But, as thrilling as your future may be, moving is obviously stressful. It demands a lot of time and effort, and it’s common to feel anxious at the prospect of an unfamiliar location, culture, or workplace. There’s also the financial stress of hiring movers, putting up security deposits, and traveling to your new destination. It’s infamously one of life’s biggest stressors.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Moving stress absolutely can and should be minimized. Read on to learn how to make your own move as stress-free as possible.
Target the stressors that happen on moving day right now
One of the biggest reasons people get stressed out about moving is because they feel overwhelmed. By putting a plan in place and doing some prep work well before you start the moving process, you can nip that problem in the bud.
Start with your utilities. The last thing you want is to move into your new home and realize the water hasn’t been turned on yet. About a month in advance, call up your local utility and other service providers (e.g., electricity, gas, water, trash, cable, internet, etc.) and let them know you want to transfer your services. If your current provider isn’t available where you’re moving, let them know the date you need service terminated. Then set up a new account to have service turned on a few days before your move-in date.
Hire movers early. We recommend booking no later than two weeks in advance. If you wait until just before your move date, the higher-rated and/or cheaper companies will almost certainly be booked.
Clean stuff as you pack them, so you’re unpacking items that have already been dusted and wiped down.
Pack a special suitcase with a change of clothes, toiletries, medications, and anything else you might need to have on hand before all your belongings are unpacked. (Bonus: If you need to head into the office during or shortly after the move, make sure you set aside work clothes on hangers so they won’t be wrinkled.)
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Yes, it’s time—get seriously organized about your move
Feeling like your day is out of control or worrying that your belongings are missing is definitely stressful. Keeping your move as organized as possible will minimize that stress.
Create an inventory of everything that’s being packed and moved. Label your boxes clearly, by room, so your movers know exactly where to unload them. Then write down everything that’s in each box. Print a few copies of your inventory in case one gets lost. When your movers begin unpacking, you can reference your list and ensure everything is accounted for.
Make a moving day checklist with a realistic timeline. With this checklist, you can input to-do entries from six weeks before, counting down to the big day.
Have the names and phone numbers/emails of all your points of contact for move day saved, in case you need to reach someone on the fly.
Build in some buffer times leading up to move day
Everyone hopes that moving day goes smoothly. Of course, there’s always a chance that mishaps derail your schedule. Packing might take longer than expected, or maybe your movers forget something at your old place.
Whatever may or may not happen, try not to schedule everything down to the wire.
It can help to tackle packing in small chunks—in between your other life responsibilities—instead of trying to get everything done in a matter of days. For example, start small; go one room at a time, beginning with your least-used rooms. You might also negotiate with the buyer/seller to give you more time in your current home.
Consider booking an extra day with your rental vehicle. You never know what obstacles you’ll face while packing the truck or what extra stops you’ll make along the way.
If you need to take some time off of work to accomplish your move, try to schedule an extra day after your move to decompress, if you have the vacation time available. You’ll likely be arranging furniture, unpacking boxes, and organizing closets for days or weeks after the official move-in date.
Outsource your responsibilities as much as possible
Many people plan on a total DIY move, taking on too many responsibilities for their timeline. This is where reasonable outsourcing comes in.
“…[T]he best time to move is during the off-season, either October-November or March-April. This is when you’re most likely to experience the mildest weather conditions.”
Even if you’re a bit strapped for cash, there are solutions to get the help you need for a stress-free move. Here are some tips to consider for outsourcing your moving tasks:
Hire professionals when possible. Having movers and cleaners come in to give a hand can make a big difference. Some people even hire professional organizers and packers. If you have smaller jobs that need to get done, consider using TaskRabbit or Porch.
Mine your support system for help. If you don’t have a ton of extra cash, ask family and friends to help out. Maybe you have a parent who can babysit while you focus on directing the movers, or a buddy with a truck who can help you save money on transporting larger items.
Delegate tasks as much as possible. If you have a spouse, children or teenagers, heck, even nieces or nephews, go ahead and put them to work. Cleaning, packing, and other smaller tasks are not nearly as difficult when it’s a group project.
Choose the right day and time for moving day
When you move is just as important as how. Attempting to move during times of high traffic or bad weather will only add to the stress of the situation.
According to HireAHelper data, the best time to move is during the off-season, either October-November or March-April. This is when you’re most likely to experience the mildest weather conditions.
