Let’s face it, no one likes the long, grueling process of packing belongings, marking boxes, scheduling movers, moving items from point A to point B, and then unpacking everything over the next week or two months; oh, and heaven forbid any of your possessions were either lost or broken in the transition. Moving Day should not be a strenuous undertaking; rather, it should be one more exciting chapter in the real-life episode of “My New Home.” To help relieve the frustrations of moving, the digital age has come up with several small impactful solutions that fit in the palm of your hand. Here are five mobile apps that can simplify your next move.
MyMove
(Compatible with Android, iPhone, and Kindle Fire)
MyMove focuses on three major steps of a successful move: (1) Learning the moving process, (2) Finding a moving company, and (3) Organizing your move. Upon opening the app, you can read the latest tips and tricks recommended by professional movers, and MyMove’s Moving Tips gives you direct access to MyMovingReviews, an active blog that relays the latest news, interviews, guidelines, checklists, and more on local, national, and international moves. MyMove utilizes data from a transparent, client-driven review and rating system to narrow your search for reliable movers, and it enables you to share your own evaluation of a company’s professionalism and efficiency. Besides this, the mobile application features helpful tools like a moving checklist, moving notes, and a moving cost estimator.
MoveAdvisor
(Compatible with Android, iPhone, and Kindle Fire)
MoveAdvisor has four tools to help organize a smoother moving experience. Moving Timeline provides a personal week-by-week checklist of tasks you are to complete leading up to Moving Day, based on your moving date and shipping method. Home Inventory – a state-of-the-art home cataloguing tool – lets you create a digital floorplan of your new home, complete with drag-and-drop icons of your household items; once you finish filling up the virtual spaces, Home Inventory can calculate the overall weight and volume of your items, as well as the number of moving boxes and furniture blankets you need, and the size of the moving vehicle to rent, should you choose to make this a DIY move. If you prefer to hire professional movers, save and email your inventory to moving companies for a more accurate quote; the Movers Around You tool uncovers top-rated companies in your area, complete with viewable customer-driven reviews and ratings. Finally, Get A Moving Quote collects and compares free quotes from licensed and insured movers.
MagicPlan
(Compatible with Android and iPhone)
MagicPlan draws a virtual floorplan of your new home by taking pictures of the rooms. The mobile application can measure distances and square feet to ensure each digital readout is an accurate representation of the real-life space(s), and you can customize the cybernetic interiors with icons provided on the app, even edit the dimensions of each item to match your actual furnishings and decorative fixtures. Watch video tutorials on the MagicPlan YouTube channel to see how the app’s tools and built-in features can help you plan the functionality of your new home’s living spaces.
Sortly
(Compatible with iPhone)
Sortly removes the frustration of locating packed items and claiming insurance if a box goes missing or its contents are damaged. This mobile application lets you catalog your belongings as you pack them, using photos and a built-in folder system. Simply create and name a new folder (e.g., “Box 1 – Kitchen Supplies”), and then upload photos of all the kitchen utensils you place in said box; as you add each item, you can write up notes and enter market values for the articles – a handy provision in the event of an insurance claim. Sortly also enables you to make and print QR code labels to stick on shipping containers, facilitating the check-in of your belongings as they arrive at your new home. And, Sortly provides a week-by-week checklist of tasks you are to complete as early as eight weeks prior to Moving Day.
Note: QR code labels are a feature of the Sortly upgraded package, with a charge of $4.99 a month after a free two-week trial.
Moved
(Compatible with iPhone)
Moved pairs you with a personal assistant to help you coordinate and carry out every step of the moving process. From finding movers to updating your address to selling old belongings, your personal assistant will guide you via text message through the necessary procedures and applications to see you into your new home with little to no stress. Need more time to pack and take care of personal responsibilities? Your assistant can check quotes, schedule movers, find storage units, order packing supplies, and so much more!
