Please give me your best moving tips!

Anonymous
Moving 1000 miles, 2 months till moving day. We have already started gathering up trash bags full of donation items and paring down/tossing stuff we don’t need. Cleared off the patio this morning. All that’s left out there are planting pots that will get put in the trunk on moving day. I also listed 20 items on eBay this morning and anything that doesn’t sell will get donated.

As we get closer, I plan to toss all the towels/donate to animal rescues because all our towels are in bad shape and I’m going to order new ones to the new house

What can I do to make this move as smooth as possible?
Anonymous
Create a box that has a pack of toilet paper, a container of Clorox Wipes, roll of paper towel, etc. Create a bag that has all your electronics and put passports and birth certificates, etc. on there. Keep that bag on you - do NOT give it to the movers.

Also, make sure you have cash on hand to tip the movers.
Anonymous
If there is anything you don’t want the movers to pack/load, put it in the bathtub and let them know not to touch that.

Try to pack a box or two a night to make it a little less daunting.

This may be obvious, but remember to label every box. Consider using a spreadsheet to inventory what you have in each box.

Hardware for furniture that is taken apart: place it all in a baggie, label it with the furniture piece (e.g., master bed), and painters tape the bag to the furniture. This way it is all together, but if it does get misplaced, at least it is labeled. Alternatively, have a small box that contains all of the labeled bags.

As you pack, ask yourself if you really need to take it. As you unpack it, ask yourself again if you really need it. Hopefully you can purge more than you originally thought.

Purge as much as you can
Anonymous
Yes to purge, purge, purge!

Take your clean bedding - sheets, pillows, blankets - and put them in a box labeled “OPEN FIRST”. Add your bathrobe, pjs, towels and a roll of paper towel.

As soon as the movers set up your bed - open the box and make the bed.
Anonymous
Label boxes ON THE SIDE instead of on the top. I screw this one upon every time.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Moving 1000 miles, 2 months till moving day. We have already started gathering up trash bags full of donation items and paring down/tossing stuff we don’t need. Cleared off the patio this morning. All that’s left out there are planting pots that will get put in the trunk on moving day. I also listed 20 items on eBay this morning and anything that doesn’t sell will get donated.

As we get closer, I plan to toss all the towels/donate to animal rescues because all our towels are in bad shape and I’m going to order new ones to the new house

What can I do to make this move as smooth as possible?


Don't.

Ha ha. Sorry, I have moved 10 times, several international and there's always something.

Are you having packers? If so, be prepared for them to sort of swarm the house. It's really best if you can have another adult there to keep an eye on things and answer questions.

Make sure you empty the trash and try not to have anything laying around.

We go one step further than putting stuff in a bathtub. We have a locked room that has our suitcases, documents, etc. Do not assume your packers are all great listeners or will understand. We usually have one or two people on the crew that are competent.

Ours do a written inventory box by box so we can check it off on the other end. I haven't done a spreadsheet but will coach/observe anything valuable or delicate being packed.

Biggest thing is purging. Purge, purge, purge.
Anonymous
what things do you suggest people purge, pre move ?
Anonymous
I’d suggest moving without your husband.


That’s all I’ve got. It’s really so much easier.
Anonymous
Clearly label the boxes with the room where you want the movers to deposit each box. Put paper signs on doors Bedroom #1, #2, etc.
In smaller print, you can list contents, but the movers just need to know which boxes go where.

You can also bring post-it notes for the walls: bed goes here, dresser goes here etc.
Anonymous
Label every box in detail. Then, put different colored duct tape on it to easily identify which room it goes to--blue kitchen, green garage, purple living room, pink daughters room etc. Makes it really easy to figure out what goes where and were to start looking for something specific. Even if the blue taped box ends up in the garage, you'll quickly know that kitchen stuff is in there.

Wrap the sh$t out of breakables--get rid of as much breakable stuff as you can bear to part with to avoid risking breakage on such a long move. Glasses and whatnot are inexpensive to replace, usually. Wrap whatever you're taking in newsprint (you can get big pads of it at UHaul or even art stores. It's cheap.) Then bubble wrap around that for the stuff you'd REALLY miss.

don't overpack your boxes. I overpacked one of those big skinny boxes for pictures/mirrors etc and ended up having to replace glass in a watercolor. Luckily the art itself was undamaged--that was lucky.

But mostly--LABEL LABEL LABEL.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:what things do you suggest people purge, pre move ?
literally anything you don't use often--clothes you don't wear, especially if they're out of style or getting ratty or don't fit, work out towels, excess sheets--you don't really need more than 2 sets, maybe 3 max, toys the kids don't play with or have outgrown, old shoes, random kitchen stuff that never gets used. Pass that sh$t on to someone who does need it and will use it.
Anonymous
In that open first box with sheets, towels toilet paper, add some plastic cups, disposable plates and cutlery. Also include a box cutter.

Along with keeping parts together in baggies and attaching, do the same for detachable cords. I just moved my parents and somehow the TV and DVD/Blueray cords were detached, but not put into their moving boxes. So we had to search everywhere for them. And one is still missing.

Have another open first box that has extension cords and surge protectors.
Anonymous
We move every 20-24 months for work so here are my tips:

Start packing now. Start with things you don’t readily need like your cookbook collection, guest sheets and towels, small photo frames. Label with room and contents on two sides of the box (top and one side for example). If you have packers there are things you won’t want them packing, like jewelry, valuables, maybe your clothing or toiletries. Whatever you wouldn’t want someone handling. Make a point to do those yourself.