It’s always a good idea to check the forecast and try to plan accordingly. If it is raining or snowing, you’ll have to consider appropriate footwear and rain gear, as well as whatever protection you need to keep your furniture and boxes dry, such as a tarp, large umbrellas, or big garbage bags.
Most people try to move on the weekends when they’re most likely to have time off of work (and family/friends are more likely to be available to help), so it can pay to wait until mid-week. Booking your move for a Tuesday or Wednesday will help ensure you can get a reservation with your chosen moving company, and at a lower rate.
Schedule your move for the morning. Your movers are less likely to run into traffic or other issues that can cause delays. Plus, you’ll get into your new space sooner, so you can start unpacking and getting settled in.
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Don’t forget to food prep snacks and drinks for the day of the move
Let’s be honest, no one wants to deal with you when you’re “hangry”. But the hustle and bustle of moving might mean you skip meals or have to resort to fast food.
Be sure to prep some easy, maybe healthy meals like sandwiches or salads, along with some disposable cutlery. Have portable snacks handy, too, such as nuts, string cheese, jerky and other foods that will help you feel full and focused. And don’t forget to carry plenty of water with you to avoid getting dehydrated.
There’s no guarantee any move will be entirely stress-free. But if you prepare well ahead of time, pace yourself, and have a game plan, a lot of the usual anxiety-causing culprits won’t seem so bad. And remember, outsourcing help for your move is a surefire way to take some of the tasks off your to-do list.
How To Seriously Lessen Your Carbon Footprint When You Move
Around 32.1 million Americans—some 14 million households—moved back in 2019. That’s a lot of moving and shaking, and it’s a lot of extra strain on the environment. An increasing number of Americans are committing to doing more to protect the environment, and green moving is becoming a popular topic.
Eco-friendly moving—and especially zero-waste moving—requires some time and detailed planning. But that’s a good thing because you’ll have all of your ducks in a row by moving day, which means you’ll have an easy time of it. Here at Hire a Helper, we’re all about making your life easier, but we’re also about doing our part to take a load off the environment. This guide will help you achieve a green relocation, no matter how far you have to go.
Before You Move: You Need a Smart Downsize
Moving houses is a great opportunity to go through everything you’ve collected since you moved into your current place. Depending on how long you’ve been there, this may be a quick task, or it may take some serious time. Either way, taking the time to do it right is better for the environment, since you’ll be less likely to toss stuff in the trash just to be rid of it—you’ll have more time to dispose of your discards in a more eco-friendly way. Here’s how to do it right.
The eco-friendly plan
Make your plan—and write it down. Maybe you’ll do a room each week, or a closet each day. Allow yourself more time for basement and attic storage spaces and closets that send an avalanche of stuff down on top of you when you open them.
Create a space for these specific piles
Before you start decluttering, set aside space in your home, or label some boxes to put things in that you’re planning on getting rid of. Have a clearly labeled box, bag, or pile for:
Things you’ll donate to charity
Things you can sell
Things you want to give to specific people
Trash
Things you can (surprisingly!) recycle
Old carpeting
Old mattresses
Scratched CDs, game discs, and DVDs
Stained or torn clothing or bedding
Large and small appliances, from the dryer to the microwave
Electronics, including old cell phones, TVs, computers, printers, and stereos
Crayons and dried-up markers
Ink cartridges
Working and non-working holiday lights
Hazardous waste
Call your local hazmat office and ask where you can drop them off. These items include:
Paints
Fertilizers
Cleaners
Solvents
Motor oil
Pesticides
Eco-friendly Moves Really Happen During the Packing
Leaving packing for the last minute means you’ll probably end up shoving things into garbage bags, which makes it less likely you’ll sort stuff correctly (and it’s super annoying to unpack). The sooner you get started on packing, the more time you can take to do it right and in a way that’s environmentally friendly.
If you’re going to have movers pack you up, and if they’re bringing all of the supplies, choose a moving company that uses sustainable packing materials and reusable or recyclable boxes. (Just ask!) Find out how to best prepare for their arrival. If you’re packing yourself, planning is everything. Are you going to jam through your whole house over the course of a week, or will spend the month before the move getting packed? Decide on your game plan, and use these tips to make your packing adventure as green as possible.
Only use these eco-friendly packing materials
What, exactly, does “eco-friendly” mean when it comes to packing and packing supplies? It means that everything you use to pack your things—boxes, wrapping, padding, tape—is made from recycled materials and/or is recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable.
