Moving is a huge process which requires a lot of coordination, and a lot of communication. It’s a super exciting time that should hopefully only bring out the best in people, and should result in a lot of teamwork and collaboration if you’re moving with or in with other people.
Whether you’re moving into a new place with roommates you already have, moving into a place with existing roommates you haven’t lived with previously, or if you’re moving into a place with a completely new group of people who have also never lived with one another previously, it’s important to have open communication and make sure you’re ready to cohabitate.
Same Roommates, New Place
If you’ve been living with the same roommates for a year or two already, it’s pretty safe to say (hopefully) that you’re pretty comfortable with one another and have healthy communication habits that foster friendship and good cohabitation. Your habits already meld together, or at least create an environment that’s comfortable enough to both live and continue to live in.
If you’re looking for a new place with your roommates, it’s important to sit down and discuss what each of you want from your new place, what your timelines are, and what your individual budgets are. Because you’ve been living with these people already, it’s easy to think that you’re all automatically on the same page as far as budget and timeline are concerned, but that’s not always the case; some people could be comfortable with paying more in rent for a nicer place, bigger room, or a better location, whereas others may want to cut down on how much they’re spending in rent.
Additionally, make sure you all want to move out of your existing place at the same time. Some may want to leave a month or a few weeks of overlap between when your current lease ends and when your new lease begins to ease into the moving process, whereas some may want to go it all within a day or two, and end and start each lease within a day of one another. Another might not be quite ready to move just yet, and could want to extend the lease for a month or two to plan as much as they’d like to.
Planning and communicating as to each of your roommates’ ideal timelines is imperative to making sure that you’re all on the same page before you even start looking for a new place together.
Lastly, before you actually begin your house or apartment search, discuss which neighborhoods you’re all looking to move to. If everyone wants to stay in the same neighborhood, or all are looking to move to another specific neighborhood, then great! If you all have different ideas of where you’d like to go, it’s time to put your heads together to figure out which might be the right choice for everybody involved.
Being “The Newbie” Roommate
Moving into a place where people are already living and cohabitating with one another can be kind of daunting, and maybe even a little awkward at first – especially if you don’t know your roommates too well.
Once you’ve moved your things in, make sure you and your roommates are on the same page, or will collaborate with you on organizing and reorganizing spaces to make room for your things in common spaces, like the kitchen. If you don’t assert yourself and don’t ask for spaces for your things in your own home, your roommates might not think of it – and undue resentment could brew before you even get to know them!
This can also still apply if you’re moving in with friends who already have a place. Settle in and get used to everyone’s routines, as well as everybody’s habits. If something annoys you if you don’t mesh with someone’s habits, try to talk to them about – passive aggression or just not addressing the behavior and internalizing irritation will just result in an unhappy environment.
Moving in Blind
If you’re moving into a new place with people who you might’ve found through a roommate matching website, or maybe through Facebook seeking posts or something else, it can be even harder to start cohabitating and adapting to one another’s lifestyles.
Keep an eye out for any unsavory habits or just things that you don’t vibe with as a roommate, and try to address these habits or traits immediately so that you’re not left spending the whole year with a walking ‘crazy roommate’ story.
If you’re going in on a place with friends who you’ve never lived with before, and who have never lived with each other before, you might assume that everything will be great and just like a huge sleepover since you’re all friends already.
However, you really do see a person differently once you see who they are at home and in their natural environment. This can be a good or bad thing. If your friend who you thought was fun and relaxed is a complete slob at home, you could be finding this out the hard way once you’ve started living with them. As is the case with any roommate situation, open up comfortable and open communication to make sure you’re voicing your needs, and that they have a safe space to voice theirs as well.
Moving Checklists
Whether you’re moving into a new place solo with existing roommates, moving in as a new roommate to a place where people are already living, or moving into a new place with new people, it’s important to have a list of goals and things to keep your move on track.
Booking Your Moving Company
It can be tough to keep track of everything that goes into move, especially if you’re just moving on your own. You’d think it’d be easier, but it’s not! However, moving doesn’t have to be a stressful process if you start early and make sure to plan things as far ahead as possible – especially if you’re using professional movers like Bekins Van Lines.
Once you figure out where you’re moving and when, schedule your professional movers or rent your self-service moving truck immediately for your moving dates to make sure you both get that out of the way, and have a way to actually get your things to your new home!
Organizing and Decluttering
Next, start decluttering and organizing your existing space to get it in the best shape possible for your move. Even if you live in a small place, or don’t think you have that much stuff, you’d be surprised by just how much you can accumulate. Your space might be small, but you might have more stuff than you’d think!
Organize things into categories like “keep”, “donate”, “sell”, “give away”, or “throw out”. By having specific categories like these, it can be a lot easier to sort through and get rid of certain things you might not particularly want to sell or throw out just yet – especially clothes. The earlier you start this process, the easier things will be for you once it comes time to actually pack up your things.
Packing and Scheduling
One of the most common mistakes people make, when moving solo or with roommates, is packing last-minute and ending up in a mad rush to the finish line. If you’re moving in accordance with or going on a moving company or self-moving truck with roommates, this can be an even bigger issue if one of you is packed up a month in advance, and one is still throwing things into boxes the night before.
Try to work in unison with one another, and try to pack up common spaces together well ahead of time so the biggest things are taken care of first. If you notice one of your roommates struggling to find time or motivation to pack up their things, offer to help out or have a packing party! It’s surprising how much easier packing can be just by having a little company with you while you do it.
Moving Individually
If you’re moving by yourself, it’s all on you! Don’t dig yourself into a hole by packing last-minute, especially if you won’t have help in the packing or moving process. It’s even easier to get stressed out when moving solo, so staying organized and planning ahead is even more important.
Moving In
If you’re moving into a place with people already living there, make sure you’re notifying them well in advance of when you plan to move in so they can make necessary arrangements, as well as clearing any spaces that could inhibit moving in larger furniture or hinder your process in any way. Remember, communication is key!
Roommate Living
Whether you’ve lived with your roommates for years already, or maybe have never even met them before, it’s important to make sure you communicate and are all either on the same page with your expectations for your lives cohabitating with one another, or very close to it. This is all of your home, after all – you want to make sure it’s a safe and comfortable environment for all involved, and that you all have a happy and healthy time together in your place!
Once you’ve decided where and when you’re looking to move, make sure you’re choosing the movers who will be there for you every step of the way. For your most successful move yet, check out the team at Bekins Van Lines for everything you might need.
