More Moving Tips
We are in a unique situation where we find ourselves both unpacking and settling in to our new rental home while simultaneously planning another move in about 7 months.
The very good news is that we now know we’ll be staying in this area, so we can proceed with the next decisions regarding housing. The short term rental thing was a good solution for us as we were looking for work. Now we have some time to think about a more long term living scenario and do a some serious house hunting (scary and exciting in equal parts!).
I was thinking that perhaps I’d written enough on the topic of moving. However, some of you have mentioned in messages that you are planning moves and looking for tips. I thought I’d add just one more part to the subject (for now!:).
The truth is, some parts worked well. Some didn’t!:)
What worked well:
- I googled “moving tips” and found a plethora of helpful information. (This one is great!)
- For hanging items, leave them hanging on the closet rod and slip a big garbage bag under and around them (like a pillowcase). Tie the bag at the top, leaving the hanger hooks exposed. Then, once you move them, just hang them back up and untie the bag. So simple and quick!
- Keep items that you already have in your dresser drawers in the drawers. It’s a great use of space, and makes it easy to find things when you get to your new place.
- Start purging as early as you can. I was grateful I started that process really early so I could take my time. Packing up is enough mental stress on its own. Trying to decide “should I keep this or not?” gets harder as the moving date approaches.
- To help ease settling in, pack up your drawer organizers (like silverware trays) as a whole unit. Wrap a towel around it, tape with clear tape and stick it in a box. Then when you arrive at your new place, you can just unwrap the towel, put it in the drawer and you’re ready to roll.
- Keep a clear plastic bin handy to store all the curtain hardware and picture hangars as you take things down in your house. Then, just put its lid on it and you’re ready to use it in the new house.
- Likewise, keep your packing materials (sharpie markers, clear packing tape, scissors, and binder) in a large tray (and preferably in the same space) so you can locate it when you need it.
- Take stock of your freezer and pantry items and try to clear them out (as much as possible) before the big move date.
- Pack a great “first day” kit of things you will need right away (like bedding, coffee, etc…). We also packed all our clothes in our suitcases so they were easy to find right away, too.
What was challenging:
- The cleaning! ~ on both ends… I tried to be cleaning as much as I could before we moved, but it seemed like it was the job that wouldn’t end! Thankfully, a few good friends came and helped me with those details right before moving day ~ but next time, I need to think of ways to make that detail go smoother. (I did discover the magic of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, though!;)) I found it very hard to have to go back to our former house to clean after we moved…and then to get there to discover I’d left my mop bucket back at the new house (a ferry ride away!!).
2. Packing up the truck so everything fit…While we had lots of people helping move boxes and furniture to the truck, only my husband was in the truck to receive it. Although it went really quickly and our things were spared being rained on, it would have helped to have a few more people in the truck who could help organize it while loading in.
3. A friend recommended putting the furniture on the truck last so that the big pieces would be set in the rooms first. Then boxes could be piled on/ around it. What a great idea. That, too, wasn’t reality in our situation. We were scrambling to move boxes so we could set the couches down…
That’s all I can think of for now. If you have any more tips to add, please do!
Additional packing posts:
- How to Pack Your Kitchen without Losing Your Mind
- Packing and Planning Ahead
- 10 Things I Learned on Moving Day
And if you missed the posts on the tours of our new rental house (so far):
Next week, my family and I will be packing up our house and moving to a new state, and so I really like tip number 3 here. I think that putting the furniture on last is an ingenious idea! If we do that, then we’ll be able to get the beds and couches out first and can use those to sleep on during the first night and won’t have to worry about unpacking everything to get to them if we get to our new house late.
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to start getting rid of things you don’t need as soon as you can. My husband and I just found out that we’re going to be relocating in about five months. We’ll definitely start cleaning things out so we can get a head start on that process. Thanks for the great post!
The article comprise some in-depth information regarding the moving procedure. Moving is one of most stressful activity and professionals should be hired to reduce such stress to a lower extents. However, the professionals should be hired after certain investigation. We could also as our friend and family members for help. Apart from this, the belongings should be paced with suitable packaging materials in order to prevent their damage. The whole moving procedure should be provided with suitable insurance coverage, so that we could claim our insurance money if the insured object is damaged.
Moving is very hard work. While moving have to keep all things are remember. Before moving all thing are very carefully packing in the boxes. Your blog gives a lot of useful tips regarding packing. Thanks for sharing the great information. Good Luck!