Moving Tips and Tricks

Moving is not for the faint of heart! Whether you are moving across town, across the county, or overseas, there are many factors to consider, plan for, and expect! I am an expert, considering my family has made seven military relocation moves in the last 15 years. Most of our moves involved hired movers coming in to pack us up, load the trucks, and move us to our following location, where they would unload us, and our next chapter would begin. However, we have packed ourselves completely a few times. For the “mover packed” moves, we have “prepped” (the spouse network calls it “moving readiness”) most of our household goods in anticipation of a more an easier pack out. With all that said, I have some tips and tricks to contribute to your next moving adventure.

1. Be Proactive! Be sure to get ready for a move before the last minute! Do not expect it to go smoothly, or you will have time to pack or take care of it on moving day. If you are moving yourself, start collecting boxes now! You will need boxes of all sizes, lots of tape, paper to wrap your fragile stuff and kitchen, stretch wrap for furniture, mattress covers/boxes, and more.  If you are having movers pack you, start cleaning out now! Movers come in and just start filling boxes. You must clean out to preserve your sanity and know what could be in the boxes. Moving is an excellent opportunity to clean out, donate, and organize your household. It lets you put your hands on everything and decide what you want to keep around for your new home! (You will have donation piles on both sides of your move….I always do!)

2. Starting Packing/Prepping! Put yourself in “Moving Readiness” Level 3 and tackle a drawer, closet, room, or anything one at a time! Label the boxes and stack them in a corner or the garage until moving day.

Let’s tackle packing first. Packing looks like boxing up everything that you can live without through moving day and getting settled. Packing smells like cardboard boxes in your home, whether you are moving locally or nationally! Packing feels overwhelming and exhausting! It is packing the boxes tight with lots of paper to keep boxes sturdy and belongings secure. As the move date gets closer, you must start living out of suitcases, taking apart furniture, and wrapping your furniture with blankets or pads and stretch wrap. Suppose you are prepping for movers; that looks a little different. Movers do not like you to pack your own boxes, but you can prep and organize everything on how you want them to pack it for you.

For instance, I take all of my lamps and place them in one area so they all go in boxes together. We put all our electronics in one location to go in boxes together. We use the large tote ziplock bags and put our linens and towels in them, so the packers just have to grab the bag and put it in boxes, or if you are moving locally, it is easy to grab a bag and throw it in your backseat. We put each bedroom set (comforter, sheets, bed skirts, pillows) in these bags, too, so that it all stays together and it is easier to make beds on the other end. A pro tip is to wash everything before you pack it to have clean sheets when unloading them. We put garbage bags around our clothes and tie the hangers together so we don’t have clothes falling off hangers, and it is easier to hang them in closets or transport them. Toys also go in the large ziplock bags, so we keep all the pieces. Many of these tricks I use for prepping are helpful if you are packing yourself, too!

3. Moving Day! Oh man, moving day is a beast in itself. Remember to have lots of water, Gatorade, and snacks on hand. Plan for a friend to keep kiddos and/or pets, and have a plan for lunch to be dropped off or delivered! If you are moving yourself, I highly recommend that local movers move the heavy stuff or have them move it all! They get paid by the hour; trust me, it is worth it! If you are moving yourself, loading the moving truck and unloading at your destination is a long day. If you have movers packing and moving you, this is an easy day because you sit in a chair on the lawn and keep up with the inventory sheets as they load and unload the trucks. They do all the loading and unloading!

There are tons of resources and products to help you make your move smooth and easy! Order those room stickers, trust those who are pros at moving, and remember you are starting on a new adventure! One last tip….make sure you have a moving truck or pod that will hold all of your stuff, and you can shut the doors! We had to downsize a few things in our last move to shut those doors! (picture evidence above)