Travelling on the Digital Highway: Top Tech Tools for Your Move Home

As a college student, I loathe having to do anything the old fashioned way. Heavy, expensive textbooks? No thanks, I’ll order the e-book. Piles of flashcards? I’ll just use my flashcard app. Poster presentation? Haven’t you people heard of Prezi?! Moving is one of those things that’s tough to get around using technology. I’m still waiting for Apple to invent the iTeleport. Anyway, if you’re in the process of moving back home for winter break, you might want to take note of these useful tech tools for a smoother transition from your dorm room to your old bedroom.

What’s in the box?

One of the hardest parts about both packing and unpacking is staying organized. Since you might be too frazzled to pack in the neatest and most efficient way possible, try using apps to make those tough decisions for you.

• Moving Van (iOS, $1.99) – After you pack each box, use Moving Van to take photos of the items, and create a detailed list of everything inside. Assign each box a unique name or number and even a room destination for storage and other needs. You can even search for an important item with the app so you can set unpacking priorities.
• Moving Day (iOS, Free) – Built-in barcode scanning and label making brings better organization to the packing process, while an integrated, contextual help guide offers life-saving tips along the way. The app also offers easy access to insurance claims with value tracking, damage reports and photo documentation.
• My Move (iOS, Free) – Looking for a moving company? My Move hooks you up with the most reliable choice by offering complete access to moving company reviews. You can even use My Move to calculate the approximate weight of your items.

Pre-moving online

While you’re procrastinating the move (and I know you will), there’s a lot you can do online to prepare in between stalking on Facebook and catching up on Twitter. For example, you can submit your USPS change of address form in just a few minutes on the organization’s website. Ideally, this should be done at least a few days before you officially hit the road, since processing takes about that long.

If you’re looking to rent an apartment in Atlanta away from mom and dad’s place, for example, you’ll want to do a lot of research way ahead of time. ForRent.com is a great resource for college students because it offers information tailored specifically to your demographic. Search by your school, location and ideal cost to narrow your hunt and maximize time.

Make a list, check it twice

• Ditch your notebook in favor of Movearoo’s comprehensive online checklist, featuring long moving lists organized by category. Nine different lists might seem overwhelming, but you’ll start to get addicted to the feeling of checking off one more item.
• Moving Planner is a great app for Android devices that makes your checklist even easier, with color codes that improve organization and helpful fractions that let you know how far you still need to go.
• Mynd is another awesome app for keeping you on schedule, and features a reimagined calendar that makes it a million times easier to keep up with your daily to-dos.