As exciting as it is, moving is also quite stressful, exhausting and time-consuming process that requires maximum attention and effort. You have so much to do that you’re often overwhelmed with everything all tasks and duties. So, it’s as easy as pie to forget something very important. But don’t give up. You will be able to survive moving and organize it in such a way that the process will be as simple and inexpensive as possible. Plan your actions in advance; start preparing a few weeks before you move and try to involve all family members. Create a checklist of things you should do every week or even each day when it gets closer to the established date. Don’t worry too much and try to think of this process not as of terribly time-consuming and backbreaking one, but as of a start of something new, an exciting moment in the life of your family, the way to new opportunities.
So, prepare your mind and soul and get to work! Here’re some tips that will make your job easier and organize your moving process the best way possible.
Things you have to do before moving
1. Legal stuff
Switch you official address in your post office. There could be problems with that matter, so ask your neighbors to pick up your mail for several weeks after you move out.
Close or transfer bank accounts. If you’re going to move out of the state or even to another country and you have an account in regional bank, it’s better to start a new account in your local area before you close your previous one to transfer all your funds. It’s better to do so before you move to a new place, as you won’t have to deal with that tasks after arrival and pay extra fees for using ATMs of other banks your current one doesn’t cooperate with. Make sure to choose the most reliable bank that has enough ATMs in your new neighborhood.
Transfer your medicine prescriptions. If you have children, contact different schools or kindergartens and discuss if they’re ready to accept your little ones. Then, once you move, your kids will be able to start school right away and won’t miss out on anything.
Inform your employer, insurance company and landlord about your decision 6-8 weeks in advance, especially if you plan on changing your workplace.
Deactivate your service contracts (like Internet one).
2. Book services
Search for moving companies, check out their services and prices. Visit our site HireRush.com and choose movers services category. Pick several ads of moving companies; contact them to find out about further details and options. Select the most reliable one after reading all references and checking its license.
Decide, if you’re going to pack and load everything yourself or if you’re willing to entrust this task to professionals. In the first case, just book moving trucks (select their size and quantity) and discuss the transfer price. In the second case, there’s much more work to do.
First of all, it’s necessary to get estimates from moving company and explain clearly, which things you’re going to take with you. Discuss all circumstances, that may complicate the moving process, as even such insignificant details as stairs in your future house, amount of moving supplies, provided by the company, or the narrowness of streets and corridors may result in additional charges. Before you sign a contract, read it thoroughly and make sure that there’re no hidden fees and weird conditions in it. Control the movers’ actions while they’re doing their job.
3. Reduce clutter
Decide which things you’re going to take to your future house and which things it’s better to donate or give away to your friends and family (like couches, rugs and other massive furniture you may want to buy after moving in). If you do that early enough, you may sell some items on eBay or yard sale. Go through your closet.
Try to use all your food and cleaning supplies (simply buy minimum groceries). Defrost your fridge the night and unplug all technology before moving.
4. Clean up
After you’ve finished packing, clean your counters, oven and sinks. Sweep the floors and vacuum carpets.
5. Say your good-byes
Make this process as fun and less emotional as possible. Invite friends and family over. Let your children say good-bye to their friends and school teachers. Meet up with your current neighbors for the last time.
Packing tips and tricks
1. Breakable things
Wrap your dishes, glass pots, etc. into clothing items to prevent them from smashing while being transported. You may also buy paper plates and put them between porcelain plates when you stack them. Put your glasses into socks and place them into beer or wine boxes if you didn’t keep original packaging. This way you’ll pack clothes and china at the same time.
For mirrors, find the most fitting boxes and bubble wrap. Before placing them into the package, take masking tape and make a cross on each mirror, covering the frame as well. This will help, if your mirror detaches from its frame, as tape won’t let it fall out and shatter into little pieces.
Pack makeup properly as well. For that matter, put several cotton pads between the mirror and the product in pallet and cover each one with bubble wrap. You may also try to place pillows or stuffed toys into boxes between these items for extra protection. Double boxes to create stiffer `walls`.
