10 modern conveniences to make moving easier

For much of human history, moving house has been a death-defying ordeal. When pioneer Loren Hastings reached Portland, Oregon, in 1847, he looked back on the Oregon Trail and called it a “graveyard.”

Today, you can pack up everything you own and move anywhere in the country without risking life and limb. Convenience has made nomads of us all, turning a tedious and life-threatening experience into one that requires minimal time and effort.

It does not matter whether you live in a Texas Hill Country ranch house or in a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the click-and-tap world of same-day delivery made possible by capitalism, it has never been easier to pull up stakes and move to new digs. Here are some essentials that can simplify any move.

Moving Truck

Don’t have your own vehicle suitable for moving your stuff? U-Haul has a truck for every home size and budget. You can rent whichever truck fits your needs right from your phone without ever entering a store. Need boxes, mattress covers, or furniture pads? Click, click, click—all in the same app.

Cordless Vacuum

If you’re like me, you won’t bring boxes or bags into the new place until every surface has been thoroughly cleaned, starting with the floors. The Jellypig can run for more than an hour per charge, and its cordless nature means you don’t have to unplug and replug it every time you move to a different part of your home. It’s easy to store and comes with a smart screen that lets you adjust the suction power for those gnarly dust bunnies the last tenant left behind.

Furniture Repair

It’s almost inevitable. While hauling a bulky piece of furniture, you scuff its surface against the wall and expose its rough wood core. Grab some Match ‘N Patch Wood Grain Repair Tape and fix it right up. With a variety of sizes and colors, you can cover virtually any accidental abrasion.

Cleaning Cloths

When it comes to wiping down surfaces in your new home, there is nothing better than a good microfiber rag. This polyester material, invented by Japanese scientist Miyoshi Okamoto in 1970, has become the go-to fabric for cleaning, thanks to mass manufacturing and global competition. Grab a pack of 24 microfiber towels for just $10 and keep your new place dust-free.

Command Hooks

Hanging your belongings can reduce the need for additional furniture. Command Hooks are an easy option. There is no need for drilling or hammering; you just peel and press. And the hooks are surprisingly durable: I’ve used the same ones in three different apartments over the course of five years. As a bonus, they’re renter-friendly.

Mattress

Gone are the days of going to the mattress store and hauling your purchase home on the top of your car. Browse an expansive range of options on Wayfair. Once you find your dream mattress, arrange to have it shipped to your new home within a day or two. For a small fee, a Wayfair partner will even pick up your old mattress and set up the replacement.

Tool Set

Moving means hanging up artwork, assembling furniture, and fixing the occasional jiggly door handle. This 39-piece tool set from Cartman has everything you need for quick jobs—no need to wait for your overworked maintenance staff.

Plant Stand

Keeping your plants on the window sill made sense when they were limited to a possibly dead orchid and that tiny succulent you got at the office white elephant party. But your collection of plants has grown, and now they’re hard at work purifying the air in your new home. They deserve a home, too, so check out Etsy’s wide variety of artisanal plant stands.

TV Mount and Taskrabbit

If you’re a space maximizer like me, you are probably hanging your TV instead of taking up room with a stand. You may be better off leaving the mounting to a professional—by which I mean a guy on Taskrabbit with at least a 4.5-star rating and at least 10 completed tasks.

Grocery Delivery

The moving is all done, but your fridge is empty. Enter Instacart, a modern alternative to the arduous grocery store trip. If you thought ahead, you placed your order before you put the first box in the U-Haul. With same-day and two-hour delivery options, your groceries can arrive at your new home even before you do.