Eco-friendly packing supplies include:
Cardboard boxes. When you’re done unpacking, pass your boxes on to someone else who’s moving, or put them out for recycling. When possible, source used cardboard boxes. If you must purchase new ones, choose boxes that are made from post-consumer recycled materials.
Cornstarch peanuts. If you’ve got to use peanuts for extra-fragile items, choose the eco-friendly variety instead of styrofoam peanuts, which don’t biodegrade—at least, not in our lifetime. Green packing peanuts are made from non-toxic materials like cornstarch or wheat. They’re biodegradable and dissolve in water, and you can compost them. As an added bonus, eco-friendly packing peanuts don’t have an electrostatic charge, so they won’t stick to everything.
Eco-friendly bubble wrap. Traditional bubble wrap is made from low-density polyethylene film, which generally isn’t picked up by your curbside recycler but can be recycled with your plastic bags when you take them to your local drop-off location. Eco-friendly bubble wrap is greener than traditional because it’s made, in part, from recycled materials. But it’s not biodegradable or compostable, so if you don’t recycle it, it’s hardly green at all.
Corrugated cardboard wrap. Made from 100 percent recycled cardboard, corrugated cardboard wrap is sturdy, protective, biodegradable, and recyclable. (See picture!)
Non-plastic tape. Plastic tape isn’t biodegradable, but paper and cellulose tape, which are made from trees, are. Paper tape typically comes with a water-activated adhesive and requires a special dispenser that wets the tape as you pull it out. Cellulose tape looks like plastic, but it’s made from trees, and you can tear it like paper. Both types of tape are biodegradable.
The zero-waste packing method
If you’re hardcore, you can achieve zero-waste moving by packing carefully. Plan ahead with these tips:
Use your clothes, towels, sheets, pillows, cushions, and linens to protect fragile items. Bonus: you won’t have to pack these items
Save your newspapers and junk magazines and inserts to wrap items in, and recycle them after you unpack
Rent reusable containers. Moving companies often rent reusable, heavy-duty moving crates that come in many shapes and sizes, including a wardrobe box to make moving your clothes easier than ever. When you’re done moving, return the boxes
Pack what you can in empty drawers, laundry baskets, suitcases, buckets, tote bags, and other receptacles you already have on hand
Source free cardboard boxes from friends and local stores. Close them by interlocking the flaps, and recycle or pass the boxes along to someone else when you’re done
For mattresses and other large items you might otherwise wrap in non-biodegradable plastic sheeting, opt instead to drape blankets, sheets, or a cloth drop cloth over these pieces
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Moving Day Must-do’s
It’s the big day! You’ve downsized your belongings without adding unnecessary waste to the local landfill, and you’ve packed your things in the most eco-friendly way you could. Now it’s time to finish up the move with the smallest possible environmental impact, which will be easy as pie if you follow these tips:
Turn off the HVAC while you load
Since your doors will be wide open while you’re loading boxes into the moving truck, turn off the heat or A/C while you load to save energy. Keep the lights off unless you need them on. To empty out the house faster so you can get the heat or A/C back on, move everything as close to the door as you can before you start moving it out.
Save on gas and reduce exhaust
If you’ve hired a moving company, you don’t have much control over how much fuel they consume during your move, but you can rest assured that your company will want to conserve gas if only to boost their bottom line. Moving companies plan their loads and routes carefully for that reason. Depending on how much stuff you have and how far you’re moving, hiring a moving company may be your best option for an eco-friendly relocation.
If you’re moving yourself, here’s what you can do to save on gas:
Plan your route. Take a route to your new place that will use the least amount of gas. The best route may be the shortest, or it may be a long one that has the least traffic congestion and therefore the fewest idling stops.
Make as few trips as possible. The fewer trips you need to take to get your stuff to your new place, the more eco-friendly your move will be. When you’re packing, fill your containers as full as possible so you’ll need fewer of them, which will require fewer trips. Pack your things in the vehicle(s) carefully so there’s little wasted space.
Recycle those packaging materials
Eco-friendly moving isn’t really eco-friendly until you deal with the aftermath—the boxes and the packing materials. As you unpack each box, set the packing materials aside—designate a pile for what can be recycled curbside and a pile for what you’ll need to drop off. Remove any tape from these materials and from your boxes before you break them down. Give the boxes to friends, or put them up on a free online marketplace for people to claim. If they’re beaten up, set them out for recycling.