Buy rolls of duct tape in different colors and assign one to each room, eg, blue tape goes on kitchen boxes, yellow tape goes on master bedroom boxes. At new house put a sign on door to each room with a strip of the assigned tape color.

If you have movers coming designate a “do not pack room” for essentials: suitcases, passports and valuables, laptop, pet supplies etc. A large closet with door or laundry room work well. Put up signs not to enter/pack. If it locks, even better. We also often put valuables in our car and lock it (if you’re driving and still have cars).

If you have packers, place “do not pack” signs on the most obvious of things: garbage can, refrigerator (contents), litter box for example. All things friends have had boxed and moved by accident as is

Make “bathroom boxes” for each bathroom in new house with the soap dispenser, hand towels, rug, bath mat for each, new shower curtain liner, plus a box of tissues, new bottle of liquid hand soap, new toilet brush, and a few rolls of toilet paper. It makes unpacking so easy to have everything needed to setup up the bathroom in one box.

Stock up on things it’s time to replace and buy them new, now, to unpack at the new house: toilet bowl brushes, sponges and rags, welcome mat, etc.

Write lists for yourself for what you need to replace at new house, like cleaning products, houseplants, alcohol, matches or candle lighters, and lightbulbs. Things you can’t ship or have moved safely (and movers may not agree to do. Our movers can never pack candles, liquids like lotion or perfume so read the fine print carefully to avoid moving day surprises).

Create list of basic pantry items you’ll need to buy at new location. It’s a drag but you’ll need to budget for a huge grocery haul first thing to replace staples. We pack spices but all else, like a collection of great olive oils, and everything from flour to condiments have to be replaced since you’ll be tossing opened food before you move. I usually make a list of things to get immediately (milk, bread, fruit etc) upon arrival and then a longer list to shop for later in the first week after moving.

Open new utilities accounts and set up service appointments at new house now so you’re not without power, WiFi, cable etc for long if at all.

Make a list of places to update address: credit cards, banks, investment firms, insurance companies (you’ll have to update homeowner and car policies), IRS, workplace, utility companies, cell phone provider, alumni organization, friends and family, magazine subscriptions, Amazon and online retailers etc. File change of address form with USPS and setup mail forwarding if latter is needed.

Cancel any deliveries you typically get now at your current location: newspapers, water bottle delivery, food kit or subscription boxes, etc.

Research requirements for getting new state drivers license and voter registration and for registering cars, paying state vehicle taxes, etc.

Get copies of medical records, dental X-rays, vet records, and any children’s’ school records. Some of these can take weeks to order so get on it ASAP. Hand carry to new location.

Research and identify new doctors, dentists, specialists etc accepting new patients in new location. You don’t want to get in a situation where your child has an ear infection but no pediatrician or your dog has an emergency but no vet selected. Also google map and program into your phones and GPS the hospital and urgent cares closest to your new home as a precaution.

If you have pets update their chips with new address and order new tags for their collars.

If there will be a lag between when you move into your house and when things will arrive from moving trucks, plan for it now. Do you need inflatable mattresses and bedding and towels? Toys for kids and pet supplies and food? We always mail ahead to ourselves these types of things so we have them immediately and don’t have to wait for the bulk of household goods to arrive.

My last tip is just to expect a lot of direct and incidental OOP costs that will come up with a move. Between hotels, car rentals, taxis to and from airport or cross country gas fill-ups, food and dining out, etc. a lot of expenses come up. For us (family of four) it’s about $4,000 on average for domestic moves for random things and $6,000 for international moves. In short, have more money put aside for moving costs than you think you may need.
Anonymous
I like to get those huge boxes at Home Depot and put as much as I can fit in each one. Then I tape it ip well and label on the sides and top. I find this makes packing, moving and unpacking simpler because there are fewer boxes to keep up with.

For clothing, I keep them on the hanger and gently fold big wads of them into the huge boxes. That way all I have to do is take them out and hang them up in the closet at the new place.

I like to unpack as soon as possible at the new place. Unpacking is far easier than packing, and it helps me feel more settled to not live out of the boxes and put them away.

Clean the new place thoroughly before unpacking. Including the fridge, oven, top of cabinets (so gross), and top of fridge. Also wipe all the drawers, they get so gross.

I’d also suggest spraying for bugs before unpacking. Get a can of Raid and spray inside and outside of doors, spray outside around windows, and spray the corners of baseboards.
Anonymous
First, make a master list of "everything to do" between now and the move. Leave room for additions. It's sort of the guide to this move and put it on the fridge. Stuff like pack bedroom X, turn off magazine subscriptions, cancel cable, etc.

Second, while purging is good, avoid duplication. Going through a bedroom to clear out everything you don't need is good, but then you have to come back and pack that bedroom. Try to maximize purge & pack time. As someone mentioned, there are plenty of things you will keep but simply don't need between now and the move.

A big black marker is a godsend and write a list of major items in a box along with instructions on where you want it to go. "Main Bedroom / Closet" for example will help the movers when they unload.

The first open box is cleaning supplies but also some plastic plates / cups and maybe a pan for your first meal (or just plan on a pizza on day one).
post reply Forum Index » Off-Topic
Message Quick Reply
Go to: