Moving is a universal experience that everyone eventually encounters. While it may not always be enjoyable, it typically results in positive outcomes. However, the success of a move heavily relies on avoiding common pitfalls and thorough planning to streamline the process.
The moving process is complex, and many things can go awry. Yet, with careful consideration and preparation, it's possible to mitigate risks and ensure a smooth transition. While individual circumstances may vary, adhering to these general moving tips can greatly facilitate the process for most people, whether they have unique items like antique china or valuable heirlooms.
Declutter Declutter Declutter
Make the task of packing your belongings more manageable by minimizing excess and clutter. Before you start packing, take the time to ruthlessly declutter and get rid of any unused or unnecessary items. This will result in fewer items to pack, move, and unpack, and it will also allow you to begin anew in your new space with a clean slate.
Make a moving folder
Begin gathering important documents such as new addresses, rental or purchase agreements, moving contracts, and other pertinent paperwork into a single folder. By centralizing these documents, you'll have easy access to answers for any questions that arise during the planning stages or the actual move. Additionally, having records of agreements, payments, and other details readily available can help streamline the process and ensure everything goes smoothly.
Pack as far in advance as possible
Ideally, you'll have ample time to prepare for a move, often weeks or even months in advance. Begin by packing away off-season items and belongings you won't immediately need. This proactive approach ensures that when it's time to pack everything up, a significant portion of your belongings will already be organized and ready to go. By tackling packing in stages, you alleviate the stress of the final weeks and days leading up to the move, allowing you to focus on other important tasks without worrying about packing everything at the last minute.
Book early
To secure moving services, rent supplies, or schedule additional services like professional organizers or cleaners for your home, it's wise to make bookings well in advance. Delaying could result in higher costs or difficulty securing availability, especially during peak moving seasons. Booking early ensures you can secure the necessary resources and professionals for your move, avoiding last-minute stress and potential logistical challenges.
Schedule utilities for your new place
Once you have confirmed your moving dates, reach out to your utility providers to arrange for services at your new residence. Avoid the inconvenience of arriving at your new home only to find essential utilities like electricity or water disconnected by scheduling them in advance. Keep records of these requests organized in your moving folder for easy reference. Simultaneously, arrange for service stops at your current residence for your move-out date.
Keep the essentials with you
Prior to the move, pack essential items such as a change of clothes, toothbrushes, favorite toys for children, medications, important documents, etc., into a suitcase or bag that you'll personally keep with you in the car. This ensures that even in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as the moving truck being delayed or if you're too fatigued to begin unpacking immediately upon arrival, you'll still have vital necessities readily available.
Invest in Equipment
In anticipation of the upcoming move, make sure to stock up on essential supplies a few days beforehand. Avoid the hassle of last-minute shopping trips by ensuring you have all necessary items on hand while packing and preparing for the move-out process. Purchase or order essentials such as box cutters, permanent markers, packing tape, paper towels, and garbage bags. These items can also come in handy for post-move tasks, particularly during the unpacking process. Additionally, for larger moving equipment, consider renting tools from a moving company, although if you hire a moving service, they may provide their own equipment. If you frequently move, it might be more practical to invest in purchasing these tools. Whether through buying, renting, or borrowing, ensure you have essential moving equipment such as a furniture dolly, furniture pads or covers, and tie-down straps or rope readily available for use during the move.
Get a truck with a loading ramp
For DIY movers, having a truck equipped with a ramp is essential. While it might seem more economical to rent a truck without one, the inconvenience and physical strain of lifting every box and piece of furniture high enough to load into the truck will significantly prolong the moving process and lead to sore muscles.
Packing tips for moving
1. Use the right size boxes
Put heavy items, like books, in small boxes; light items, like linens and pillows, in bigger ones.
2. Put heavier items on the bottoms of boxes, lighter items on top
And if you’re loading the truck yourself, pack heavier boxes first, toward the front of the truck, for balance.
3. Don’t leave empty spaces in the boxes
Fill in gaps with clothing, towels, or packing paper. Movers often won’t move boxes that feel loosely packed or unbalanced.
4. Avoid mixing items from different rooms in the same box
It will make your packing quicker and your unpacking a lot easier, too.
5. Label each box with the room it’s destined for and a description of its contents
This will help you and your movers know where every box belongs in your new place. Numbering each box and keeping an inventory list in a small notebook is a good way to keep track of what you’ve packed―and to make sure you still have everything when you unpack.
6. Tape boxes well
Use a couple of pieces of tape to close the bottom and top seams, then use one of the movers’ techniques―making a couple of wraps all the way around the box’s top and bottom edges, where stress is concentrated.
7. If you’re moving expensive art, ask your mover about special crating
Never wrap oil paintings in regular paper; it will stick. For pictures framed behind glass, make an X with masking tape across the glass to strengthen it and to hold it together if it shatters. Then wrap the pictures in paper or bubble wrap and put them in a frame box, with a piece of cardboard between each framed piece for protection.
8. Bundle breakables
As you pack your dishes, put packing paper around each one, then wrap bundles of five or six together with more paper. Pack dishes on their sides, never flat. And use plenty of bunched-up paper as padding above and below. Cups and bowls can be placed inside one another, with paper in between, and wrapped three or four in a bundle. Pack them all in dish-barrel boxes.
9. Consider other items that will need special treatment
Some movers treat TVs like any other piece of furniture, wrapping them in quilted furniture pads. Plasma TVs, though, require special wooden crates for shipping if you don’t have the original box and can be ruined if you lay them flat. If you’re packing yourself, double-box your TV, setting the box containing the TV into another box that you’ve padded with packing paper.
In summary, mastering the art of moving and packing can greatly contribute to a stress-free relocation process. By implementing the tips and strategies discussed in this blog, including decluttering, organizing essentials, and planning ahead, you can navigate the challenges of moving with ease and efficiency. Whether you're moving to a new city or just down the street, these valuable insights will help you achieve your smoothest move yet. Here's to a successful transition and settling into your new space with confidence.
~Nathalie xoxo