2. Lists
I know, it seems impossible to write down everything you have in your house, but you’ll thank yourself afterwards. If something gets lost, you won’t blame yourself for forgetting it at your previous house. Numbering your boxes makes no harm as well, but you’ll know for sure, how many of them you have and how many boxes should be delivered by movers.
3. Things you pack into
You may start collecting cardboard boxes several months before you move. But it’s also useful to purchase several plastic bins to put things of the first necessity in. Special moving boxes (like wardrobe ones) will also reduce the amount of work you’ll have to do.
Use dressers and kitchen counters to transport things in as well. For instance, you may leave clothes in wardrobe and cover the drawers with plastic wrap to keep them shut. Then, you won’t have to unpack and fold clothes once again once you move in. Put cutlery, knives and other similar kitchen tools into containers and leave them in counter drawers.
Pack your hanging clothes into large garbage bags without taking them off hangers. This prevents crumples and winkles, as well as saves unpacking time.
Make triangle or rectangular holes on both sides of the boxes to make handles. Put seasonal things (like Christmas decorations or skiing appliances) into storage bins.
Pack out of season clothing into vacuum seal bags to save even more space.
4. Labels
“Glass”, “Fragile”, “Clothes”, “Tableware” labels will come in handy while loading/unloading stuff. But if you specify them even more and write on each box, which room it belongs to, you’ll be able to divide all boxes between the rooms right while unloading them from the truck without having to rip them apart and peep into each box to find out what you’ve put in it. If you have children, it’s also useful to write on the boxes, which of the kids’ stuff is in it.
5. Packing furniture to move
Taking furniture apart, put screws into zip-lock bags and use marker to write on them, which piece of furniture (and from which room) they belong to. Keep furniture pieces together by securing them with tape or plastic wrap. This will also prevent scratches on wooden things.
Use old fitted bed sheets to protect your mattresses and couches from getting dirty in the moving truck.
6. Overnight box
As moving trucks may come late and it’s impossible to unpack everything immediately anyway, packing a box with the most necessary items and several clothes changes for the whole family is a must-have to survive during the first days after moving-in. Take your own pajamas, skincare products and toothbrush, disposable tableware and some snacks. If you have small kids, prepare their favorite stuffed animals to make their bedtime as comfortable as it could be in new circumstances.
7. Personalize
Give each family member one or two boxes to pack their personal things in (like photo frames, jewelry, phone chargers, kids’ school stuff, etc.).
Pack clothes in your suitcases to use fewer boxes. Or, put heavy things there, so that you won’t have to carry, but roll them.
8. Papers
Collect important documents (ID’s, contracts with different companies, insurances, birth certificates, moving papers and lists) into one folder and transport them in your own handbag.
Middle age woman in casual clothes standing next to pile of boxes, packing, she’s moving out from an old apartment. Sealing cardboard boxes with adhesive scotch tape. Close up, cropped, no head.
Already got tired just because of thinking about doing all this stuff? Why don’t you visit HireRush.com, make a call and hire professional movers, who’ll do all packing, loading, unloading and unpacking for you? The only thing you’ll have to do in this case is to celebrate such an outstanding event.
When packing dishes, glasses or even decorative pieces, you should fill any empty spaces with pellets such as corn starch ones or styro pellets to keep the contents of the box in place. This in turn prevents breakages associated with movement of the packed objects and also keeps the box firm.
Thanks for your tip! It’s really helpful.
Such a great tips . Very informative and really helpful. My advice is to start early. Sooner you start manage things lesser will be wastage of time and cost.
This is some really good information about packing I liked that you pointed out that labels could be a great thing to use. Labeling a box filled with kitchen stuff would make moving a lot easier. I know that I wouldn’t want to worry about figuring out what boxes have what in it.
This article helped me a lot as these tips are very important and one should keep these helpful tips in mind for packing tips. I’ve enjoyed reading the post. It is very supportive and useful post. I would like to visit the post once more its valuable content. Thanks for sharing this so interesting post! I really want to be thankful for the way you have put it here.
Thank you for your feedback!