Making the Move

If you have a big move coming up, you know that the process can be extremely daunting and can leave you swearing (yelling, crying, really swearing…!) that you’re going to grow old and die in your new home just so you don’t ever have to do it again! We don’t think anyone on Earth has ever listed ‘moving’ as a favorite activity, and with good reason. It is stressful, time consuming, dirty, sweaty, work! Alas, it is a fact of life and luckily there are a few things you can do to make the process just a little less painful!

Get Prepared

This involves making sure you have the right supplies! It makes all the difference in the world if you have the proper items for packing. Wardrobe boxes with racks so you can pack your clothes right on their hangers, foam sleeves and the properly sectioned off boxes for glassware, furniture pads and of course bubble wrap, a sharpie and packing tape. Boxes and other supplies can often be purchased from the same place you would rent a moving truck, Budget, Uhaul, etc. But also check Castanet or Craigslist as people often sell these things at extremely reasonable prices once they’ve moved.

Packing

Aim to pack items of the same family together and label accordingly. For example all plates together, bowls together, baking pans together, etc. Label your boxes in two parts 1) what room of the house they will end up in- ‘kitchen’. 2) What the contents of the box are- ‘plates’. This will make unpacking a breeze!

Tip: Pack your drawers as they are. Simply remove from their chest, wrap in saran wrap and load them into the van. This will save an immense amount of time and can be done with everything from office filing cabinets to your sock drawer! No point unpacking everything just to repack in another location!

Use what you Have

Use everything you own that can contain things to contain things. For example clothes hampers, duffel bags, and suitcases should not be packed empty! Fill’er up!

Find a friend

The process will go a lot quicker and be a lot more fun if you have some company. Just don’t expect your friends to do extremely strenuous, heavy lifting. If you have a piano to move, hire professionals.

Chuck it!

Moving is the perfect time to purge. It’s amazing how much you accumulate over the years. If you haven’t worn it in 6 months, read it in over a year or ever cooked with it (not to mention if it still has a price tag on it or is in its original gift bag from your wedding)- it might be time to consider giving it away! However, do resist the urge to have your husband’s favorite neon Budweiser sign ( “But honey, it’s ‘decor‘!”) mysteriously get lost in the move.

Pack an Overnight Bag

After a long day unpacking the last thing you will want to do is dig through boxes looking for your toothbrush! Pack a duffel bag as if you were going out of town for the night and make sure to include all the essentials – toothpaste, toothbrush, pajamas and a change of clothes for the next day. Have a furry family member? Don’t forget to pack them an ‘essentials’ overnight bag as well!