A New Start: Going Green for Good
Now that you’re all settled in, take a deep breath, relax, and take a good look around your new place. What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint—and your utility bills—as you begin a new era? We’re glad you asked.
Protect your air quality
Poor air quality in your home is bad for your health and for the environment. Keep your indoor air quality as high as possible for a reduced footprint and increased well-being.
Use eco-friendly paints for walls. Paint is notorious for off-gassing volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, into your home, and the production of conventional paint has serious environmental consequences. When it’s time to decorate, choose low-VOC paint, which is less harmful to the environment and your health.
Use non-toxic cleaners. Conventional home cleaning products are rife with toxic chemicals, and when they go down the drain, they can end up in our natural waterways and poison aquatic wildlife. You can either buy non-toxic cleaners or use ingredients from the kitchen, like vinegar and baking soda, to get the entire place sparkling clean without putting your health at risk.
Change the HVAC filter. The air filter in your HVAC system traps impurities as your home’s air moves through it. A dirty filter is far less efficient than a clean one at catching particles like pollen, mold, bacteria, and viruses. Only use high-quality air filters in your system. Inspect your filter each month, and replace it when it’s dirty.
Maintain your furnace and A/C. Your HVAC system is responsible for a large portion of your home’s energy consumption, so keeping it in tip-top shape will not only lower your utility bills but also reduce your home’s use of non-renewable resources and its emissions of greenhouse gases. Have your furnace professionally tuned up before you need it each fall, and have your A/C serviced before it’s time to turn it on in the spring.
Install solar panels. When it’s time to make upgrades, consider installing solar panels on your home. Solar power has come a long way in the past decade, and it’s less expensive and more reliable than ever before. Solar power is pollution-free, and it’s less expensive than the non-renewable alternatives.
Invest in ENERGY STAR appliances. As you move through life in your new home, replace appliances that break down with new ENERGY STAR appliances. ENERGY STAR is a program by the U.S. Department of Energy that clearly identifies the household appliances with the highest energy efficiency and, therefore, the lowest operating costs.
Conserve water better
Less than one percent of the earth’s water is available for human use, and our current global civilization is quickly depleting the supply. It’s up to everyone to conserve water, and here are some ways to do it at home.
Low-flow fixtures. Low-flow fixtures, including showerheads, dishwashers, and toilets, are easy to install, and they don’t affect the quality of your showers, the cleanliness of your dishes, or the force of your flush. However, they do conserve water, using considerably less than their conventional counterparts.
Run the shortest cycles on the dishwasher and washing machine. Unless your clothes or dishes are heavily soiled, the shortest cycle on the washer or dishwasher will get them just as clean as a longer cycle, but it’ll save a lot of water over time.
Re-think your lawn. The lawn is one of the worst offenders when it comes to environmental damage. Maintaining a lawn involves fertilizers and pesticides that leach into groundwater, and keeping it green and barefoot-worthy requires a lot of water. Mowing requires non-renewable gasoline and emits greenhouse gases. Consider ditching your lawn for a beautiful, low-maintenance xeriscape, which requires little to no water.
Finally get your household waste under control
In 2018, Americans generated more than 292 million tons of household waste—around five pounds per person per day. With a recycling and composting rate of just 32.1 percent, America sends the majority of its solid waste to landfills, where it produces methane, carbon dioxide, and other poisonous gases. So your first order of business in your new place is to recycle religiously if you don’t already. Also:
Go paperless. Paper accounts create a huge amount of waste, and although most paper can be recycled, much of it isn’t, or can’t be. Reduce your paper consumption as much as possible—opt for paperless bill paying, invoicing, and receipts, and opt out of junk mail. Clean up spills with microfiber instead of paper towels or disposable wipes, and invest in a stack of cloth napkins instead of using disposable ones.
Compost. A backyard compost pile provides you with rich compost for your garden, and it helps you dramatically reduce food waste, which accounts for a large portion of household waste. But food isn’t the only thing you can compost. Other things you can toss on the compost pile include non-glossy paper, cardboard, natural fabrics, dryer lint, and wine corks. Shred these items into small pieces before adding them to the heap.
Buy in bulk. Food packaging has a giant, terrible impact on the environment. It comprises half of all municipal waste, and it ends up in waterways and inside wildlife as microplastics. It strangles sea creatures, traps land critters, and breaks down into toxic chemicals in the soil. Whenever possible, buy your food in bulk. Bring your own bags to the store with you, and skip the produce bags—or reuse them.
