For much of human history, moving house has been a death-defying ordeal.
asserted
moving → move → house
When pioneer Loren Hastings reached Portland, Oregon, in 1847, he looked back on the Oregon Trail and called it a "graveyard."
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he → reach → it
Today, you can pack up everything you own and move anywhere in the country without risking life and limb.
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you → pack → life
Convenience has made nomads of us all, turning a tedious and life-threatening experience into one that requires minimal time and effort.
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that → make → time
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.
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you → matter → Washington
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.
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it → click → digs
Here are some essentials that can simplify any move.
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that → simplify → move
U-Haul has a truck for every home size and budget.
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Haul → have → size
You can rent whichever truck fits your needs right from your phone without ever entering a store.
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truck → rent → store
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.
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surface → bring → 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.
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you → run → 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.
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tenant → store → bunnies
While hauling a bulky piece of furniture, you scuff its surface against the wall and expose its rough wood core.
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you → haul → core
With a variety of sizes and colors, you can cover virtually any accidental abrasion.
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you → cover → abrasion
When it comes to wiping down surfaces in your new home, there is nothing better than a good microfiber rag.
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it → come → 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.
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material → invent → manufacturing
Hanging your belongings can reduce the need for additional furniture.
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Hanging → hang → furniture
There is no need for drilling or hammering; you just peel and press.
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you → be → drilling
And the hooks are surprisingly durable: I've used the same ones in three different apartments over the course of five years.
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I → use → years
Mattress
Gone are the days of going to the mattress store and hauling your purchase home on the top of your car.
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days → go → car
Once you find your dream mattress, arrange to have it shipped to your new home within a day or two.
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it → find → day
For a small fee, a Wayfair partner will even pick up your old mattress and set up the replacement.
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partner → pick → replacement
Moving means hanging up artwork, assembling furniture, and fixing the occasional jiggly door handle.
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Moving → mean → handle
This 39-piece tool set from Cartman has everything you need for quick jobs—no need to wait for your overworked maintenance staff.
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you → have → staff
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.
uncertain
you → keep → party
But your collection of plants has grown, and now they're hard at work purifying the air in your new home.
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they → grow → home
They deserve a home, too, so check out Etsy's wide variety of artisanal plant stands.
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They → deserve → stands
If you're a space maximizer like me, you are probably hanging your TV instead of taking up room with a stand.
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you → hang → 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.
uncertain
I → leave → rating
The moving is all done, but your fridge is empty.
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fridge → do → ?
If you thought ahead, you placed your order before you put the first box in the U-Haul.
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you → think → Haul
With same-day and two-hour delivery options, your groceries can arrive at your new home even before you do.
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you → arrive → home
This article originally appeared in print under the headline "Moving Made Easier."
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article → appear → headline
The Aporia
