If your moving date is edging ever-closer, you may be starting to feel the overwhelming panic that can come from moving all of your possessions from one house to another. And for good reason!
In fact, studies show that
moving house can actually be more stressful than getting divorced, so you’re in good company if you’re currently in freak-out mode! Luckily though, with some careful planning and clever ideas, moving doesn’t have to be stressful at all.
Here are our favorite moving hacks that you need to use during your next relocation.
The Prep Stage
- Don’t need it? Don’t pack it!
One of the worst things about moving is packing all the stuff you haven’t used for years only to unpack it (and not use it for years) when you get to the other side. Stop making work for yourself! Put up some
moving sale banners and have yourself a good old fashioned lawn sale in the lead up to your move. If you don’t get rid of everything, take it to a local shelter or charity organization.
- Plan your last suppers
You’ll want to defrost your refrigerator and freezer a couple of days out from your move, so you’ll also want to plan how you’re going to use all the food it currently has in it. The same goes for the food in your pantry too. Make sure you plan your meals at least a week out from moving. Any non-perishable items still left over can go to your
local food bank.
- Clean your new place
There’s nothing worse than getting to your new home with all of your furniture and possessions, only for it to be filthy. If you can, get in there before you move so you have a fresh house in which to place all of your stuff. Make sure you think about all of the forgotten areas; arrange to have the drapes steam-cleaned and change your
HVAC filters.
Remember though, if your new home has
hardwood flooring, don’t get this polished before you move, do it after all the furniture is in (you don’t want to scratch your newly varnished floor!).
The Pack Stage
- Label the sides of boxes
If you label your boxes on the top, you won’t be able to see what’s in each box once they’re stacked, so make sure you write on the side of them instead.
- Think about the first night
Before you pack all of your possessions, think about your first night. The likelihood is that you won’t unpack everything on the day you move, so it’s essential that you have an overnight bag that contains everything you need for a good night’s sleep.
- Smart clothes packing
Forget taking all of your clothes off coat hangers, folding them and re-hanging them. Instead, simply cover clothes with garbage bags without removing the hangers. This way you can quickly and easily pack, transport and unpack your clothes.
- Consider your box options
Cardboard moving boxes are great but think about all of the other things you have in your house that can help moving easier. Heavy items can be put inside of suitcases, smaller items can be kept together with sandwich bags and old egg cartons can store jewelry to prevent necklaces from becoming tangled.
- Protect your crockery
Stack your plates vertically rather than horizontally (like you would in a dishrack) and place a Styrofoam plate between each of them for easy worry-free packing.
- Don’t get locked out
With you constantly going in and out of your house (both the old one and the new one), it’s so easy to let the door close behind you. If your door automatically locks, that’s a big problem! Use rubber bands to keep the door from latching or keep a spare key outside somewhere.
- Use a color code
If you color code each box to a corresponding room, you and whoever is helping you move can quickly put items exactly where they need to be.
Moving Day
- Entertain the kids
If you have children, you must have a pre-arranged plan for how you’re going to keep them entertained. It may be worth investing in a babysitter so you don’t have to worry about playing children’s entertainer when you’re trying to organize a military operation!
If you can, move in summer so they can play in the yard (which works especially well if you have a pool or
playground equipment).
- Keep the dog happy
Just like the kids, you need to make sure you have a plan for the family pet. Make sure you keep enough food and their bowls away from your packing chaos so you can keep them happy while you’re doing your thing.
If your dog is an escape-artist, it may be a good idea to have a friend look after him for a couple of days.
- Keep everyone well-fed
Don’t leave thinking about food until you’re hungry! Make plans for breakfast, lunch and dinner in advance. Our best advice is to have enough food for a quick and easy breakfast, have premade sandwiches for lunch and order in a pizza for dinner in your new home! Oh, and snacks! Make sure you have an abundance of snacks!
- Set up the essentials
Generally, you won’t be able to set up your entire house on day one. That said, it is important that you set up the essentials. What you consider essential may differ from what others deem essential, but as a general rule of thumb, set up your couch and television (so you can relax after your tough day) and your bed!
If you have organized your overnight bag in advance, you should also have everything you need to make your first night comfortable… so you can wake up and do it all again in the morning!
This guest post contribution is courtesy of SignMission, an American owned, operated and manufactured company in Florida. Signmission offers many types of custom signs such as vinyl banners, safety signs and aluminum signs. 