Moving can be stressful and disruptive, so if you have a move on the horizon – use these five strategies to save yourself a lot of headache! Recently, my family moved to a new house just minutes from our home town. Here are some of my biggest take-aways for making any move easier.
Declutter Way Ahead of Time
Who wants to pack and move old and unwanted items and outgrown clothes? We certainly did not!
We began decluttering several months before our move. Over time, we decluttered every space in the house. I worked with both of my sons individually and donated old toys and clothes which no longer fit. When we were finished, their bedrooms and closets had only what was important to each of them, nothing more.
My husband and I organized the garage and cleaned out the attic. We decluttered the kitchen and pantry. We shredded old documents. We donated books. We sold a few items we no longer wanted on Craigslist. It was a lot of work, and took some time, but when it came time to pack we had the peace of mind that we were not moving junk to our new house.
This alone made our move a lot simpler and easier!
Use Good Quality Boxes and Packing Tape
U-Haul is not paying me to say this, but one of the reasons I like their packing boxes is because they have cutout handles. Small boxes are relatively easy to carry (provided they are not full of hardback books!) but the medium boxes can get a bit unwieldy – so kudos to U-Haul for providing boxes with handles. Whether or not you have professional movers doing the heavy lifting, don’t over pack the boxes – those handles can only withstand so much.
Don’t skimp on the packing tape. I sent my hubby to buy more tape and he bought cheap tape that a) didn’t work with the strapping gun, b) left a sticky gummy residue on plastic bins which was hard to remove, and c) the tape constantly split when I was trying to find the end of the roll. (Sorry honey, I needed to get that off my chest!)
Pro tip, if you don’t use all the boxes you buy, U-Haul will buy them back from you.
Buy or Rent a Dolly For Your Move
Best purchase ever!! Whether you are emptying a truck or just moving boxes between rooms in your home a dolly/hand truck is a life saver. Heavy dish pack boxes? No problem. Large wardrobe boxes? A cinch. Stacking those medium boxes three high? So easy with a dolly. We picked up a dolly at The Home Depot for around $40.
U-Haul rents hand trucks for a relatively small fee by the day. Use care when using a hand truck though, leave the heavy items for the professionals.
Pack Non-Essentials First
A few weeks before the official move day we packed up everything from books to photo albums. We took down all the art and packed each piece individually. We packed all those kitchen items we only use a couple of times a year (and donated all the gadgets that we never use). We packed off-season clothing. Luckily all our holiday décor and keepsakes were already in plastic bins – no boxes needed.
As it got closer to the actual move day, we began packing more regularly used items. Last, were items we use every day – toiletries, clothes, and other essentials.
Hire Pros to Move the Big Stuff
Once the boxes are packed, many people hire moving companies to come and load it all up. Since we were mostly moving ourselves, we loaded our boxes but when it came to big dressers, king-sized bed and mattress, a buffet and dining room furniture – these we couldn’t move ourselves. So, we got called in the professionals. There are plenty of smaller moving companies who will send out two guys and a truck to do the heavy lifting. For even smaller jobs, consider using Dolly.com. The app let’s you schedule helpers to arrive at your home as soon as the next day and there are a variety of service options. I highly recommend it!
Moving doesn’t have to be hard and overwhelming when you get help. Simplify Experts professional organizers are a great resource for before-the-move decluttering; packing boxes; and unpacking and getting organized in your new home. As a professional organizer I found great joy in setting up my new kitchen and closets in the most efficient way for the space!
Author: Vlasta Hillger
