Moving Tips and Tricks
Our move from Ocala, Florida to Charlotte, North Carolina was our first “big” move. It’s wasn’t a cross-country or international move, but it was the first move Ryan and I have made as a married couple that took us eight hours from our previous home and involved moving from one house to another (rather than from one small apartment to the next).
Here are some tips and tricks we picked up along the way!
- Clearly Label Boxes… And Be Specific
This seems like a no-brainer, but simply labeling boxes “Kitchen” or “Master Bedroom” isn’t specific enough! When you’re dying to find a specific pan when you’re unpacking and there are a million boxes labeled “Kitchen,” you’re out of luck! Label things as specifically as possible (contents + room location) to make unpacking and finding important items right away a bit easier.
- If Possible, Leave Items In Drawers
Most dressers and desks have removable drawers. If possible, leave the contents from these drawers in them to save on packing and unpacking time. Just remove the drawers for the move to make the pieces of furniture lighter and then slide them back in once the furniture is placed in its permanent spot in your new home.
- Unpack The Kitchen First
I’ve always made unpacking the kitchen the top priority because it’s the room in the house we seem to use the most. Having a clean and organized kitchen soon after we moved in made me feel like we were on the right track and making headway even if the rest of the house was in shambles. The ability to prepare meals at home from the get-go was important to me.
- Clean Everything Before You Pack
This is one thing Ryan and I did before our last move, but we weren’t quite as good about it for this move and it definitely slowed down the unpacking process. We didn’t pack dirty dishes or anything, but there were a few things that came off the moving truck that were a little dusty (like the guest room bookcase) or had fingerprints all over them (like the glass top of our coffee table) that needed to be cleaned a bit before they were placed in their permanent spot in our new home.
- Try Your Best To Avoid Random Boxes Of Miscellaneous Junk
Oh the “junk” boxes! They are the worst! When you’re in a hurry and don’t have anywhere else to put something, it inevitably gets thrown into a “junk box” and becomes a moving nightmare. Junk boxes are the boxes that haunt my dreams because sometimes they’ll linger for months after we move into a new place. (Some of you may remember our “room of shit” that was basically filled with the contents of these type of boxes.) They’re filled with random things like extension cords, batteries, miscellaneous paperwork, random pens, etc. They’re a pain to unpack and sorting out the “junk” ahead of time and boxing it up with other similar things will save time and sanity during a move.
- Make a Donation Pile Before And After Your Move
Moving is a great opportunity to go through everything you own and determine what you do and do not need. Even though I thought we went through everything before we moved, once we started unpacking our stuff in our new house, more items popped up that we realized we no longer wanted/needed. Rather than make a spot for them, they immediately went into a large donation box.
- Use Your Suitcases, Trunks, Duffel Bags, Baskets, Etc. To Help You Cut Down On Boxes
By using your own suitcases, duffle bags, baskets, etc. to pack your belongings, you’ll cut down on the number of boxes you need, as well as the number of boxes you’ll need to get rid of at the end of the move. Let these items you already own work in your favor and fill them up!
- Take An Inventory Of The Boxes
I’m not sure how feasible this is with a moving company (if at all), but as someone who is missing two boxes, I would definitely encourage taking inventory of all boxes that are being moved. We aren’t sure how many boxes the movers packed into the truck and days after the move was over, we began noticing a few things were missing. It’s been a bit of a hassle going back and forth with the moving company about our missing boxes and having a list of boxes to check off would’ve made it immediately clear that things were missing. Since our moving truck had items from two houses in it (our house and another), it seems like it was an easy mistake to make and one we wish we would’ve prepared for on the front-end.
Questions of the Afternoon
- What is the farthest distance you have ever moved?
- Please share any tips and tricks you may have to make moving a little easier!
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Great tips 🙂 I would also take pictures of your large/expensive pieces of furniture! I had a terrible move the last time I moved in Chicago – dents, dings and broken items and the moving company caused such an issue with replacing/reimbursing for the damaged goods. They requested before and after photos for all items damaged (which I did not have) so they only gave a specific amount (pennies) per pound for the furniture… luckily, it was quite heavy 🙂
So helpful! Last time we moved, we used clear plastic wrap (found next to the boxes at Home Depot) to wrap all of our drawers, since we left most everything in them. It was easy and really helpful!