Change your mindset. Being a consumer is fun, there’s no doubt about it. But if you tend to buy things mainly for the quick hit of dopamine it provides—and if most of those baubles quickly end up in the back of closets and drawers, unseen until you move again in 10 years—it’s time to change your ways. When you pick up that shiny thing at your favorite big box store, ask yourself: Do I really need this? If the answer is a (reluctant) no, save your money for something spectacular later on.
From the moment you decide to move, it’s easy to honor your commitment to reducing your impact on the environment. With some planning ahead, you can easily achieve an eco-friendly or zero-waste move. Once you’re unpacked, a few tweaks of some old habits and some brand-new habits are all it takes to start your new life on the right foot—one with a lighter print.
We Asked 12 Professional Organizers How They Made Their Moves Easier
While moving to a new home is exciting, it is also an overwhelming task due to all the things that need to be done before, during, and after you start enjoying new adventures and experiences. Just thinking about preparing for a big move can make you feel anxious. We reached out to expert home organizers and asked them for tips to help you overcome this task.
Read on to check out our list of easy moving and packing tips.
How do you get organized before moving?
Getting organized for a move requires a project management approach. You will have extensive lists and planning to help you keep your sanity.
Start with developing a timeline for your move. Work backward on your timeline to include dates the movers will load the truck, packers will arrive, the time you will be off residence while packing occurs, decluttering, change of address, optional items you will sell or donate before the move, and other items coming out of storage for your move. Record this timeline in your planner.
Add team members to your project. This includes movers, packers, professional organizers, childcare help, and other resources. It’s much harder to do this project entirely alone. Be sure to add the cost of all these additional tasks to add to your budget.
Start decluttering at least THREE months in advance, if you can. You can eliminate what you don’t use or need at your new residence. This saves you money and lowers your stress.
Keep your move organized with labels. Have plenty of markers available to write the contents on your boxes. You can label the boxes with a room name or assign a number to the room. Your movers will appreciate knowing that they can unload in the correct room without your direction because you have labeled the rooms and boxes.
Remember the “last in, first out” box, and your personal needs during this move. The last in, first out box should contain all the hardware for beds and the remote controls. These are vital to your happiness during the first 24 hours in your new home. Your personal needs items include medications and stuffed animals that must be a part of your first night in your home.
Keep calm and carry on! It will take a little longer than you like to settle in, even with every box unpacked. Happy moves happen with a plan!
Moving has been ranked as one of the three most stressful life experiences! The good news—it doesn’t have to be. I’ve been helping people with all aspects of moving for over 15 years, and my biggest tip for less stress and a smooth move is to create a moving schedule with specific dates as soon as you decide to move.
Start with an old-school blank calendar. Even if your whole life is digital, there is something about seeing your key dates on paper – starting with your move date and current commitments – that gives you a realistic overview of what to do when.
Search online for “move checklist“ for a general sense of the steps involved. Most will have a 6-8 week plan. The checklist I use with clients is 18 pages long to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Customize the checklist to reflect your needs and time frame. If you’re moving locally, there’s less to do; there’s more to do if you’re planning to pack and move yourself and not use movers (Pro tip: unless your move is very small, it’s worth getting a free quote from movers – hiring movers is usually money well spent.)
Make appointments with folks who can help—from professional organizers to help manage your move and declutter beforehand to movers to handymen to install your TV and window treatments.
Block out time in your main calendar to work on your move.
Stick to your schedule – and adjust as necessary. Plan for the unexpected!
By creating a realistic, comprehensive moving schedule, you’ll save yourself time, money, and aggravation and will feel in control of the process. Get started!
Use small boxes when packing a kitchen and label the boxes with the room—kitchen, dining room, or pantry—and with the contents.
Pare down your kitchen items as you pack. Get rid of any gadgets that only do one thing (avocado slicer, banana saver, lettuce knife, etc.) Movers charge by weight. If you have a set of china, crystal, or silver you haven’t used in years, get rid of that before you pay to move it!
Use up the food and pantry items you already have and don’t buy anything in bulk for the last few months in your old house. If you come across expired foods and spices, throw those away as you pack.
Finally, pack your kitchen in phases
Up to 2 months ahead:
Pack entertaining/party supplies or anything you know won’t need before you move.
If you are moving far away, think ahead of time about who can use your extra food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies when you leave. Women’s shelters often take these kinds of things, even if they have been opened.
