Smooth Moves: 5 Smart Tips to Make Moving Easier
If there was a way to make moving easier, Americans probably wouldn’t be relocating at historically low rates. The act of packing up your entire world is stressful whether you’re going to a new city, state, country, or just across town.
We have our lives just-so and shaking that up doesn’t always result in ideal results. Things get broken or lost. Clutter weighs heavy on the conscience.
But with the following tips, you’ll be able to ease the pain. Let’s get going!
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Strategize
All the tips for moving in the world won’t help if you’re disorganized. Every moving day is made less stressful when you operate from a well-planned strategy.
Start planning by taking inventory of each room. Make lists and cross items off as they’re packed away.
Snap photos before disconnecting electronics or taking apart complicated pieces for easier shipping. Also, make sure you have the right tools for disassembly and reassembly.
Start selling valuables you no longer need or want about six weeks before moving day. Give away any items not worth the trouble to friends, family, or charities.
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Use Boxes Wisely
Packing to move requires a good inventory system, but that’s only half the challenge. After you’re packed, you need to keep up with where your stuff is to make unpacking at the new location easier.
Collect as many boxes as you can. You can often get these for free from grocery and retail stores in your area.
Once you’re ready to begin, use labels to keep up with where the items actually are. For items that may spill over into additional boxes, use a numbering system like, “DVDs 1 of 7.”
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Get Your Kitchen in Order
Unless you’re moving across town, defrost your refrigerator at least 24 hours before moving begins.
On a related note, don’t grocery shop in the last two weeks. The time without will give you a chance to eat any remaining perishables.
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Think Outside the Box
How to start packing to move isn’t all about quantity and quality of boxes. Some items are better served in other methods of storage.
Some of our favorite moving strategies in this regard include using Ziploc bags for nails, screws, bolts, and other small pieces you don’t want to lose. Also, consider giant trash bags for taking down your hanging clothes without removing them from their hangers.
Lastly, you will want to develop a plan for large, irregularly-shaped, or breakable items that won’t fit in a box. Consider letting your team handle the sturdier items while taking on the more delicate matters yourself.
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Get Help
Perhaps the most valuable of our moving ideas is to dig through your personal network or find a long-established moving company. People you can count on, in other words.
If you have friends who can help, consider packing everything before they show up. It’ will be a welcome touch for them, you’ll feel less like you’re imposing, and it’ll be easier to maintain control over the unloading process.
A Smarter Approach Will Make Moving Easier
Moving isn’t something few people enjoy. But if you use a smarter approach to planning and moving day itself, it won’t be the arduous task it so often is.
For helpful tips and tricks, check out our previous articles for ways you can not only make moving easier but also improve your life as a whole.
