MOVING ON UP

As you know, I'm in the process of moving out of my Upper East Side apt., and the only thing we know is that we will be staying in the UES. Its city living with a suburban vibe. For those who want to move into NYC -  It may seems quite impossible to not spend all of your money moving here. So here are some tips on how to move without breaking the bank.

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1. Research, Research, Research. Research each area and jot down the pro’s and con's for each. For me, the upper east side is a great mix of city and suburbia. The UES is safe, some of the best local restaurants and close to my work by subway. You need to determine which part of the city you want to live in, note prices vary significantly for each area. I don’t suggest paying double because the area is more hip, you can easily get to the hip area by numerous modes of transportation. You will be spending all your money on rent and not be able to actually enjoy "cool places"
2. Brakes on Brokers – Before getting professional assistance-  do your own research. Ask your friends and family if they know of any available apartments. Go online and look around to get a feel of the places you want – You may be lucky enough to find one directly by owner with no broker fee. Craigslist can sometimes feel like a black hole, but should you find something worth looking at never go alone. Safety first! Another great site I use it the NYTIMES rental section online. You can search for exactly what you want by choosing and specifying the criteria that meets your living needs.
3. SAVE SAVE SAVE Trust me on this, I don’t know how many times I’ve had to tell people that its way more expensive to move than just paying your first months’ rent. You want to save about 4 – 5 times the amount of your first month’s rent. To move into your new place you will need to put up 2 months of rent, plus a security deposit plus a brokers fee should you use one. Moving van, Movers and the rest of your money will go to miscellaneous moving costs and accessorizing  your new place. Before your move  you need to SAVE YOUR MONEY!
4. DIG DUMP & DONATE! Dig thru your belongings and rid yourself of items you no longer use or wear and donate them to your local church or salvation army. Feels good to do something for others plus it will be less junk to move. Another good point, since space is small in NYC, rethink your large items. You want to make sure you don’t clutter your new space. A clean clutter free home is a happy home!

Hope these tips come in handy for when moving day approaches, Happy Moving!