We all hate it. Moving is generally stressful, time consuming, and expensive. Here are TOP 5 tips to try if
you’re planning to move and want to make it a better experience!
1. Don’t Pack Your Clothes!
I know this sounds crazy but trust me, clothes take up so much space and are so time consuming
to unpack. Try this instead – take large trash bags and bag the hanging clothes in closets. Wrap
the clothes from the bottom up and tie at the hook of the hangers. This allows you to hang
clothes up right away and your clothes stay clean and protected. Some moving trucks will have a
hanging bar you can use to hang clothes from, you can also use a long tension rod at the top of
the moving van so they hang above boxes and furniture.
Now, what about folded clothes? I have a suggestion for that also. Buy plastic wrap and wrap
your drawers. Stack your drawers as you would boxes. When it’s time to unload, cut plastic wrap
off and put back into dresser/s. Viola!! No boxes, no sorting, nothing missing, everything clean,
and less time spent packing and unpacking!
2. Invest In Clear Plastic Storage Tubs!
Yes, storage containers cost more than boxes, but I promise it’ll be worth it and here’s why –
ORGANIZATION! The last time I moved I selected storage containers at Walmart that offered
different colored lids and different sizes. Each part of the house had a different colored lid. This
made moving in all of my belongings VERY EASY! Plus, I didn’t have to label each container with
its contents (even though I did label them with general contents) because I could see everything
in the container. Here’s the cherry on top: everything that didn’t get unpacked in those first few
hours/days could safely be stored in the garage or basement without worrying about critters
getting into my boxes, water damage, or damage to my items due to heavy boxes being stacked.
Although it was a more expensive investment, it made things so much easier for me and I’ve
never regretted having the extra storage containers!
3. Use What You Own For Packing Materials!
I found a good way for lessening the amount of things I had to pack, the money I would spend
on packing materials, PLUS my time in cleaning dishes, pots, pans, etc. when unpacking was to
use my linens. Instead of emptying your linen closet into boxes/containers/bags that you then
have to move anyway, stack them in your kitchen when you pack up your dishes! They make
excellent packing materials, your dishes are nice and safe, and your clean linens won’t leave
your dishes dirty – simply unload directly into your kitchen cabinets at the new home!
4. Pack An Overnight Bag With Your Necessities!
We’ve all been there. You finally get to the new home and you slave away getting as much
unloaded as you possibly can, you’re exhausted, dirty, and just want to wash up and go to
bed….and then the hunt begins for your toothbrush, a wash cloth, a towel/robe, and clean
clothes. This situation alone has been enough to bring me to my knees and utter hysteria! Do
yourself a favor: have everyone in the house pack an overnight bag! Pack jammies, a clean pair
of clothes for the next day, all your toiletries, towel, hairdryer, medications….ANYTHING that
you would need for 24 hours of your life. I also suggest packing a box of “camping necessities” ie
a couple rolls of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, some paper plates, plasticware, pet food,
snacks, etc.
5. How You Load A Moving Truck Matters!
Most people have a “special” way of loading a moving truck and today I’m going to share mine
with you. This has been a game changer for me. As someone who likes to unpack as quickly as
possible in order to avoid feeling the disorder and chaos of getting used to my new
environment, I load all boxes first and furniture last. This is typically the opposite preference of
most. It does mean that you have to be pretty calculated about how much space you’ll need at
the end so all of your furniture fits, but it really makes things easier for unpacking and setting up
your new home. If your furniture is the last to get loaded, it becomes the first to be unloaded. I
recommend unloading furniture first so you can get your furniture arrangements completed and
beds made before the boxes fill the rest of our space. Also, f you are unloading later in the day
and run out of time to unload all of you boxes, you have your overnight bags, beds to sleep on,
and furniture to use. It’s also happened that I’ve been able to arrange for extra help moving the
heavy stuff and this way makes it so easy to have strong helpers show up at the end of the
loading and assist in the first part of the unloading – making things easier for you if you need to
do some of the work by yourself or with less help.
And there you have it!! Of all the moving tips and tricks, these are by far my favorites. Hope these help!