Comprehensive Apartment Moving Checklist

For a Smooth Move into your Shreveport – Bossier Apartment!

So, you’ve found the perfect apartment in Shreveport, LA or rental in Bossier City, LA, chosen the ideal floor plan for you and your family, and you’re now ready for the big move to your “Dream Home”! The move to a new apartment is a big deal, and it often very stressful. To help you sleep better before the “big move,” you should utilize the following timetable to assist in scheduling your responsibilities for this exciting transition!

TIMELINE: 6 to 9 weeks before Move

TO DO ITEMS:

1. Move Out Notice. Almost all rental leases require that residents provide a written notice of their intent to vacate that apartment or rental home. Typically, this move out notice needs to be 30 or 60 days in advance of your departure. It is critical to provide such a notice to assure that you are not liable for rent after your intended move out date, so review your lease and adhere its requirements.

2. Decide if your using a Moving Company vs. Do It Yourself. The decision of hiring a professional moving company versus moving your personal items on your own is dependent on several questions:

   1. How much “stuff” do you have to move? Remember that heavy furnishings may require a lot of muscle (help from friends or family) that you may or may not have access to. Also, many professional moving companies can help with packing and supplying moving boxes that can be a real time saver. You should also inquire about insurance options to assure that your belongings are covered if they are damaged during the move.

   2. How far are you moving? If you are moving to your new Shreveport or Bossier City apartment community from out of state, you may not have friends or other helpers at both, your origination location and your destination location (i.e. to load and unload).

   3. What is your budget for the move? Although hiring a professional moving company is a more expensive way to go, the extra cost may (or may not) be worth it, depending on your financial situation. As such, now would be an appropriate time to research the costs versus the benefits of utilizing a moving company, as compared to the expense of renting a truck or trailer and going it alone.

3. Hire a Moving Company or Reserve a Truck/Trailer. After you’ve made the decision of whether to pay a third-party mover or move yourself with “a little help from your friends,” you should go ahead and research and hire the moving company or reserve and schedule your rental truck or trailer (and line up helpers for loading and unloading).

TIMELINE: 3 to 6 weeks before Move

TO DO ITEMS:

1. Organize your Apartment Packing Materials. You can get free cardboard boxes at your local grocery store, liquor store, or other retail outlets. For more custom needs, most rental truck/trailer companies carry a wide variety of moving boxes (this is especially helpful for moving garments and artwork). Stock up on bubble wrap and newspaper for padding as well as strapping tape and permanent markers for labeling boxes.

2. Pre-Packing (begin a little at at time). You shouldn’t wait to do everything right before the big move, so start packing things from your current apartment that you won’t be using anytime soon.

3. Sort Items and Discard or Donate. Moving time is a great time to downsize your “stuff.” A common rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used an item in a year or two, consider letting it go. If such items have value, consider selling them (online, garage sale, etc.) or giving them to friends or family. Otherwise, collect such items in boxes for donating. Items that don’t have value can be thrown away or recycled.

4. Organize and Clean-out Files, etc. As you go through your paper files, you will quickly see that a lot of these are obsolete and need to be tossed or recycled. Be sure to shred any documents that have confidential numbers or other information on them. At the same time, gather important personal records, organize them into files (bank statements, tax records, medical records, etc.), and box them for transportation.

5. Research Service Professionals Near to your New Apartment. If you are moving far enough away for this to be an issue, ask your current service professionals (doctors, dentists, hairstylists, mechanics, veterinarians, etc.) if they can recommend anyone to service your needs near to your new apartment in Bossier City or Shreveport LA rental. Now is the best time to prepare such a list.

6. Schedule to Turn Off Utilities in Old Apartment and Turn on in New Apartment. Contact your existing utility companies (electric, gas, water, phone, cable, etc.) and schedule for these services to be turned off immediately after your move-out day. Don’t forget to inquire about any deposits you may have placed on your current utilities and ask about the procedure or conditions to receive such funds (remember to supply them with your future address).                                                                                                                                                                      Similarly, schedule such services to be turned on at your new Bossier or Shreveport apartments. Review provider lists with apartment management staff to learn about any arrangements or agreements that they might have with service or utility companies to assure you are utilizing their preferred providers. Also ask the management staff when your new service should start and when their transitional services will be terminated to make sure you’re not moving in the dark!

7. Schedule to Transfer Your Mail and Change of Address Forms. You can complete an online form to change your address or physically do this at your post office. You should also start informing service providers that you will continue to use at the new location, of your new mailing address. Such service providers include insurance companies, loan providers, banks, credit cards, magazine subscriptions/newspapers, and other memberships or service companies.

TIMELINE: 1 to 3 weeks before Move

TO DO ITEMS:

1. Begin Packing. It is now time to start packing your stuff! Although mostly common sense, below is a reminder list of the dos and don’ts:

   1. Keep each box weight to under about 30 pounds and stack the lighter boxes on top of the heavier boxes.

   2. As you are packing, try to organize the boxes by where in the new apartment they will end up (i.e. kitchen items, closet items, etc.).

   3. Label each box with permanent marker. List the items enclosed and where in the new apartment each box will go.

   4. Also set aside and label boxes with breakables enclosed that you want to give special care to or move yourself (in your car as opposed to moving truck).

   5. Seal boxes completely with strapping tape (wrap tape around the box’s circumference to keep boxes from bursting open).