Up to 2 weeks ahead:
Pack up everything else in the kitchen by category, leaving out the bare essentials. You want to leave enough plates and glasses, napkins, and sippy cups for your family to cook and eat for a day. Pack all but one pot and two pans, two dishtowels, etc. Think about what you’d find in a rental unit. Leave just the basics, nothing extra.
The day before you move out:
Pack up these everyday supplies and food (if it’s a local move). Label those boxes “Kitchen—OPEN FIRST.” Once you arrive in your new kitchen, you can open those 2-3 boxes and make due until you have time to unpack fully.
My favorite tips for packing clothes begin with a plan!
Before I pull anything out of the closet, I make a list of the specialty pieces I may need for where I’m going (e.g., exercise clothes, swimsuit, ski jacket, etc.) I also note if I need multiples, like four pairs of ski socks, for four days of skiing.
Then, I make a note of how many days of clothes I’ll need, how many nights (pajamas), as well as anything else, like underclothes and belts. I’ll also look up the weather, so I know I want to take long-sleeved tops and not short sleeves. I’ll pull out however many of each item and scratch it off my list. I consider myself a “folder”, so I like to fold these items into stacks that will fit neatly into my suitcase or bag. But, if rolling works better for your wrinkle-prone pieces, please do so! Laying out the items in stacks or rolls also allows me to quickly assess whether I need a piece of luggage in a different size. Now that I’ve secured my clothes, I can snugly fit shoes, accessories, and toiletries in the space between clothes’ stacks and other pockets.
Begin with the home areas that you use the least because you will have to live without these items from now until you have unpacked in the new space. Start with rooms you rarely use or are mainly used for storage, like guest bedrooms, rooms of children away at college, and the basement, attic, and garage.
Consider whether you really need and want to keep the item. Keep a boxed marked “Donate” by the doorway. Any item that doesn’t make the cut for your new home should go there. As you pack, move carefully stacked, inventoried, and labeled boxes to one side so you can see your progress as items “disappear” and the boxes are filled.
Methodically move cabinet-by-cabinet, or drawer-by-drawer. However, because there may still be weeks (or more) until you move, you will now not only consider whether to move, donate or discard something, but you may need to keep it in place until much closer to moving day.
If it’s winter, pack the summer clothes and shoes from your closets. In living or family rooms, keep the TV and sound system, but pack up the books, puzzles, photo albums, and games. In the linen closet, pack everything except one change of sheets per bed and a few extra blankets. In the kitchen for your remaining time at home, pack whatever you can live without (e.g., gadgets, small appliances you rarely use, specialty supplies, and items). In your home office, pack all of your files in bankers boxes, and pack office supplies you won’t need daily in a separate container. Box up financial files and essential documents related to the move separately to travel with you; don’t leave them with the movers.
In areas you use most often, envision what you’d pack if you were setting up a vacation cottage for just a few weeks. Only leave minimal cookware, enough supplies to prepare simple meals, and adequate silverware, plates, and glasses to serve your needs for your time away. Then, pack everything else, leaving only your imaginary vacation essentials unboxed until right before moving day!
While packing, if you find something in the “wrong” space, move it to the room that corresponds to where it will go in your new house.
Finally, the only things left to pack should be what you will need for the first few days in your new home. Use a small suitcase or duffel bag for each person’s clothes, accessories, school or work items, toiletries, and medications, plus a box of first-night essentials like chargers, toilet paper, and a new shower curtain. Keep these items and all financial records safely with you during transit.
Take time to declutter before moving. Moving is an excellent opportunity to declutter since everything has to be touched anyway. Ask yourself if you use or love each item and have a place to store it in your new home. If you don’t use or don’t love it or you can’t easily store it, now’s a great time to let it go. You won’t have to pack it, move it, and unpack it.
Organize your packing. If you’re packing yourself, group items that go together in a room into categories and pack them in the same boxes. That way, you can label each box with a category. (For example, a kitchen box might also have the label food storage containers.) That will make it easier to unpack in an organized fashion and, if it takes you a while to unpack, you’ll be able to find the appropriate box if you’re looking for something. If you hire movers to pack, take the time to group categories of items together before they pack so that your boxes don’t contain a hodgepodge of stuff. Try to also label your boxes for the destination room (not the origin room) so that movers can get them into the right room.
Start early. The earlier you start organizing and decluttering, the less likely you will pay to move stuff you end up donating on the other end. Starting early also cuts down on stress and makes the move calmer. You’re more likely to get the dates you want with movers if you book them early. And if you’re hiring a professional organizing company or move manager to help, the earlier they get on board, the easier everything will be.
