Whether you’re moving across town or across country, moving can be a hassle. Empire Rent a Car, New York’s premier moving truck rental company, wants to help you make your transition to Queens a bit easier. Here are some tips to make your move as smooth as possible.

1. Begin searching for packing boxes at least a month before the move.

Don’t pay for overpriced boxes you find in the store. Begin asking friends, local stores or businesses, and recycling centers if you can have some of their leftover boxes. Some people may say no, but asking never hurt anyone, and you could end up saving yourself quite a bit of money.

2. Use clothes or shopping bags as packing materials.

When you’re running low on newspaper or packing peanuts, T-shirts, plastic bags, or those reusable shopping totes can make great packing material around your breakable items. Try putting your glassware into a tube sock!

3. Label, label, label.

The more you label your packing boxes, the easier the unpacking process will be. Your movers (or friends you’ve wrangled to help) will then be able to easily take boxes from the moving truck rental and put them in their intended spaces. You’ll then be more likely to find what you need faster.

4. Scope out the new digs before reserving your moving truck rental.

If you live close enough to your new apartment or home, take a trip to check out the parking situation and whether the building has an elevator. You’ll want to make sure your larger furniture will make it to your living space. (Otherwise, you may decide to sell and find new furniture that fits.)

5. Do some research about your neighborhood in Queens.

Kristin Roleke from About.com Travel notes that “Neighborhoods are the centers of Queens. No one is from ‘Queens,’ rather from a particular neighborhood.” So get to know your neighborhood! Make a list of places you want to eat, shop, or visit. Doing so will help in your transition into your new community.

6. Try to clean your new space before the movers arrive to unload.

Cleaning an empty space is always easier than once it’s filled with boxes. (And let’s face it, the boxes may be there for longer than you want.) If you’re short on time, focus on giving the kitchen and the bathroom a good cleaning. Note that this list isn’t exhaustive. A quick Google search of the phrase “moving tips” will give you list upon list of moving ideas. For ease in renting a moving truck, call Empire Rent a Car at 800-750-8782. Empire Rent a Car is local to Queens and its neighborhoods, so we can help you decide on which moving truck rental will best fit your needs. And let Empire Rent a Car be the first to say, “Welcome to Queens!”