The Ultimate Easy Guide To Moving Out Of NYC: 5 Simple Steps

Moving can be both the worst and the best thing ever. Pros: new beginnings, fresh opportunities, different environments, new potential friends and community. Cons: actually moving. Let’s face it – moving is a stressful experience. Your entire life is being uprooted. You probably feel disoriented. You don’t know where any of your stuff is. You’re most likely overwhelmed.

I get it. But fear not – I’m here to help! Let’s hold hands and walk through these 5 simple steps to making your move out of New York City (or any city, for that matter) as smooth and painless as possible. And then maybe we’ll sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya together. Deal?

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A little background on me: I lived in New York City for almost nine years, and I loved it (and hated it, and then loved it again). Moving out of NYC is a particularly bittersweet experience for many people, because it’s a city that tests your patience and sanity in ways you never thought possible, while also offering up so many wonderful experiences, people, food, culture, opportunities, and that gritty, magical city vibe that any New Yorker knows so well.

As I write this post, I am (very) fresh off of the leaving NYC train. Having just been through the entire experience, I wanted to sit down and document a bit about how it went, how I’m feeling about the move (I know, feeeeeeeelings!), and help anyone else in the same situation navigate the experience a little easier.

Let’s dive right in, shall we? Here are the five simple steps I recommend taking as you prepare to move out of NYC (or any city).

Step 1: Find Your “Why”

I’m not just talking about why you’re choosing to leave New York City, but also about why you choose to move to the city in the first place. Think about what drew you to it – was it a practical reason, like school or a job? Maybe a relationship? Or were you chasing the dream and just looking for something new to turn your world upside down? (NYC is pretty good at that, I think we can all agree.) Knowing what brought you to New York is just as important as knowing why you want to move away.

After taking some time to think about why you came to the city, move on to why you’re ready to leave it.

Here are some of my reasons:

1. The majority of my friends had moved away. What was once a vibrant community now felt a bit empty.
2. I wasn’t actually living in the city, I was just sort of existing – paying my bills, cursing the subway (and the rats, and the cockroaches, and the crowds, and the smells), and not having much fun anymore.
3. The things that I was once able to brush off (like worrying about whether or not you’re bringing home bed bugs from the movie theater, having to listen to the church below you have super loud services until 3 a.m., and schlepping yourself and your groceries/bags/suitcases/life everywhere on your back) became increasingly maddening. I no longer felt like tolerating sketchy men buzzing my doorbell at all hours or listening to sirens and thumping bass from cars all night long.
4. I always promised myself (and New York) that I would leave the city before I began to truly hate it. And I kept that promise. Despite all of the things that I dislike about city living, there are plenty of reasons I will love NYC forever, and I never want to forget that or let the difficult parts cloud my positive memories of life in the city.
5. I no longer needed to live in NYC for work or school, and because I work from home (and am always working and traveling), it just didn’t make much sense for me to stay anymore.
6. Mental health and quality of life. Probably the most important reasons on this list. I wasn’t enjoying living in NYC – my anxiety was through the roof, and my quality of life felt like it just kept going down. Things were stagnant.

Step 2: Choose Your Own Adventure

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. – Dr. Seuss

Let’s get a little corny for a second. I say this without a single trace of sarcasm – YOU are the master of your own destiny. You get to choose where to sail this ship. Don’t let fear of failure, other people’s expectations, or anything else get in your way.

What do you want to change in your life? Is it your job? Your health? Relationships? Happiness? Think long and hard about the way you want your future to look and brainstorm ways to make those things happen. A big physical move can sometimes being a great way to shake things up and hit refresh on your life.

Do your research!

Yes, I’m a Virgo, and research is my favorite. Do a lot of research. Figure out which places are the most conducive to you living the life you want, and investigate your options. Look at housing, job opportunities, community events, proximity to airports or stores or whatever you need to access regularly. Weigh the pros and cons of each location, and try to keep an open mind!

I personally live and die by spreadsheets, and the biggest comfort to me during this whole moving process has been staying as organized as possible in order to combat total overwhelm. You know, the kind of overwhelm that shuts you down completely and encourages you to hide under a soft blanket on your couch and watch Netflix for an entire weekend. (Not speaking from experience here or anything…nope.)

