Moving to a new city without a car, I figured, was going to be a huge headache. Turns out it was quite manageable, so here are some things that made the move easier for me, so maybe future-you will have a smoother time.
First order of business: having something to sleep on. I chose to get bedding and basic furniture through IKEA doorstep delivery, which costs $29 if you sign up for a free membership. You get to pick a specific day to receive the items, so I chose my move-in day. Make sure you book at least a couple weeks in advance because days fill up and become unavailable!
The delivery window is pretty large, so I recommend planning to be at your apartment earlier in the day if you can. In the lead-up to the move, I doomscrolled IKEA which was honestly helpful to find items I wouldn’t normally think of, such as a shoe tray and power bars.
Once everything had arrived at the apartment (myself included) it was nice to have a friend help with assembling it all (shoutout to Jim). It wouldn’t have been impossible to do solo, but it definitely would’ve taken more than one afternoon and may have led to a crashout. I was very grateful to have packed a box cutter and a small hammer.
With the apartment now being at least partially furnished, the next challenge was stocking it. I signed up for the free trial of Walmart+ which provides really great delivery benefits. It takes so many items to stock a fresh fridge and pantry, so especially if you don’t have a car (like me), it’s a real lifesaver to not have to take multiple trips to carry all your absolute essentials: milk, eggs, flour, Worcestershire sauce, Laoganma, jellied eels, etc.
One last tip before I go: don’t toss your cardboard boxes right away!! They make great temporary storage until you get nicer ones, and you never know when a big piece of cardboard might come in handy. I used one huge flattened box as a hardwood floor protector while assembling furniture which worked great (it was also easier on the knees).
All in all, it’s amazing how quickly an empty place can start to feel homey after putting in some sweat (and, without these modern conveniences, probably blood and tears too).
Still working on personalizing it, but that’ll come in time!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Ana
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