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It’s no surprise that moving is a stressful experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving cross-country or down the street, there’s a lot that goes into it. Whether you plan to carry out the entire move yourself or hire movers to haul your things, there are a few things you can do to significantly ease stress.
Thinking ahead plus being organized can help make a move go as smoothly as possible. From the planning phase to gathering the right tools and more, here are our top tips to help you prepare for your next move.
Planning and Preparing to Move
Like other overwhelming tasks, it’s best to start tackling it by working backwards.
As soon as you know when you’re moving or when you need to be out of your current home, schedule the movers of your choice or reserve a moving truck if you plan to do it yourself.
If you’re staging your home to sell, begin packing up your personal items (i.e. picture frames) and any excess decor.
Start packing any off-season things like swimsuits and sandals if you're moving in the winter or heavy coats and holiday decorations if you’re moving in the summer.
Regardless of when you’re moving, start decluttering, and schedule any necessary donation pickups or junk haulers.
Gathering Supplies
While you’re working on the above tasks, go ahead and secure the tools you need to pack. Many moving companies provide things like boxes and packing tape, but you’ll want these ahead of time if you plan to start packing early or if you want to carefully pack any prized possessions yourself.
You can also utilize used boxes, but if you do, we recommend sticking to standard moving box sizes as those small and randomly sized Amazon boxes don’t load well onto the trucks.
Some great places to source used boxes can be:
Friends/family who recently moved
Neighbors via Facebook Marketplace or the Nextdoor App
Local recycling facilities
Just be sure to cross off any writing from previous moves so you and the movers don’t get confused as to what room it’s going to.
Now if you’re purchasing supplies, these are the basic essentials:
Wardrobe boxes if you prefer to keep your clothes hanging
Packing Tips and Tricks
Finally here’s a quick guide to packing like a pro:
Use small boxes for books, dishes, and other heavy items.
Medium boxes are great for pantry items, other kitchen items, clothes, toys, etc.
Large boxes are best for pillows, bedding, and other large, lightweight items.
Not sure how to pack your dishes? Watch our video on how to pack plates here!
Utilize packing paper to wrap fragile items, add cushion to the bottom and top of boxes, and fill in between items to keep things from moving around and breaking.
Be sure to pack items together by room to keep the unpacking process smooth and organized.
Don’t forget to label! Using your Sharpie, write (preferably in the same spot on each box) the room it’s meant for and a brief description of the contents. If you like to color code, check out these labels.
Be sure to tuck these tips away for the next time you or someone you know is planning to move.
