The Moving-In Checklist: 47 Things People Forget (I Forgot 12 of Them)

I have moved 9 times in 8 years. I am, by any reasonable definition, an expert at moving. And I still forget things. Every single time.

Last move, I forgot to buy toilet paper before move-in day. Do you know what it's like to move boxes for six hours and then realize you have no toilet paper? I'll tell you: it's humbling. It's the kind of experience that makes you question every life choice that led you to this moment.

So I made a checklist. Not because I'm organized — I'm really not — but because I was tired of discovering I'd forgotten something important at 10pm on move-in day when every store is closed.

Here are the 47 things. I've bolded the ones I've actually forgotten at least once, so you know which ones are truly important and which ones are just me being thorough.

Before Move-In Day:

• **Measure your furniture AND the doorframes.** I once had to return a couch because it wouldn't fit through the door. The delivery guys were not sympathetic. They'd seen it before. They were still annoyed.
• **Take photos of the empty apartment.** Every wall, every corner, every stain on the carpet. This will save you when you move out and the landlord tries to keep your deposit.
• **Test every outlet.** Bring a phone charger and check them all. I had an apartment where two outlets didn't work and I didn't find out until I was setting up my desk.
• **Check water pressure.** Turn on every faucet and shower. Low water pressure is a slow torture that you don't notice until it's too late.
• **Open every window.** Make sure they actually open and close. One of my apartments had a window that was painted shut. I found out in July.
• **Check cell signal in every room.** Some apartments are signal dead zones. If you work from home, this matters.
• **Locate the breaker box.** Know where it is before you need it at 2am.
• **Locate the water shutoff.** Same reason.
• **Get renters insurance.** It's like $15/month and it covers your stuff if the apartment floods or burns down. Do it.

Move-In Day:

21. **Clean before you unpack.** Wipe down every surface. Vacuum. The previous tenant's definition of "clean" is not your definition. 22. **Unpack the kitchen first.** You'll need to eat. You'll want to make coffee. Kitchen first, everything else later. 23. **Set up the bed second.** You'll be tired. You'll want to sleep. Bed second. 24. **Hang the shower curtain third.** See above re: 11pm drugstore runs. 25. **Test the smoke detectors.** Press the button. Make sure they work. 26. **Label your boxes by room.** Not "miscellaneous." "Kitchen — pots and pans." Future you will thank present you. 27. **Keep important documents in a safe place.** Lease, insurance, ID. Don't lose them in a box. 28. **Take a photo of your lease.** Keep it on your phone. You'll reference it more than you think. 29. **Introduce yourself to neighbors.** Not because you want to be friends, but because knowing your neighbors makes shared living easier. Also, they might have a plunger you can borrow. 30. **Find the nearest 24-hour store.** For when you inevitably forget something.

The First Week:

31. **Set up internet.** Do this ASAP. Most ISPs take 3-5 business days to install. 32. **Register your address.** USPS, banks, subscriptions. Update everything. 33. **Figure out trash day.** Different cities have different schedules. Write it down. 34. **Find the laundry situation.** In-building? Laundromat? Coin-operated? Card-operated? Figure it out before you run out of clean underwear. 35. **Map your commute.** Test the route to work. Time it. See if there's a better way. 36. **Find your grocery stores.** The cheap one, the close one, the 24-hour one. Know your options. 37. **Locate the nearest pharmacy.** For when you get sick at 2am and need NyQuil. 38. **Test every appliance.** Stove, oven, fridge, microwave, dishwasher. Make sure they all work. 39. **Check for pests.** Look under sinks, in cabinets, behind the fridge. Better to find mice on day three than day thirty. 40. **Buy a fire extinguisher.** Most apartments don't provide one. $20. Worth it.

The First Month:

41. **Have the money conversation.** Rent split, utilities, guest policy. Do it now, not later. 42. **Establish a cleaning routine.** Who does what, when. Don't let it slide. 43. **Set up bill autopay.** For utilities, rent, internet. Late fees are expensive and avoidable. 44. **Organize your closet.** Before it becomes a disaster zone. Shelf dividers, hanging organizers, whatever works for you. 45. **Buy a doorstop.** For moving heavy furniture without damaging walls. Also for propping doors open when you're carrying boxes. 46. **Get a spare key made.** Give one to a trusted friend. Not your roommate — a friend who doesn't live with you. 47. **Relax.** You're moved in. It's done. Order pizza. Watch Netflix. You earned it.

That's the list. I've forgotten 12 of these at least once. The toilet paper one still haunts me.

— Jake

P.S. — Biscuit hid in a box for the entire first day of my last move. He emerged at 2am, walked around the new apartment like he owned it, and immediately claimed the sunniest window sill. Cats adapt faster than humans. There's a lesson there.