Moving is a necessary, yet exciting evil that all of us go through at some point or another. It always seems so daunting when the time comes, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. I wanted to share my top 5 tips that will hopefully save you both time and money on your next move. I think they’re pretty obvious, but sometimes when you’re faced with the actual task of moving – everything seems so overwhelming. This is a sponsored post where I was paid to write about a particular topic and link to a specific website, but all words are mine.
Have a Plan + Stick to It
Having a plan and timeline for your move is crucial. I’ve seen way too many people ‘wing’ it and that causes a lot of extra stress. Starting about 90-60 days before your move, use a week-by-week checklist to keep the process on track. Staying on schedule will help you avoid last-minute headaches and hassles as you move. It’s also a lot easier to do a little bit at a time rather than having a ton of stuff to do last minute. Trust me, it makes for a much more relaxing moving process.
Evaluate + Cull Your Closet
Moving is the perfect opportunity to reassess your closet and get rid of anything that you no longer wear or no longer want. I highly recommend doing three piles for your clothes: yes, no, and maybe. Some will be easy yes or no’s and after you’re all done you can revisit the maybe’s and make a final decision. Some questions to ask yourself as you evaluate your items?
- When was the last time you wore this?
- Does it still fit?
- Is it still your style and do you still like it?
You can donate or sell anything in your ‘no’ pile. I like using ThredUp or Poshmark and sometimes even Facebook Marketplace. Plus, the less stuff you’re moving in general, the better, but you especially don’t want to be moving things that you don’t even wear!
I also highly recommend leaving your clothes on the hangers and using trash bags to group them – so much easier! When I moved cross-country to Austin, my dad actually hung up some rope in the moving van and we hung up my clothes (as you can see in the photo). They also acted as some cushion for the rest of the furniture in the van.
Hire a Professional
Hiring a quality, professional moving company can save you a lot of time and stress! In addition to some of the more well-known, big-name companies, check out companies that are in your local area – you might find an even better deal! Using a professional moving company can ensure you aren’t sore the next day and save you the hassle of asking your friends to come help. And since they do this for a living, they have the whole process down and are super-efficient.
If you live in Houston, Texas, the moving company Gameday Moving Services Houston can handle your entire move, even packing if necessary. This Houston-based labor-only moving company has professional movers that have the experience, training, and equipment needed to overcome logistical problems, plan, and execute a seamless long-distance move.
Label Boxes Carefully and Completely
Instead of just writing bedroom or kitchen on the box, be more descriptive so you (or the movers) know exactly what is in the box. Don’t forget to mark anything as fragile as such in a super obvious way. I wrote the word ‘fragile’ on literally every side of the box just to be safe. You can also color code things with stickers or the marker color based on room or even rank them by the level of importance so you know which order to unpack things in. This helps when you’re unpacking and don’t have to go through every single box all at once.
Pack Smart(er)
Think about what you’ll need access to the first night or to start unpacking. Try to pack those items at the end so they are the first thing off your moving van. It doesn’t do you a whole lot of good to have your bed frame unaccessible but your mattress and other bedroom items are the first things off the truck. I’d also recommend a box with your essentials with all of the necessities — toiletries, snacks, PJs, important documents, and the like — and keep it with you rather than on the moving truck.
There you have it – my top five moving tips that I swear by! Do you have any others I should know about? Comment and let me know!
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