moving out for the first time | Apartment checklist

Moving out for the first time? If you are getting ready to embark on this amazing journey of moving out then there are a few things you should do. Keep reading to experience the perfect moving out aesthetic and discover how to move out for the first time successfully.

Moving into your first place can be both exciting and nerve-racking! Let’s be honest, there’s A LOT to do before moving out on your own.

There is a way to make moving out less stressful and more exciting and fun. In this post, you’re going to get the best tips on moving out quickly and easily.

It’s also a helpful moving out list for college students and those moving into an apartment.

This post is all about moving out.

Securing Your New Place | Moving Out

Do you already know where you’re going to live? If you are a college student moving into their first apartment or dorm then this is an easier question for you.

What if you’re simply a young adult ready to branch out and be on your own? Well, then this list can also help you.

Moving out is fun and exciting! Here is a post all about what you need to do before even thinking about moving.

If you know where you’re heading then let’s keep going.

1. Start Packing Your Clothes First | Moving Out

The first and easiest thing to do is start packing up your clothes. You can buy a pack of boxes of different sizes from Amazon. Here is a link to the boxes I ordered from Amazon when I moved.

Boxes are really helpful because they hold a lot of items and are sturdy. You can also use grocery or trash bags to pack. Most people do a combination of both when moving out.

{Related Post:} 25+ First Apartment Essential Items You Need

This can also be your time to actually go through the things in your closet and decide on if you want to bring these items with you to your next location or not.

Donating or purging things that you haven’t used or touched within the last 3 years is a good rule of thumb.

Pack clothes that you don’t need to wear immediately. For example, if you are moving in the summertime then it’s probably safe to start packing up your coats and sweaters. That’s easy!

Leave items that you are definitely going to wear that week out and ready.

2. Pack Your Shoes

If you don’t have a lot of shoes then maybe this step isn’t all that taxing, but if you own a ton of shoes, start packing them up.

I purchased large stackable plastic containers for all of my shoes. It came in handy for other random items too, but it was primarily filled with shoes I wasn’t going to be wearing immediately.

Since moving into my new home, I now use the containers to store seasonal decor for my home.

Here is a link to the large stackable plastic containers I ordered from Amazon.

3. Begin Packing Your Bedroom Decor

This can be quite a tedious task if you have a lot of decor in your room and things on your walls. The bedroom is a great starting place though. Start there to build momentum and get things rolling.

Use boxes or garbage bags to put your decor items in. Old shoe boxes are also super helpful to use for delicate items.

Make sure you write ‘Keep Box’ on them so you know what’s inside to refrain from accidentally throwing things away or damaging anything.

4. Pack Toiletries

Start packing up all the supplies that you don’t need to use that week. Pack up all of the lotions, body washes, facial products, extra rolls of toilet paper, and anything that you won’t feel weird about packing.

You probably should keep a bar of soap, deodorant, mouthwash, your toothpaste, and your toothbrush out and ready for daily use.

It is recommended to use a toiletry travel or makeup bag for these items. This ensures that when you’re ready to leave, you can easily pack it up and go.

Here is the BEST toiletry travel bag I’ve ever used! I love the fact that it has a hook to hang it up. If you’re in search of a toiletry bag, you should check out this bag from Amazon!

5. Pack Towels

You can leave out one face and body towel to use, but start packing up the extra towels that you won’t use in both the kitchen and bathroom. Pack up your towel in either baskets, boxes, or plastic bins.

6. Kitchen Supplies | Moving Out

This is another easy thing to begin packing – although a very delicate process- because these items are usually very fragile.

I used newspaper and random pieces of paper to stuff inside dishes and cups to keep them from breaking accidentally while on the move.

These items were packed in large boxes clearly labeled so no one dropped them on the ground or threw them thinking they were something else.

I enjoyed packing the dishes because it makes you feel like you are making GREAT progress.

You can easily put your utensils and cooking tools in a bag, but make sure your coffee pots, air fryers, and/or toasters are neatly packed in a box.

{Related Post:} Kitchen Essentials You Actually Need

7. Office Supplies

If you have an office area or a library section, start packing up your books and supplies that you won’t be using during this time.

You may actually need a few sturdy boxes for items like a printer, plenty of books, and small things like staples, a stapler, etc.

The order in which you pack these things doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t forget to pack them up. Here’s a link to packing boxes you can use from Amazon.

8. Living Room Decor

Do you have pictures and things on the walls in your living room? If you do, don’t forget to pack these items in a nice sturdy box. Really try to take care of delicate art so that they don’t arrive at your new place in shambles.

That would be a really sad time! Especially if they have sentimental value.

Also, pack up those decorative pillows and throw blankets if you won’t be immediately using them.

9. Pack Food

The last thing you should pack up is your refrigerator and snacks. Leave this for last because you don’t want your groceries to sit out for a long time.

Go through your pantry and throw away things that you know you’re not going to eat or things that have expired.

Think twice about keeping frozen foods or things that need refrigeration to survive.

The week before or the week of moving out should consist of you eating frozen food (after cooking it of course) and trying your best to clear out the food in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry so as not to be wasteful.

You can pack your grocery items like seasonings, oils, rice, coffee, and sugar in reusable grocery bags. It makes a lot of sense to put these bags to use.

If you are in search of reusable grocery bags, here’s a link to affordable reusable grocery bags from Amazon. You can also purchase reusable bags from your local grocery stores.

10. Clean the Empty Rooms | Moving Out

Always leave the place better than you found it. Keep your cleaning supplies out so that after packing everything up, you can clean the dusty/dirty areas.

Trust me, there will be dust and dirt in places that you can’t easily clean when it’s covered or blocked by furniture. Take this time to clean those rooms and pack up the supplies in plastic bags once you’ve cleaned everything.

11. Take Out the Trash & Purge Items You Don’t Need

Now that all of your things are packed up, take out the trash and throw away any remaining things you will not be using or things that are obviously trash.

You can throw away trash as you go or wait until the last day to throw out the trash. I did a little bit of both that way my place didn’t feel cluttered.

It’s easy to lose track of things and space in your home when you’re packing everything up. Just remember to leave out all of the things you’ll be using daily before the move and when it’s your last day, pack it up.

This post is going to definitely turn into a tangible checklist so that you can check off items on the list as you pack it up.

Am I forgetting anything? Leave a comment below if so!

Moving to a new place is exciting, but packing isn’t always so fun. Make your life easy by having a set plan and simply execute the plan.