Hard labor comes to mind when you tell people you plan on moving to a new place. Lifting heavy boxes and furniture, stacking boxes, walking up and down stairs, climbing ramps. You get a workout that Richard Simmons would cheer. You end up sweaty, sore and a little banged up. But we compiled some tips to make moving easier (and more fun). Check out our list and pick the moving tips that work for you.
Make Moving Easier Next Time
Remember all those tough guy thrillers? You can count on them saying, “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” Well, your moving day should be easy. We scoured every nook and cranny to bring you this helpful checklist. Keep reading and learn how to make moving easier and more fun.
Premove To-Dos
Get rid of items at least six weeks before moving. Plenty of ways exist. Throw a yard sale. Sell it online at eBay, Craigslist or another provider. Give your friends and family dibs. Anything you have left over arrange for a local nonprofit to pick them up at least two weeks before your move.
Make a schedule for packing each room in your home. Start with the hardest room first — the kitchen. It always takes the most time with a plethora of gadgets and other stuff needing careful packing. Then go room-by-room.
Two weeks before moving day go on your last grocery trip. Ideally, you will eat up everything perishable. And, oh, don’t forget to defrost your refrigerator at least a day ahead of moving out.
Additionally, make moving easier by putting in for a change of address with the post office two weeks prior to moving. Notify your bank, magazine subscriptions, bill collectors, family, friends and others. Plus, go ahead and buy return mail stickers with your new address on them.
Pre-clean the kitchen and bathroom in your new home. If you cannot for whatever reason, hire a cleaning service to do it for you.
Create one box containing all your cleaning items. Pack the essentials, such as disinfectants, dishwashing liquid, sponges, a duster and similar items.
Packing Like a Pro
Of course, you could make your move much easier by actually hiring pros. Let Master Movers’ professional packing services do the job for you from beginning to end. This ensures the safety and security of all your priceless valuables.
Additionally, pack an overnight bag with everything you need to get by for a few days. Clothes, toiletries, including your trusty toothbrush, and other essential items, like you would for a long weekend.
Find a clear plastic bin. Pack this open-me-first box with all the super important stuff you will need upon arriving to your new home. Make moving easier by including paper towels, paper plates, utensils, toilet paper, Kleenex, sets of sheets, towels, extension cords, night lights, pen and paper, keys and so on.
Create an organizational system second to none on your own or with help from Master Movers. This helps both you and your professional movers. First create a color coding system with a different color for each room of your future home. Label the boxes on their sides with the room it belongs to, the items it contains and number each one. This will help the move go orderly and faster once the truck gets unloaded.
Brilliant Packing Practices
Put all those books you have saved in your suitcases. This saves a box. Besides suitcases beat boxes when it comes to sturdiness and can be moved way easier, if they sport wheels. Additionally, reduce box use by packing all of your baskets, laundry bins and hampers.
How do you move your clothes collection from your walk-in closet? Grab a garbage bag and from the bottom of them slide it up and over your clothes with the hangars in place. Don’t overstuff your heavy-duty garbage bag. Pack 10 hangers or less. This makes for easier transport and faster unpacking.
Make lugging those heavy boxes less stressful on lower backs. Cut upside down triangles on both sides of the boxes, so you can grip them more securely.
Slide any fragile drinking glasses inside liquor boxes already split into small compartments. This keeps them safer.
For extra security, pack fragile glasses and stemware in clean socks that provide more padding. Using your clothes and towels goes for other breakable valuables, too, such as dishes. Additionally, put your plates in a box vertically like records, which makes them even less likely to break.
Large pots can be used to carry the spices and any canned goods you plan to take with you.
Keep drawers, jewelry displays and utensils tightly together by wrapping them with saran wrap. This will make moving easier, plus you’ll be relieved to have all your clothes already put away in their drawers when you reach your new home.
Use painter’s tape to protect your mirrors from cracks or breaking.
Don’t forget to snap a photo of the tangled mess of wires connected to your TV and other electronics. This helps you recall how and where everything plugs in. Additionally, sandwich bags make ideal places to hold any bolts or screws when you have to disassemble your TV, beds, kitchen and dining room tables, or other possessions. Simply tape the bag to the item they belong to.
Stuff to Safeguard
Take your prized and valuable possessions with you to prevent them from going missing. This includes jewelry, silverware, collections or antiques.
Also, keep important papers, such as wills, passports, birth certificates, social security cards, school records, house closing papers, mover’s estimate and more with you. Losing these could cause a major headache.
If you want to move liquids place them in the trunk of your car. The last thing you want to find would be spilled liquids that damaged or destroyed furniture, electronics and other household items in the moving truck. Wrap the openings of your cleaning supplies and toiletries in saran wrap and put the tops back on. For extra measure, duct tape the tops and/or seal them up in gallon-sized plastic bags. Keep all your liquids together in one box.
I Wish I Would Have Thought of That
One ingenious moving tip to us to make moving easier: Wrapping a rubber band around the inside and outside door handles to keep from accidentally getting locked out.
We admit this may seem ridiculous. But create playlists for moving out and moving in. The music will pass the time quicker, keep everyone in good spirits, and put some pep in your step.
Another great idea: Create a junk food bar! Toss all that healthy eating malarkey to the wind and buy Cheetos, M&Ms, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chocolate chip cookies and other snacks you secretly love. Make sure everyone knows they can pig out, too.
Bribe yourself with a reward for a successful move. A massage, a night out at the movies, a candle-light dinner or whatever inspires you.
Once moved to your new place order out. Treat yourself to pizza or other fast food. It’s OK to take a night off from cooking. Plus, you deserve it!
Unless you look forward to sleeping on the floor, the first thing to set up in your new home should be the beds in your new bedrooms. Despite all the steps to make moving easier, few things rank higher as refreshing than a good night’s sleep.
Most Important of All, Hire the Moving Experts at Master Movers!
Make sure to call the professional moving experts at Master Movers to help make moving easier. We’ve done this since 1992 and can get you across town, across the country or across the globe. Plus, our friendly staff can help solve any special moving issues that pop up. Call us today for all your moving or storage needs!