It’s going to depend on what the valuables are. If you still have the original packaging for jewelry (or anything!), use that. If any of your valuables are fragile, it may be worth hiring professionals to pack them.
See if you can lighten your load of any physical paper you don’t need anymore. For example, if you have care instructions for valuables, can you scan them? Or, if you have a valuation and a scanned copy is enough proof, shred the physical paper.
You will want to keep valuables like medicines and prescriptions close and in an “Unpack First Night” box, or in your suitcase or toiletries.
If you can’t keep valuables close, mark the box by room instead of by content. For example, “Living Room” instead of “Antique Vase”.
Keep track of all your valuables with some system. Take pictures, write descriptions and values. Consider an app like Sortly to keep track of everything.
If you’re using a packing cube or driving yourself, invest in a disc lock, as they’re a lot harder to break.
Use an inexpensive tracking device like Tile or TrackR so you’ll be able to know where your items are if you’re using a truck.
Be sure to unpack the rooms that you use daily first. Necessity is always first when it comes to unpacking. Think logically about the things that you will use first; sleeping, eating, and taking a shower are the essential and first activities you’ll do in your new home.
The bedroom: After a long day of traveling and packing, you are going to want a good night’s sleep in your own bed. Reassemble the bed frame, unpack your sheets and make up your bed along with the pillows and bedspread. The rest of your bedroom items can wait.
Set up the bathroom. You’ll feel instantly at-home if you get yourself settled into the bathroom. Hang a shower curtain, fill the medicine cabinet, and hang your towels.
How many days before moving should I start packing?
If you are packing yourself, ideally you’ll start packing as soon as you know you are moving! But as far as three months will make things easier (and cheaper) for you.
People often wait until the last minute and then get overwhelmed. We recommend starting to pack non-essential items (e.g., holiday, guest room, memories, decor, etc.) and queue them up in the garage, or a less frequently used space in the home. Make sure to set aside and identify things you’ll need during the move (e.g., clothing, pet care, personal items, linens, chargers, etc.), and as the move date gets closer, start packing more and more. By the time you are a few days out, the only things left should be furniture and a few bare essentials. This gives space to deal with any issues or emergencies and reduces the overall stress of the move. Be sure to label every box with its contents and final destination!
How do you move perishable food (i.e., refrigerated/frozen foods)?
Take an inventory of what you have
One month prior to your scheduled move date, create an inventory of the perishable food you have on hand throughout the house (don’t forget the refrigerator in the garage and the deep freezer in the basement).
Create a plan to shrink your inventory
Your plan for dealing with perishable food will depend on a few factors:
Whether your move is local vs. long distance
Whether you are using a moving company
It’s important to understand that there are sometimes laws that prevent movers from transporting perishable items. So whatever you plan to move will need to be transported by you. Given these limitations, your goal should focus on reducing the volume of refrigerated and frozen food you have as much as possible before moving day.
With your inventory in hand, create a meal plan for the next few weeks that incorporates the food you want to consume. When you’re a week away from your move date, reassess what you still have and determine if anything can be given away to neighbors, family, or friends.
Locate your portable coolers and make sure you have plenty of ice packs on hand if you plan to transport any perishables on move day.
Prepare food for move day
On the morning of your move, set aside whatever food you need for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that day. If you are moving locally, pack whatever food remains in your coolers with ice packs. If it’s a long-distance move, you’ll need to toss whatever perishables remain.
By planning, you can avoid wasting food (and money!) during the move process.
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Is there a packing system you recommend for a move?
Make a checklist of your items! – It is the one thing you need to prepare for a move and the best way of not forgetting anything. List all the things you need for your move, for example, purchasing boxes and tape. Include all the rooms that still need to get packed. Don’t forget to add a list of what you need to do before and after moving, like any spaces in your home that need to be repaired or painted. You won’t regret having a list!
Color code boxes and rooms – When it comes to packing systems, I am all about setting up color-coding systems for each room, such as red for the kitchen, blue for the bathroom, yellow for the bedrooms and, so on. Then when you start packing, you can tape the box with the corresponding room color. It does not have to be the entire box, but enough to see where the boxes will belong. By giving each room of your new home a designated color with tape or even a sign on the door, it makes it super easy for your movers to put boxes in those areas.
