Thursday, May 31, 2012

On The Move Again-- Some Moving Tips!



We're scheduled to close on our new home next week and then moving the following week!

So much of my time has been spent packing up and doing all I can now to ensure a smoother ride that last week before the big day!

I thought I'd share a few moving tips I've gleaned.

  • Don't buy moving boxes or packing materials unless absolutely necessary! Every time we move, someone tells us to check for free moving supplies on Craigslist and Freecycle. While this is good advice, we have had zero success with that. What we do have success with is getting free boxes from Walmart. During our last move, we went while they were stocking shelves (late night or early morning) and went around asking for boxes. This time, a friend suggested we call at night around 10 pm and ask them to save boxes for us. Then we just pick them up the next morning. Super easy and free! We've had friends save newspaper and other packing supplies for us as well as gathering boxes as they see them.
  • You will probably need more boxes than you think. It's a lot easier to have extra than be scrounging for more the day before the move. Trust me.
  • You will need lots of packing tape. Buy the mega family pack!
  • Not everything has to be packed. This is a tip for moving across town. Longer distance moves will be different. Hanging clothes can go straight from your current closet to the closets in your new house. Towels and bathroom items can be taken right over and placed in their new space. Laundry baskets and reusable grocery bags are great for stuffing these things in. If you have kitchen drawers(I don't!), you can transport the full drawers and transfer items directly to the new kitchen. I store a lot of things in baskets anyways, so I just make sure these are full and take them as is. Full drawers can be taken out and moved without packing the contents.
  • Cushion plates and bowls with paper plates in between. A friend gave me this tip and it is a good one. Unlike using newspaper, the dishes won't have to be washed when unpacking. 
  • Use kitchen towels and washcloths for wrapping and packing.
  • Mark boxes with the room it should go in and a general idea of contents. I don't number boxes or make lists of contents of each one. I did that once and honestly never looked at the lists when unpacking! So I don't bother now. Hopefully, this move won't prove my ultra simple system wrong! 
  • Don't mark all your boxes as Misc.! Hahaha
  • Take a load of boxes with you every time you go to the new house. (For across town moves.) Every little bit helps!
  • Accept all moving help offered! We typically pay in pizza! Have lots of water available as well. Especially if you move in the summer as we seem to like to do. Even June is a hot month here in the South.
  • Kitchen, bathroom and closet items can be moved ahead of time. If stuff can be moved ahead and put into cabinets, do these areas since these won't create extra clutter when moving furniture in. I like having my kitchen somewhat set up first thing anyways!
  • Make sure you know where everything is that you'll need for the first night.
  • Allow extra money in the eating out budget and/or stash a bunch of meals in the freezer ahead of time! This time around, we're doing both! And use paper plates those last few days if needed!
  • Declutter. Plan meals around what's in the pantry and freezer so there's less to move. Donate boxes of unused clutter to Goodwill or have a yard sale if you have time---only if you have time!
  • Make a list of what needs to be done at both houses--preparation for moving into the new house and finishing up at the old house. It can be a lot; don't rely on just your memory! 
  • Find or clear a space to stage moving boxes as they are packed. This way they're not all over the house! 
What are your best moving and packing tips?  

3 comments:

Wendi said...

Congrats on your new home! That is a great tip about paper plates between dishware. That would have saved me some washing a time or two. Looking forward to hearing all about your new home!

Caroline said...

I've been out of the blog loop for the last few weeks. I didn't know y'all were buying a house. Congrats!

Melanie said...

Congratulations on your new home, Mary Ann!! Those are some great tips! As a pastor's family, we've had to do our share of moving over the years. Another couple of tips we've used that's very simple but helpful - 1. a moving dolly! It's a big help, especially with heavier boxes and appliances. 2. using stuffed animals as packing material. Katie had a bunch of them the last time we moved, and they worked great packed in between glass items.
I wish you much happiness in your new home! :)