Making Moves: Suite Yourself

To prepare for September, NYC’s unofficial moving month, New York At Home is rolling out a three-part Making Moves series. In June we Took Stock, in July we Prepared, and now it’s time to Suite Yourself.

Assist Your Systems
When it comes to packing up your apartment, try to keep everything as close to your existing systems as possible. Do you currently have items folded on shelves? Pack them in boxes just as are, one box per shelf. Do you store all your shoes in original boxes? Put shoes right into a box, seal it up, and you’re good to go. Hanging clothes can also be put in wardrobe boxes in their current closet order. Using trash bags to keep dust off your clothing is another pro trick. Unpacking is less of a chore when we pack the way we store.

Work Trip Trick
The first couple of days in a new space can be a bit chaotic when it comes to finding everything you need. New York At Home is a huge fan of packing a go bag like Joan Didion. For a big move, we suggest taking it to the next level by trying this work trip trick. Think of the first week in your new home as if you’re staying in a hotel and pack yourself a suitcase accordingly. Ideally, you won’t need to use it, but you’ll be grateful you have what you need at your disposal if settling in takes longer than expected.

Sweep It Up
No matter how much we take stock, prepare, and pack, items can still get left behind. Be sure to leave enough moving day time to do one final sweep of your space. Go room to room and open up drawers if you’re leaving furniture, look deep inback of closet shelves with a flashlight if needed, and check those kitchen and bathroom cabinets one more time for any medicines or appliances that got lost in the packing shuffle. Also be sure to check your lease agreement at least a week before the move date to ensure what state you need to leave your place. Perhaps some literal sweeping is needed as well.

Label Liberally: Rock the Box
Think ahead to when you’re finally in your new home staring at all those stacked boxes. Most of us just label the top of the box, but the key is to label all four sides so you’ll always have a visual of the what’s inside. Another trick is to box per room. If you still have space left in your “Laundry Things” box, it’s okay to leave it partially empty and close it up. It’s tempting to want to add items from other rooms to fill up each moving box, but when it comes to packing always think function over fit.

Label Liberally: Control Your Cords
Before you unplug all 800 chords and inputs in your entertainment system, label them all and take a photo of your set up as well. You can also try color coding and letter coding in a system that works for you. Labeling the cord, the input, and the output sounds like overkill… until you need to set up 15 components.

Make Your Move
This concludes our Making Moves series. New York At Home wishes you a fantastic and functional moving day, whether it be a September date or later down the road. And, of course, reach out to us if you find yourself needing some extra help. For more tips on how to have a truly functional apartment, check out today’s episode of the Holistic Spaces Podcast to hear Anjie Cho, (architect and feng shui expert) in conversation with Diane Lowy (NYAH founder).
