I thought I was a pro-mover. Having moved every two years growing up {and sometimes on only three weeks notice} taught me the importance of throwing things away before the movers pack trash in a box, and organizing things to be packed in the way you want them to be unpacked. But see here's the thing: we had movers. It's a little different if you're doing it yourself and just moving across town. This move, we have a lot more stuff and a lot more furniture. Packing the U-haul is going to be like playing a major game of Tetris!
But I have learned a few useful tips that I'd like to share and hopefully make someone else's life a lot easier in the future:
- Take out the Trash: Every time I start packing, I throw stuff away. It's my goal to throw out a whole bag of trash after each packing session. This is hard for someone who wants to hold on to every note, coupon, sauce packet, etc. Maybe I am a hoarder... I'm also trying to purge decor items that either don't match what we have now, or what we're planning on for the future. Moving into our own home will come with a lot more customization opportunities than what I've had renting, so I don't want to hold onto things that don't match the new house or new look.
- Little box carries a lot: My box packing mantra. I like to reuse boxes that have come in the mail that are usually on the smaller size as they carry clothes, makeup, or books. These boxes are typically wider and much more shallow than your traditional moving box, so it forces me to pack less which lends to more boxes but a lot easier time hauling them down a flight of stairs and across a parking lot. Another box favorite? Chick-fil-a fry boxes. Probably the sturdiest boxes I've ever run across. Call before lunch and have them hold their lunchtime boxes for you to pick up after 2 p.m. You'll get a ton.
- Mix and Match: Fill your china boxes with dish towels. Put books in your rolling suitcases. Put random items that aren't necessarily related, like mixing fall and Valentines Day decor, but need to be stored in the same location, in the same box. My somewhat OCD brain wants everything to be organized and orderly, but mixing allows you to save packing filler materials, and also prevents over packing too many heavy items like a box full of only books.
- Pack what you want First, Last: After loading the trailer during the morning and driving to the new house a couple of hours away. I know I'll be exhausted. So I'll need my bed, linens and pillows, and bathroom things first. Pack everything first and make sure all bed and bath items are easily accessible. After dragging in the mattress, you'll probably have just enough energy to hang the shower curtain, brush your teeth, and sleep on top of the mattress with just a sheet...and not the fitted one.
- Clean out the Kitchen: Do Not take old food to the new house! Even if it's just a box of brownie mix. Moving is a great time to clear out and start over with a fresh, new outlook on life. This is something I'm really not good about, but when the move is more than just across town, it's kind of a necessity. I also find that I have a little bit of my great grandmother in me, and save ziploc bags, tin foil, and twist ties to reuse. This is not the time to move them to the new place! Just start a new collection.
- Organize You: For me, this means my personal files. Actually put away the W2s and the pile of paperwork that comes with buying a house into their appropriate locations, and not just let them stay in the stack on the kitchen table. I need to print out all of my references about transfers from my email {mail, power, etc.}, that way in case anything goes wrong or isn't turned on, or is lost, YOU have reference of what was supposed to happen at your fingertips in your personal file folder.
BONUS TIP! Another organizational process shared with my by a co-worker and mom is to only move furniture into the house first. If you have a garage, fill it with aisles of boxes, only a few high, and bring in a few at a time to intentionally unpack and put away. They can still be grouped by rooms in the garage, but it prevents having boxes all throughout the house for months at a time. Plus, if you're like me and super excited about having a garage again for the first time in years, you're going to be working in overdrive to get the space freed up!
What are some of your best #movingtips?
