Moving into a new house or new apartment is a massive step in anyone’s life. It’s an important decision and, if you want it to be a good one, what is the one thing you need to do? The answer is ‘research’. This is where websites such as move.com, movinghelp.com, and mmoving.com come in handy. They have an abundance of information on the moving topic. You can find everything you need to know, from the very apartment you’re planning on living in, to swatches of paint and how to use them. We’ve put together a collection of the best advice you can find on these websites, divided into the steps you need to take during the big move. Remember, planning ahead is the key to success!

#1. Finding your dream apartment

Those days when you used to look into the newspaper at tiny ads signaling apartments in the city are long gone. No more crouching over the table and endlessly pouring over the pages of the ‘Little Town’ USA Today. Nowadays you can simply go online to a website such as move.com, enter the city, state or zip code where you’d like to find a new home and press enter. It’s that easy.

It’s important you choose more than one apartment, even in the same area. Never settle for just one, as it might look different in real life than it does in the pictures. Therefore, you will need some options to fall on. After you’ve located four or five apartments to your liking, call the number you see on the website and discuss with the realtor or the building’s manager.

Set up a convenient time to visit them. While you’re there, as questions about the non-visible parts of the house as well, such as the plumbing, how maintenance works and who has to provide it, and how is the security in the building and area. Ask questions regarding your neighbors as well and whether or not they have special requests. They might not want families with toddlers, pets, or people who need to practice the cello.

Remember that the noise problem goes both ways. You will want to ask if there are noisy people in the building or down the street from where you live. Ask how the crime rate is in the area and whether or not there are any dubious bars or clubs nearby. Inquire also about the means of transportation in the area, that you can use to get to and from work every day.

#2. Decorating the new apartment

Prior to the move itself, you will want to decorate your new house. In case it is a rental, make sure you ask your landlord if you’re allowed to make changes to the rooms. You will find that some owners are quite lax about this while others don’t allow a single nail to be put through the walls. However, if they do agree, you’re in luck, as you can now start the very gratifying process of decorating your new home.

There are lots of tips and tricks here and the websites we mentioned, such as move.com, prove to be a worthy source. Here are just a few examples.

• Before starting to decorate, fix your budget. Determine how much money you want to invest in this and try not to go over it, especially if it’s a rented house. You will leave it at some point, and all the money you put in will go down the drain.
• Go bargain-hunting for furniture at local discount stores, flea markets, and second-hand shops. You will be amazed at all the beautiful things you can find at very low prices.
• If the apartment is small, you can create the illusion of space by adding mirrors and channeling the light in particular ways. You can find detailed information online, at the press of a button.
• Determine a decorating style, as this will help you a lot. Not only will your house look better in the end, by benefitting from a cohesive and unique style, but it will also save you money. Rather than buying pieces of furniture and decorating items willy-nilly, finding the ones that belong to the same set is usually cheaper.

#3. Do a thorough cleaning

This might seem like a redundant piece of advice, but you will be surprised at what you can find in rented houses or apartments. When former tenants move out, they don’t usually bother cleaning the place up profusely or at all, even. Start cleaning as soon as possible and do not skip any nook or cranny.

If there is already some furniture in the house or apartment, move it and clean under and behind it. Apart from dust, you might find old clothes, used sanitary products or even bugs or rats. Remove the carpets as well, should there be any. Take them to a professionalized cleaner, because carpets are a haven for dust mites and germs. Clean the floors as well, as best as you can. Use disinfectant and a brush to scrub the floors squeaky clean.

The best piece of advice regarding the cleaning of a new apartment or house is to simply take everything out and clean the empty house top to bottom. This is the only way in which you can ensure it’s actually clean and safe to live in. This is especially required if you have children.

#4. Painting the new house

Color gives a whole new meaning to our life and plain, white walls, just don’t say ‘home.’ This is the reason why most people decide to repaint after moving into a new house. However, it’s crucial you remember to ask your landlord, should it be a rented house if you are allowed to do so. Then you may proceed.

Pick some swatches and decide which color would best suit the home. Take into consideration not only your personal preferences, but also the house’s size, how big the windows are, if it’s facing the sun or not, and the decorating style you have chosen. Selected with caution, as a paint color can give new life, brighten, and even enlarge a room.

#5. The actual move

The actual move might be one of the trickiest and cumbersome tasks in the entire grand process. You can do it yourself if you own a personal car that is large enough or you can call in for help. There are websites for that as well, such as moving.com or movinghelp.com. Just not moves.com, unless you want to make an animation reel for your house, as that is the website for an animation studio.

Back to more serious things, however, the easiest way is to call in a specialized company. They will bring everything you need for the move, including boxes and equipment, such as dollies and hand trucks. They will also bring their large trucks, which will make the shipping easy and reduce the distance a lot. Depending on the moving company itself, they may also carry all the boxes for you to and from the truck.

Also, taking into consideration the area you live in, it can cost you somewhere between $150 and $300, which is relatively cheap for the amount of work involved. The moving guys are always reputable, so you needn’t worry about your goods getting damaged during shipping.

#6. Enjoy your new home!

After you finished everything, sit back, relax and enjoy your new beginning. You don’t get many of those!

Making use of the internet is the staple of the new generation. From homework to business relations to romantic affairs to academic research and, why not, help for finding a new home, websites such as move.com and others make everything a lot easier than we ever thought it could be.

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