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Focus on decluttering when downsizing to move cross-country. Selling, donating, or recycling unwanted items early in your moving process is key to your success. If you are on the fence about some items, consider storage options, or you can ship these items separately to lessen your load.

Start by removing any obstacles in the moving path, such as side tables, lamps, or other furniture. If your couch has legs, unscrew them. Measure the couch and the stairway to ensure you have enough room; if it seems unlikely, examine the shape and size of the couch and decide whether it might fit better up the stairway and through doorways on its side, held diagonally, or moved in an upright position.

Consider putting the sofa on a dolly to go up the stairs. It should be able to fit upright on a standard dolly with wheels. You’ll still need to lift the dolly—with the couch on it—up the stairs, but it will reduce the physical strain. The person holding the dolly should pull the couch up, while the helper should be on the other side, keeping the couch secure and steady.

If you don’t have a dolly, the person in front should lift the couch slightly higher than the person in the back to create more stability. The person in the back should also be the stronger mover, as most of the weight will be distributed there.

The most expensive part of moving is hiring professional movers. However, hiring a pro is more efficient and less stressful, so many people find the cost worth it. You’ll also spend a lot of money on packing supplies, including boxes, tape, and bubble wrap, so ask around to see if any friends or family members have old supplies you can use for free.

How long it takes to move into an apartment depends on many factors, including the amount of belongings you’re bringing with you, how accessible the apartment is (do you have an elevator, or will you be walking up and down several flights of stairs with boxes?), and whether or not you’re hiring a moving company. Having said that, for a local one-bedroom apartment, it usually takes a moving company between two and five hours to move you in.