7 Tips for Your Next Big Move
Are you preparing for a big move? Whether you’re moving to another part of town, to a completely different state or even a different country, being well prepared in advance will make a huge difference in how stressed or relaxed you will be before, during, and after the move.
Consider the tips below as you prepare for your move. Some may apply to you before, during and after your move. Take note of which ones apply to your situation and think about applying them as soon as you can. The sooner you take action on these tips, the more effective they will be in reducing your stress and making the transition from one home to the next much easier.
1. Prepare an “Essentials Bag.”
Having a bag or box dedicated to all of the essentials you will need for daily life during the moving day will make your move much easier. Instead of digging through the moving truck, trying to find the box with your essentials, and digging through that box, you’ll have everything you need in one bag. Having everything in one bag also makes it simple to carry your belongings to and from the home or vehicle.
You’ll thank us when you get to your destination after hours of packing, travel and unpacking. You may just want to crash for the night and having a change of clothes and hygiene products already prepared will make it easier to settle in for the night.
2. Label Every Box with a Description or Category.
There’s nothing worse than looking at a box and having forgotten what’s inside! Where did you keep the dinner plates? Your clothes? Decorations? Bed sheets? By labeling all of your boxes, you will know where everything is with a simple glance. No guesswork and no having to dig through boxes to find anything.
Remember to label the box on its side rather than the top, as other boxes will likely be stacked on top of it and cover the label.
3. Wrap Breakables in Clothing or Blankets.
You can save on bubble wrap simply by wrapping all of the breakable items (like dishes, glassware, breakable decor, etc.) in articles of clothing or blankets. You’ll use less bubble wrap and will save a little bit of space because you are packing both the clothing alongside your other items. Depending on your breakables, you won’t need a lot of padding to keep them safe, as having a small amount of fabric between the glass items can help prevent them from breaking against each other by restricting movement inside the box.
4. Organize and Unpack by Rooms.
When you’re unpacking, you’ll want to organize boxes into the various rooms they will be opened up in. For example, you’ll want all your boxed dishes and kitchen utensils to be left in the kitchen, while all of the boxes for your bedroom to be left in the appropriate bedroom. This will make it easier for you to find items while helping you to achieve a sense of accomplishment as you tackle each individual room.
5. Use Sandwich Bags for Small Parts and Items.
If you have a variety of tiny little items, such as screws, brackets, bolts, and anything else that might need to be kept as a result of disassembling items, you can use sandwich bags to keep them from getting lost. By storing them in little sandwich bags, you can even label them like your boxes so that you know exactly which set of screws goes to which item.
6. Snap a Photo of Your Electronics Configuration.
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting to your new home, getting your tv, computer and electronics in place and forgetting how the cables are arranged. By taking a picture of the back of each electronics system, you’ll be able to easily and quickly remember where each cable goes. This will simplify the unpacking process for any major electronic devices that you have.
7. Ask Your Friends to Help You Move and Offer Incentives.
If you don’t have a lot of fragile items to transport, you can ask friends and relatives to assist you with the moving process. Some friends could help you with packing up and moving items onto the moving truck while others could assist with unpacking and arranging boxes in appropriate rooms.
It’s also customary to offer some kind of incentive or thank-you gift in return for their help. You could offer to buy breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner, beverages, snacks and more. If you have items that you need to get rid of, either by selling or donating, start by offering first dibs to the friends who helped you move.
Try out one or all of these 7 tips today as you prepare for your big move! Whether you have a short distance to go or you’re moving all the way across the country, these tips can help you to reduce your stress during the move and make the packing and unpacking process go smoothly.