   6. Bundle electronic items (and cords), so they stay together during the move.

   7. Wrap glassware, dishes and other breakable items in paper or bubble wrap before placing in boxes, to avoid chips and breakage.

   8. Set aside a suitcase of clothes and other items you’ll need immediately after your move into the new apartment in Bossier City or Shreveport rental (i.e. toiletries, phones, chargers, computers, clean sheets/towels, checkbooks, move-in or legal documents, and pet supplies). If you are using a moving company, be prepared for the possibility that the movers could be delayed due to weather, mechanical failures, or other unforeseen conditions.

2. Service Your Vehicle. If your move involves a long drive, now would be the opportune time to make sure your vehicle is running well and up-to-date on service items (brakes, fluids, tires, etc.).

3. Moving Truck Parking Considerations. Whether you are moving yourself or have hired a professional moving company, you will need to assure that the apartments in Shreveport/Bossier has a place to park the transport vehicle onsite to unload your belongings at their destination. Ask the new apartment management staff for their suggestions in advance, so there are no surprises when you arrive. In some cases where parking is at a premium (street parking), you may even have to obtain some type of parking permit from the City.

TIMELINE: 1 to 3 days before Move

TO DO ITEMS:

1. Clean Apartment and Appliances. Consult with your old apartment management staff as to cleaning requirements for move-out that are needed to be met to get your security deposit back. As recommended by them, clean the oven and stove, defrost and clean the freezer and refrigerator, empty and clean dishwasher, and clean the washers and dryers (yours or theirs). You should also clean, repair or touch-up any damage to walls, floors, or other items as needed.

2. Prepare Equipment for Move. Make sure computers are ready for transport (backing up your hard drive would be a smart idea!), and make sure TVs are unplugged and ready to move.

TIMELINE: Moving Day -- MOVE-OUT of Your Previous Apartment

TO DO ITEMS:

1. Document Items for Move-out. Make a list of items (furniture items, number of boxes, etc.), and photograph them so that you can be sure that all the items you put in the moving vehicle make it to their destination. Be sure pets and small children are safe and accounted for (and not tripped over) during the move-out process.

2. Load the Moving Truck/Trailer. Load your belongings into the moving vehicle (or supervise the moving company). Begin with the heaviest furniture, followed by the heaviest boxes and place these near the bottom and back of the truck or trailer storage space (the back of the storage space is towards front of the vehicle). Place lighter items on top of heavier items and breakable items on top of lighter items.

3. Clean Old Apartment. Vacuum, dust, wipe-down, and pick up debris in old apartment. Do a final sweep by checking closets, storage rooms, cabinets, drawers for items left behind or trash that needs cleaning.

4. Exit Old Apartment. Turn off the air conditioning and/or heating unit. Close and lock windows and exterior doors, turn off all lights, and turn in keys, parking passes, and remotes to the management office.

5. Put Personal Items, Pets, and Valuables in Car. Place your valuables, necessities, your suitcase and pets in your car.

TIMELINE: Moving Day -- MOVE-IN to your Shreveport – Bossier City LA Apartments

TO DO ITEMS:

1. Inspect New Apartment Interior. Upon arrival to your new apartment in Shreveport or Bossier City, be sure that the electricity and water are turned on and that nothing needs repairs. If you notice any issues, document and photograph such concerns to report such to the apartment management.

2. Clean New Apartment. Your new apartment should be clean when you arrive, but in case it isn’t, wipe down the counters and vacuum the floors prior to moving in.

3. Unload Moving Truck/Trailer into New Apartment. Unload your belongings or supervise the unloading of your furnishings and pre-labeled boxes, into the corresponding rooms within your new Shreveport or Bossier apartment. It is best to document unloaded boxes to assure that none of them have gone missing in transit (especially if utilizing a third-party mover).

4. Unpack Belongings. Start by unpacking your necessities such as suitcases, toiletries, bed sheets/pillows/blankets, pet supplies, and kitchen supplies. Place furniture in proper locations, set-up lamps, electronic equipment, and appliances, etc., and unpack the remainder of your boxes as soon as possible. Remember to check for damaged items as you unpack, and if you used a moving company, report such damages to them ASAP.
5. Release the Moving Company. If you utilized a moving company, you will likely have to sign a form releasing them, so they can leave the premises. Be sure to note any damaged items on the proper form before the moving personnel leaves, to assure that the moving company management staff has been informed that such items were not damaged by you after the move was over. Typically, tips are accepted and appreciated by moving personnel. Standard gratuity amounts might range from 5% of the total bill to $20 per mover/person. Proper etiquette is to tip each mover individually (as opposed to the supervisor), to show recognition of each person’s individual efforts.

6. Moving Truck/Trailer. If you used a rented truck or trailer to move into your new Bossier or Shreveport apartments, you will need to clean and sweep it out to assure you get your deposit back. Take back the vehicle ASAP, so as not to be charged for extra time. Most importantly, be sure to hardily thank your friends for their help! Don’t feel too guilty though … they’ll likely “get you back” when its time for them to move next time!

Check Out Some of Our Apartments in Shreveport / Bossier LA

Canebrake Apartments Shreveport

Summit of Shreveport  Apartments

The Reserve of Bossier City Apartments

 Kingston Crossing Apartments Bossier

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