Moving is a big event, whether you only plan to do it once or have to move often. There are a lot of things to keep track of so it can be an overwhelming process. However, in our years of experience, we have discovered a handful of moving hacks that make everything a whole lot easier.
Try these easy moving tips to save you time, money, and headache during your next move.
Moving Tips That Will Make Moving Easier
Create a Timeline and a Checklist
Our number one moving tip? Take the time to create a timeline and a checklist. These two things will keep you on track and ensure that you don’t forget anything important, as you will have a lot to remember.
Take Pictures
Need to remember the exact placement of shelving décor, gallery walls, or electrical wiring? Take a picture of it before you pack it up. When you get to the new house, you can refer to the photos to recreate it exactly as you had it before.
Use Wardrobe Boxes
There’s no need to take items off of hangers and fold them to fit into standard boxes. You can simply take your clothes out of your closet—leaving them on the hangers—and hang them inside a wardrobe box. Purchase wardrobe boxes from your moving company or get them at Home Depot.
Label Electrical Wires
Electrical wires can become a tangled mess once you’ve unplugged everything. Save yourself a lot of time and headache by clearly labeling them before you take them apart. Take a picture of the cords while they are still plugged in but after they are labeled. This will give you an easy how-to image when you plug everything back in at your new house.
Use Blankets, Shirts and Stuffed Animals to Protect Fragile Items
Packing paper is a must when moving, but you can also use some of your own items to fill empty spaces and wrap awkward, fragile items. Blankets, old shirts, and stuffed animals are all great for adding a buffer between your items.
Inventory and Color-Code Your Boxes
Keep an inventory of all your items categorized by room so you won’t have to go rummaging through boxes to find what you need. This will ensure that unpacking will be a breeze. Also, choose a color for every room in the new home and color-code the boxes with the corresponding marker or tape. At a glance, the movers will know where to place the boxes, and you’ll have an easier time organizing everything later.
Label Boxes on the Sides and the Top
Most people label boxes on the top, but once you start stacking them, you won’t be able to see what room they belong to. Instead, label the boxes once on the top and also on the sides so you won’t have to unstack everything to find what you need.
Pack Essentials Boxes
Put aside necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste, plates, silverware, prescriptions, clothes, and anything else you will need handy for the first few days after the move. Having these things set aside will keep you from having to rummage through boxes to find what you need the first night in your new home.
Plan Out Your Meals
In the chaos of the move, it can be easy to forget one very important thing: what to eat. To save yourself from scrambling when you get hungry, discuss it with everyone ahead of time and plan it out so you have whatever you need handy, whether it’s ingredients to cook, plans at a friend’s house, reservations at a restaurant, or menus for the closest takeout.
Use Suitcases and Dresser Drawers
Since you have to move your suitcases and dressers to the new home anyway, you might as well use that empty space to save some boxes. Just be sure to not make the dresser drawers too heavy, as you won’t want to make it dangerous to move.
Make Plans for Your Pets and Your Kids
To keep all members of the family happy, make plans for your kids and pets on the day of the move. Both can experience a lot of stress amid the big change and chaos, so you’ll want to put some things in place to make sure they’re safe and experience as little stress as possible.
Check out our tips for moving with kids »
View tips for moving with pets »
Hire a White Glove Moving Company
Of course, the best moving tip of all is to hire a white glove moving company like Megan’s Moving to do all the hard work for you. Our movers can pack your belongings securely and efficiently. We also offer settling-in design services such as hanging your pictures, curtains, and TVs through our sister company, MHM Professional Staging.
Request a moving consultation with one of our experts today »