Label boxes by room and sub-section – You can keep it simple with the name of where it will go. However, I like to take it a step further. For example, for the bathroom, instead of writing just the location of where it is going to, I would write “Bathroom Shower Items” or “Bathroom Under The Sink”. This will make it easier to unpack those items in the new home.
When packing, you should go room by room. However, this is also a great opportunity to first move items that are in the wrong room to the room that they belong to. Mark each box with the room it will go to in the new space and what types of items are packed. If you don’t have the same number of rooms in the new home, consider that as you label your boxes. Unpacking is much easier the more organized you are during the packing process.
Start by packing the rooms that don’t have as many daily use items in them. On our last move, I started with the garage. After that, the dining room and the living room. Then came the kitchen; I kept out a small number of dishes and utensils we would need before the move. I continued with the bathrooms and bedrooms in much the same way. I boxed up the items we weren’t using daily and labeled each box for where they would go in the new home and what types of things were inside. When we got to the new house, I put papers on the doors saying which room was which, so the movers knew exactly where the boxes should go. It made our move a much smoother process.
Now you are ready for your big day! Follow these tips (and to shave off tons of time, consider hiring a professional mover) to have a way less stressful move.
A Trash Bag Is by Far the Most Useful Movehack Item. Here’s Why
When you’re in the midst of a move, you may find yourself running to the store every other day to pick up supplies. It may seem like you can never have enough boxes, tape and packing paper, but there is another item you should add to your essentials list… trash bags!
This versatile item can be used in so many ways to help you move. Let’s review all of these trash bag hacks.
They’re Essential for Hanging Clothes
Instead of purchasing wardrobe boxes for your move, we suggest keeping your clothes on their hangers and protecting them with trash bags. All you have to do is take a stack of clothes off the rack and bring a trash bag from the bottom of the clothing up towards the hanger. Then, use the drawstring on your trash bag and tie it tight around the hanger. This will ensure that the bag doesn’t come off during transport. It’s the perfect garment bag hack! Bonus…buy those scented trash bags so your clothes smell fresh when you get to your new home!
Make a Simple Donation Section
Trash bags make it super easy to corral and easily identify all of the items you’re planning to donate. This is especially helpful when it comes time to clean out that stuffed wardrobe of yours! We suggest that you keep a trash bag in your closet in the months leading up to your move. As you try on items that you no longer love, toss them into the this conveniently located trash bag. Little by little, the bags in your closets will start to fill up with donation items, and you won’t have to spend an entire weekend purging out your closets! Trust us, you won’t want to move any other way.
Trust us, you won’t want to move any other way.
Transport Your Plants Without the Mess
Plants are a tricky one to move because no one wants dirt all over their vehicle – so grab that handy dandy trash bag of yours and place the bottom of the plant inside. This ensures that the dirt doesn’t get all over and you can easily move your greenery to your new space. If you can though, keep the top of your plant out so it still gets lots of fresh air!
Wrap Unusual Objects Easily
When packing, you’re bound to run into items that will make you scratch your head and say, “How the heck do I pack that up?!” (Lamp shades are one of them.) How can you make sure your shade doesn’t get dirty and gross on its ride to your new pad? Well, use a trash bag to cover those unusual objects and keep them safe!
If It’s Anything Other Than Sunny, You’ll Need a Ton of Them
If you’re worried about special items getting wet during your move, we suggest using a trash bag inside your cardboard box. Simply put your precious items in a trash bag (books, papers, throw pillows, etc) and then put that bag inside the box! That way it’s got double protection from the elements.
And You Can Throw Your Away Trash (Duh!)
Okay, of course, you’ll need trash bags for trash. And you’ll probably have a lot more than usual when you’re packing up your home to move. Stock up on a lot of garbage bags and you’ll be set for this, and everything else on this list for the duration of your move.
It’s official: you need to head to your nearest Costco before your move and find the largest roll of trash bags you can find. Trust us!
A grandfather clock, also known as a longcase or a tall case clock, is the kind of item we might go for years without having to pack. It is also the kind of item that we simply can’t pretend to know how to pack. So for that day when we do finally find ourselves face to face with someone’s two century old Simon Willard we want to be armed with the necessary know-how.
Here are the 6 Major Points of the process. (more…)
“Use plenty of packing paper” is one of the first rules of packing a kitchen. Pad the bottom of the carton. Cushion the sides. Pad the top with more paper.
“And make sure you wrap those breakables up good!”
Of course. That means lots of paper in between all those plates and everything, right?
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