We also bought bright yellow duct tape to seal the really fragile boxes, so it was super clear which ones to be careful with!
Always, Anita
1. Use garbage bags like garment bags for your hanging items. Turn the bottom upside down and poke a hole through it so your hangers can pop out.
2. If you are using a moving company, ask your friends/family for a recommendation. Don’t forget to shop around because it can be extremely pricey, but incredibly worth it for the right time in your life.
3. Be nice to your movers (water, snacks, etc)- One of our movers went with me to Wal-Mart to help me find something. Above and Beyond! Also, don’t forget to TIP them!!
4. Make sure you have more boxes and packing tape than you think you need. Going out to buy more boxes or tape at the last minute is NOT fun!
5. Ask friends/family/coworkers if they have an boxes in good condition that you can use. I don’t think I realized how expensive boxes were!! Also ask at the office, grocery store, liquor store if they have any boxes you can have!
These are great! We always pack delicate/breakable stuff in our roller suitcases so we don’t have to mark which boxes are fragile. Also, we use all of our towels, sheets, etc as “packing paper” to cushion and add non-heavy mass to heavy boxes.
We are trying to do ALL of these things right now! We just got rid of a bunch of clothing so that was super nice! And we’re only trying to bring the bare minimum and start fresh once we move (because we’re doing a big move from Canada to Orlando in a few months!). I can’t wait until it’s all over though 🙂
My husband and I moved 1200 miles to city where we didn’t have a place to live yet. All of our stuff was in storage and then we had to pay for another move; not fun. Our movers did the box/item inventory- tedious, but you want to make sure you have everything!
I like the giveaway pile. It’s so easy to accumulate a lot of junk and not realize it!
Back in January I moved from Maine to Tennessee. It was quite an experience! I definitely agree in labeling everything in as much detail as possible and also cleaning all of your items before packing them! It helps so much! And I’m definitely making a donation pile before I move again. I would unpack something and be like, “WHY did I bring this?!?!” haha!
I moved from California to Virginia in May for grad school! I packed two giant suitcases and then have slowly had my mom (my amazing mother) ship me other things as I discover I need/want them. Also tons of Target runs. And my first few weeks here I was at WalMart every other day. So happy to be settled!
I’ll most likely have a move coming up in the next few months, and i’m gonna start purging now!
My big tip is DON’T BUY BOXES!! I work at a retail store, and we just throw away all our boxes. We’re more than happy to save boxes for people, if they ask. I also know grocery stores will give you boxes too.
Being clear and specific is something you will always want to do. We were once moving into a smaller house, so we had to put some things in storage. I just put dishes on all the boxes with dishes, so we had to go through each box, looking for what dishes we needed, and which we could store.
It’s true that unpacking the kitchen first is a pretty safe bet. You don’t necessarily need all your speakers and decorations right away, but you won’t be able to do much without at least having a few dishes ready to use. I totally agree that miscellaneous boxes should be avoided! It’s way to hard to unpack them efficiently! Another tip I heard was to avoid plugging in the TV until the majority of your items have been unpacked. That keeps you from getting into an “unpacking slump”. Thanks for the article!
Not just a little easier. My next move will be easy as pie thanks to all these tips. This article is golden and I’m definitely sharing it with all my friends. Thank you!
Great article, Julie! Moving is a very stressful process, but with a good organization the things can go smoothly. Your tips are extremely helpful:)
Pack a box of essential items that you will need immediately after the move and make sure it’s the last thing added to the truck. Clean out closets, the attic, and the basement as soon as you decide it’s time to move.
These are excellent points about moving. When we moved into our new home, most of the things that ended up breaking didn’t break in the box… they broke when I was rushing myself to unpack. Thankfully most of those items weren’t irreplaceable or expensive! Being mindful of when you move in is also a really good idea. We got lucky and moved in over a 3-day-weekend that my husband had off, and we both took the following Monday off as well.