New York City Apartment Rentals - Manhattan

When you are moving your entire apartment including furniture, kitchenware, personal stuff, and everything else to a new location in New York City, hiring a reputable moving company is the quickest and easiest method. This can cost you anywhere from $1,000 and up, depending on how far the move is and how much there is to move.

So to make your move cheaper, we recommend buying your own boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape and then pack everything on your own. Moving companies charge you extra for boxes, bubble wrap, etc., therefore you can save a lot by bying that on your own. In addition, most moving companies charge you by the hour, so the better prepared you are once they arrive, the less you will end up paying. In other words, have everything packed before they arrive. Always assume that the preparation will take three times longer than you expect.

Make sure to carefully pack all your wall pictures, fragile items, and kitchenware with lots of bubble wrap or newspaper. Clearly mark each box with a black "Sharpie" marking pen and include the word "FRAGILE" on any boxes with delicate items so they arrive in one piece at the new location. FRAGILE boxes should be put to the side and placed on the moving van last. 

 It is very important to schedule your move on a day that there is not much traffic in front of both buildings and that parking near the correct entrance/exit doors near the elevators is also available. Also, EXPECT the unexpected- it's New York City! If you are moving in or out of a doorman building, find out with the management company the rules and schedules for moving. Most of them will only allow you to move from Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm and they will require for you to reserve the freight elevator. Other buildings will also require a copy of the moving company's insurance policy before you can even reserve the elevator. Make sure that you reserve the elevator for more than the time you need to move everything. Buildings won't allow you to use more than the time reserved, especially if your schedule ends at 5pm! You don't want to be at 5pm with half of your things still in the truck; you will end up paying the moving company for taking everything to their storage, paying for the storage and paying them again for bringing everything back the next day!

If you do not have a lot of furniture, then the cheapest way to move will be renting from U-Haul or other truck rental companies. You can ask the company to advise you in the best size to fit all your things. They charge you a flat fee per day plus mileage, so try to make the fewest trips possible! You do not want to be shocked at the actual cost when you return the truck for exceeding the millege included!

Make sure you have a few friends to help you load and unload the truck, ALWAYS keep one person at the truck while the others help bring things in and out. A parking ticket in Manhattan can make your move very expensive and ruin your day!

Once again, MAKE sure to properly label each box with a black marker. Once the boxes are in your new apartment, you will not have the time to unpack them all at once. Therefore, having all the boxes with detailed information will save you lot of headaches. Designate a specific area in different rooms for the appropriate boxes to be placed in when they are brought in from the truck.  The more organized you are, the less time, energy, money, and stress it will cost you!

Make sure to provide some pizza, beer, and cokes for your friends great help-they will really appreciate it and it is an american tradition!

We hope our moving tips helps you save money when moving to your New York City apartment rental. Enjoy!