If you can even believe it, you are finally done college! All those late nights cramming for finals and sleepless nights wondering if you passed are finally done! Now is the time to officially start your career! So, don’t plan on being relieved 100 percent of your stress just yet, but if you plan ahead, then maybe it will go smooth, and you will be done before you know it. From comparing cheap moving companies to finding an apartment to actually getting settled, there is still a lot to do.
Apartment Search
Okay, so it is springtime, so the last thing you want to do is apartment hunt, right? Well, the sooner you find a place the faster you can move onto more important seasonal activities like hitting the beach or playing a few rounds of golf! If you put off moving, you will end up stuck living in your parents’ basement until a more convenient time, which is pretty much never once you enter the career world. Of course, if you are currently living in a dorm then you have no choice to find a place to live as soon as possible!
The good news is that the weather is nice. Therefore, you have no excuse to not go check out apartments and find cheap moving companies. You are not snowed in, nor will you get frostbite if you walk outside. Don’t just jump on the first apartment you look at just to get the process over with either. Check out the area; make sure it is safe. Do a drive-by late at night, and see what the activity is like. Is it loud? If so, this may not go over well when you are getting up at 6 am for work.
Pack Smart
The more you consolidate your belongings, the fewer boxes you will have. This means your move will cost less. Now is the time to go through everything you have and sell or donate what you don’t need. Chances are good that your first apartment won’t be oversized, so if you can get rid of some stuff, you will be a lot better off.
Now, if you are living in a dorm or with friends off campus, and you need to go back to your family home while you look for a place to live, you will need to do something with all of your belongings. Ideally, it will nicely clutter the garage or basement, but if there is no room at home, just rent a small climate-controlled storage unit. They are fairly inexpensive and you can find them anywhere.
Create a List
You will likely need to have utilities turned on, change your address, buy some essentials for the house, etc. If you have already started your new job, you need to give payroll your new address, plus change your license, order new checks and a multitude of other things. If you create a list of every single thing you need to do, then you can cross them off as you go, and nothing will get forgotten.
Hire Movers
Before you get it in your head that you will just rent a truck and handle the move yourself to save a few dollars, you should know that there are a lot of cheap moving companies out there. They can have your belongings moved within hours so you can unpack, get settled and enjoy the spring season. By the time you rent a truck, pay for gas, buy beer and pizza for everyone helping you and risk sustaining an injury, you really do not come out that far ahead.
