Calling all DCUMers Moving Experts!!!!

[Anonymous]

What was the greatest idea you had while packing, transporting and unpacking your move?

What was your biggest mistake?

We're moving to Chicago with a 11 month old baby and we need all the tips. DH travels for work so it's just me and the baby. We might hire someone to help me to pack but I'm not sure if we can afford it.

We're going from 1bed to a 2bed apt.

So I have pen and paper, please share your ideas with me. Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

Don't over pack a box with heavy stuff, split it up, for example all your bokks in one box is bad, fill it half full and use your kids stuffed animals to fill the rest of the box. The same with glassware.

A box should not be more than 30 pounds, that way the movers can carry two or three at a time.

Label the box with a room number, not John's room, and put a pice of paper next to each room entrance with the # that room is.

Let the movers do what thy do, they knwo to be careful, they know to watch the walls

Feed the movers, not crappy fast food, have breakfast for them, then get lunch, make sure to have cold drinks available the entire time.

They know how to move things and pack things, so tell yor husband and father to step aside

Move your own crystal and fine china

Pack a package of TP in your car so when you get there you have it.

When you unpack break down yoru boxes

[Anonymous]

Mark some boxes that you will want to unpack immediately. This is for things you will have to have on hand ASAP.

[Anonymous]

I let me children color on the boxes going into their room so they feel a connection. Have an "open first" box with a set of sheets, towels, and anything you might need the first night or two. It can take a while to get everything unpacked. If you are driving, bring this in the car. Anything you do not want moved, hide, for example in the car or fridge. This might be car keys, purse, food, etc. Have the rooms labeled ahead of time. Be very nice to your movers, definitely feed them (and have water and/or Gatorade available). We also offer to let them listed to any music they like. Make sure you know when they may deliver and ensure someone will be able to meet them on short notice. Our movers pack for us and the boxes are full (no movement) but often have a lot of paper/padding.

[Anonymous]

If you can get a babysitter when the movers are picking up and dropping off, that is helpful, esp if you are on your own.
Pack a bottle/wine opener and the phone number for food delivery service (pizza, Chinese, something) at your new home.

[Anonymous]

Go to container store! They have these china and crystal packing kits that make it about fifty bazillion times easier. I have moved twice in the past year and used these kids the second time around and they were WELLLLLL worth it. It made packing up dishes, etc so much easier and faster. They aren't super cheap (I think like $10 a box and you will need a lot of them for your nice china and everyday china, glasses, etc) but just well, well worth it.

Also, make sure to get packing peanuts (you can also buy these at container store). Don't waste too much time in trying to get things to fit in the boxes perfectly - if you can't fit them all the way up, just dump packing peanuts inside.

Buy way more boxes and tape than you think you will need.

ITA on packing a box or two in advance that will be full of necessities- mark it clearly so you know you need to open those first. Wash some clean sheets and put them in a ziplock bag (a large one obviously) so they are ready when you arrive and you can make your bed. GL!!

[Anonymous]

9:48 again, if you get desperate for help, post on craigslist offering to pay $10/hour. I did this in college and two women came over and packed up my whole apartment for me- it came to like $200 total. Movers would have been waaay more expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Label the box with a room number, not John's room, and put a pice of paper next to each room entrance with the # that room is.

NP here: To add on to PP's suggestion, label the box with the room it is going INTO (in your new home), not the room it came out of (in your old home). For instance, stuff that came out of your home office (for example) in your old home may not be going into your home office in your new home.

We also kept a running inventory of what was in each box... Doesn't have to be too detailed, but that way if you know you need X, you can figure out which box it's in, even if you haven't upacked everything yet. (I'm not talking about the "open first" box stuff, but stuff you'll need later on but before everything is unpacked.)

[Anonymous]

Pad the bottoms and tops of boxes of fragile stuff with sweatshirts, sweaters, t-shirts, bed linens, towels that you don't need before the move. It makes unpacking kind of random, but it's easy to just put all that stuff away at once.

Also, make a plan and you can pack a few boxes every night after the kids are in bed. Books are super easy. Dishes/glassware take longer. (raid recycling bins for old newspapers or buy a few issues of the Post - they make good wrapping for dishes/glassware.)

Use small-ish boxes for books and things like dishes/glassware. I generally don't go bigger than about 12x12x18 for books boxes. You can put clothes and linens in the tops to fill up the box without adding too much weight.

I move clothes by poking a hole in the bottom of a hefty garbage bag and putting a bunch of hangers - maybe 20 - through the hole. Tie the bag at the bottom. Then you can hang them in the truck or dump them into a big box. (Later, you can use packing tape to seal the hole and use the garbage bag as normal.

[Anonymous]

Movers have great wardrobe boxes -- big box w/ hanger rod across the top. Clothes come out of your closet and get hung in the box -- easy peasy. Negotiate a couple free ones as part of your move.

Pack two boxes a night -- enough so you feel accomplished, not so much that you burn out. Plan on a place to store them so they're out of the way.

Buy a supply of disposable plates, cups, etc. Use them for the last week when you pack the kitchen, then put them in your "open me first" box to use while you unpack the kitchen at the new place.

Be ruthless about what you need to keep. Purge/trash/donate/freecycle as much as possible before you start packing. Then pack as much as possible before the final, panicked week. Be minimalist in your daily living -- everything that can, goes into boxes. Think of it like camping in your house.

[Anonymous]

Don't be afraid to speak up if you see the movers not being careful with your stuff. And be willing to stop all progress and call a supervisor if the situation doesn't go to your satisfaction.

[Anonymous]

OMG this is awesome advice!!! Thank you so much!

[Anonymous]

As tedious as it can be, take the time now to RUTHLESSLY edit your household. Nothing like paying to move half your wardrobe/library/kitchen across country only to donate it once it's unpacked! My last cross-country move made me realize how much crap I've accumulated.

If there are big ticket items you're not attached to, sell them now (beds, couches, bookcases, etc) and use the cash toward the move.

Some IKEA stuff doesn't move well. Billy bookcases, I mean you!

Check with your movers, but I've been told to leave clothes in dressers. If that's the case, fill up those drawers!

[Anonymous]

NP here. Keep these coming, please!

To the person who said two boxes a night. Thank you, great advice.

Also any tips for unpacking/settling in...

[Anonymous]

Hire someone to pack and unpack just your kitchen and china. Its the most time consuming and tedious part of moving, and its also the part that movers can do better and faster than you.