honey can you help you out a little''''''''''''dont get to carried away as I did'''''''''''''' can cost'but cool, our kids are out future'''''''''''''''''luck to you and your family
Get boxes from a box manufacturer rather than a retailer. Find one in the phone book. They often have custom jobs with random company names or seconds. It's easier than scrambling for free boxes from stores, and you can move more efficiently if you can pack your truck with boxes in uniform sizes. If you know anyone that recently moved, they probably have good boxes to give you, and would be happy to get rid of them.
Hit the dollar store before going other places to stock your kitchen utensils, and cleaning supplies. Your shower curtain liner, toilet brush, dish towels, toothbrush holder, broom, trash cans, dust pan, aluminum foil and plastic wrap, emergency flash light, clothes hangers, hammers, nails and other tools, phone cords, and picture hangers are the sort of things can often be found there at the lowest price.
Does he know whether the new place has 3-prong outlets? If not, he needs converters and surge protectors.
Think about how much something costs to move before taking it along. The cost of books for example, can add a lot to your costs with prof. movers.
Turn on the phone and utilities at the new place before you leave your old one. Don't assume that they can turn it on the day after you move in, sometimes there's a wait of many days.
Don't be the person on the utilities if he can avoid it. Inevitiably someone will move out and stick him with the bill, or will not come up with their share on time. If he is on the utilities, get a written agreement with the roomies about how they are going to split utilities, and when payment will be due from the roomies once the bill is received. Consider now the fact that one person will end up using a lot more of some utility than the others, and decide how they are going to divide the bill fairly. Talk about what temperature is reasonable now. If he always uses a cell, now is the time to say that he doesn't want to pay an even share (or maybe any share) of the landline phone bill, and that he doesn't want to pay for the long distance plan, etc. Also, make sure they have a realistic sense of how much the utilities have been in the past. The company can give you past usage info.
Work out a cleaning schedule if he thinks that the issue will come up. Consider hiring a housekeeper and splitting the cost if it will keep the peace.
Talk about how they are going to pay for group household items like TP, garbage bags, and dish soap, and whether it will be okay to eat food that you didn't pay for. Also consider how larger group items like a vacuum, should be paid for if purchased new.
If the place is furnished, go ahead and take photos of the condition of everything before you move in. If anything is damaged, include the front page of your newspaper in the photo to document the damage existed when you moved in, and save the paper. Also note anything that's not clean, including the carpet, oven, and blinds.
If it's a long-distance move, it's often cheaper to just purchase something new rather than to pay to move or ship it.
Garbage bags are the cheapest way to move clothes.
Use clothes as packing material to avoid spending on bubble wrap and styrofoam.
Once you decide what he needs, send an email to friends and family so they can give him items they no longer need and want to get rid of.
Make sure that he knows what happens if one person moves out, and what that means in terms of the lease and his liability for a larger portion of the rent.
Get him a renter's insurance policy. They generally cost around $100 per year.
Consider whether he needs to provide his own curtains.
Does he need parking permits? Does his auto insurance know of the new address?
Talk with roomies about overnight guests so he doesn't end up paying to live with a roomies' SO down the line.
Don't go out and buy a lot of stuff until you know what each roommate is bringing to the apartment. You can avoid duplication that way.
It's a brand-new fully-furnished apartment here in town. (He's moving from our home to the apartment.) It's also dorm-like in that each roommate signs an individual lease and is responsible for paying their individual rent. (Which is nice to know he won't wind up having to foot the bill for a roommate that skips out or skips a payment. Also, the rent covers all utilities and internet connection, and it comes with a washer/dryer, so no laundry fees. (Like he'd spend much time or money at the laundromat anyway...chuckle.)
Roommate is a good friend from high school, so I think they're both okay with overnight guests and other etiquette issues. The vacuum and other "common property" stuff is a good point. I was ready to plunge in and buy the small appliances (coffeemaker, toaster, vacuum, etc.) and all the cleaning, paper/plastic goods and basic pantry items, but it's probably better to hold off until he lets us know what he needs after he moves in and sees what the roommate brings to the table.
Thanks for all the good tips - they're much appreciated!
Still, make sure he knows what happens if one person moves out prematurely. Does that give the LL the right to move a stranger in? Or does it mean he has the job of finding someone else? I doubt that the
LL just lives with less rent if someone gets married or takes a new job out of town.
Also, consider a few days' supply of water and non-perishable food for emergencies. It's not something you typically think of when getting your first place.
I just spent a week with my granddaughter in San Diego (US Navy)...although her kitchen is prety well stocked I made a little list and brought it home with me to make life a little easier when I get to go back.
I cooked some favorites for her while I was there...and found that I needed some DRY measuring cups...a decent sized mixing bowl ...like a Tupperware Mix-and-store...and a couple of small vegetable serving bowls.
When I hit the yard sale I am usually on the look out for something she might use...nice things for a reasonable price!! Jo
I went shopping with him yesterday, and he will have a pretty nicely supplied kitchen, at least as far as dishes and serving pieces go. (He bought the items - I just asked questions to help steer him toward what he needs, and no more than that to start with.)
I figure I'll get a laundry basket and fill it with a lot of the kitchen/bath/laundry basics - paper towels, dish rags, laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, ammonia, toilet brush, nylon scrubbies, bathroom cleaner, etc. I'll then get a few grocery bags of the basic pantry items (flour, sugar, baking powder, some canned soups, mayonnaise, pasta, tomato paste...basically all the non-perishable stuff he'll need to whip up a variety of basic meals (since he seems very confident he will be cooking a lot, lol.) I'll also print up some of the basic recipes I've used over the years so he won't have to call me in the early morning for help with pancakes ;o)
Hi,
One of the things my mother did when I got married and moved was to give her old
dishes,silverware,towels etc. She also had moved herself so she had old furinture that
she gave us as well. That helps in the cost of having them buy new things for their apartment.
Also an apartment warming party where they get some things from friends and family might be a good idea. Good luck with your childs move.
I tried giving him some of our old stuff, but he wanted new (don't we all?????) So he wound up buying most of the new stuff that he wanted. I helped him out with a coffee maker and a LOT of canned goods and basic pantry stuff, plus paper goods and cleaning supplies.