Step 3: Prep, Collect & Pack

This is the big one. Don’t run away screaming yet! Let’s break it down:

• Choose your moving company. This can make or break your move, and either remove or add stress to the process. Ask friends, scour the internet, read reviews, do whatever you can to make the right decision and hire professional, reliable moving help. I decided to go with U-Haul, because I’ve rented trucks from them before and knew they had a good reputation.
• Pick your moving style. After moving around NYC multiple times (both totally on my own and with help), I knew I didn’t want to do it the same way again. Especially not while moving out of state (I moved from Brooklyn, NY to Connecticut). I wanted a more full-service style move with moving storage containers, but I couldn’t afford most of the quotes I was getting from moving companies in the area. I panicked a little, and then found out about U-Haul’s Moving Help Marketplace. Instant relief.
• Scour the internet for packing hacks. Learning good packing methods and little tactics (like color coding your boxes with different colored dots for each area of the home) will make a world of difference on both ends of your move!
• Get rid of as much as you can. Recycle, donate or sell anything you don’t regularly use, wear or like anymore. You’ll thank yourself later, trust me. (And so will the people who get to give your belongings a new home!)
• Ask for help. If you have friends or family who are willing to come over and help you pack (or just provide some moral support), don’t hesitate to reach out to them. They’ll appreciate the time together and being able to make the process a little bit more enjoyable for you.

What’s Moving Help Marketplace?

The nutshell version: Moving Help Marketplace is a U-Haul owned service. It enables customers to shop and compare Moving Help Providers that can assist with labor services like loading or packing for your move.

What Are U-Box Containers?

U-Box moving containers are a super convenient, flexible, safe way to move and store your belongings. Each U-Box is sealed with your own personal lock and key, making it a worry-free secure process. Your items are transported by trucks with gentle ride suspension for extra safe shipping, and while your possessions are in storage, they are kept in a secure U-Haul facility.

For my move, U-Haul integrated Moving Help Providers with U-Box containers for a full-service style move for a fraction of the price. Sounds pretty great, right? (Spoiler alert: it was.)

Step 4: The Big Day

This can either be the most stressful part or the biggest relief. Sometimes, it’s a little of both.

For me, I felt totally flustered and overwhelmed (but ready) on the morning of my move. My Moving Help providers made the process so much less stressful for me by texting me friendly updates when they were picking up my U-Box containers at the storage facility and getting close to my apartment.

They showed up right on time, brought a team of four cheerful guys who knew what they were doing, and literally moved all of my stuff out of my fourth-floor walk-up apartment and into my U-Box containers in about 30 minutes. (Up and down narrow stairs in some pretty stifling humidity, mind you).

This winning combo is definitely the better option for city living – they’ll have your U-Box containers packed in an hour (or less) and U-Haul can store U-Box containers until you want them delivered, which is especially great for temporary living situations and last-minute moves. (Insert praise hands emoji here.)

I was amazed by how efficient, attentive and responsive they were throughout the entire process, and it immediately helped put me at ease. Choosing the right Moving Help providers was key for me, and U-Haul offers such an easy way to sort through local Moving Help on their website.

If you, like me, are obsessed with reading tons of reviews before making decisions – U-Haul’s got you covered there too! I loved being able to comb through lots of different options and read about fellow movers’ experiences before selecting my Moving Help providers.

Once my U-Box containers were packed up, I paid them quickly using an online payment code, got instructions on how to access my belongings once they arrived up in Connecticut, and they were on their way! My U-Box containers then traveled over to the Brooklyn U-Haul storage facility, where they hung out for a few days before being transported safely up to Connecticut and stored for me locally until I was ready to access them.

Real talk: I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move in any other way again. The entire process was just so beautifully simple and smooth, and relieved so much stress! I’ve been singing the praises of U-Haul (particularly their U-Box containers and the Moving Help Marketplace) to all my friends and family…and maybe even some strangers. Is that weird? Oh well. I just really loved how easy this move was.

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Step 5: Take A Deep Breath

You did it! Reward yourself in whatever way you can – go to the movies in your new town, take a hike, try out a fun restaurant, FaceTime your family for a little extra comfort, create rituals and calm spaces in your new home to make things feel more cozy, bake some cookies and put on some good music…go wild! You deserve this.

Moving can be such a difficult transitional time in anyone’s life. Some people handle it like total pros and others feel like they’re drowning a little bit (hi, it’s me). It’s a big change, and it will likely take some time before you feel like you’re settled.

During this process, do anything you can to make it easier on yourself. Ask for help from friends, family, new neighbors, whoever. Chat with a therapist or friend. Take a lot of baths. Eat pie. Get enough sleep. Whatever works for you.

Last but not least – enjoy your new home and this brand new fresh start!

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Disclaimer: U-Haul partnered up with me for this move, and graciously provided moving services in exchange for this honest review of my experience. As always, I will only share brands and services with you that I trust and/or have personally used. All opinions are my own. Huge thanks to U-Haul for making this the easiest move ever!