20 Quick Read Moving Tips
Moving is a big job, even if you hire a man and van service. If you want to make the packing, the unpacking, and the move itself stress-free, there are a few moving tips that you should follow.
- To save money, you should try to find free moving boxes. You can check your local grocery store, warehouse-style store, or you can check in the “free stuff” section in online buying and selling sites. If you can find free boxes, you can save up to $100 on the move.
- Packing gives you the perfect opportunity to go through your things so that you can get rid of things that you no longer need. Taking this opportunity to throw things away or to donate them keep the new house from getting cluttered.
- Before you start packing, create a schedule with a certain time that things need to be done. This will keep you from getting overwhelmed.
- Before you start packing up your electronics, you should take pictures of the hookups in the back. When it is time to hook things up in the new home, you will know exactly where the wires are supposed to go.
- When packing up your closet, you should keep your hanging clothes on the hanger and cover them with a garbage bag. Taking everything off the hangers and then rehanging them can be very time-consuming.
- When you are packing up the house, you should pack one box of things that you will need on the first night. Chances are you won’t have time to unpack everything on day one, therefore, there are things that you will need on your first night in the new home. This includes clothing, toiletries, dishes, silverware, and anything else that you think you will need before you can get everything unpacked.
- When most people pack their glass plates, they use newspaper. This can be messy if the ink wipes off on the plates and the crumpled newspaper can take up extra space in the boxes. The best way to pack plates is to put a foam plate in between each glass plate. It is a huge space saver and it will keep them from breaking. Also, pack the plates vertically in the box. This will keep them all from breaking from the pressure if the box is dropped.
- Rather than taking everything out of your bureaus, you can leave everything as is. To keep the drawers from falling out during the move, you can wrap them with plastic wrap to keep everything in place during the move.
- Wine cases are the best place to pack you glassware. If you go to your local supermarket or liquor store, you can likely find enough wine boxes to pack up all your glassware. Just be sure to stuff some newspaper in each compartment so the glasses don’t rattle around.
- When you are packing, you should avoid packing items from different rooms in one box. If you keep items from each room together, it will make unpacking easier. Also, mark each box so that you know which room it should be put in.
11. If you have to take apart your furniture before moving, you should keep the screws and bolts organized to make reassembling easier. When you take apart a piece of furniture, put the screws and bolts in a baggie and label the bag. You can also tape the baggie to the piece of furniture that it goes with.
12. If your seasonal items are not already in plastic storage bins, now is a great time to do so. When you get to the new home, you can take these items right to the basement, attic, or garage. This includes holiday decorations, sporting equipment, and anything else that needs to be stored until use.
13. If you need to cover wall hangings, mirrors, or televisions, you don’t need to pay for packing materials. Blankets and towels work great and you won’t need to worry about boxing or bagging these items. Smaller things like socks and washcloths can also be used as packing materials for dishes and other breakables.
14. When packing up cleaning products and other liquids, they should be packed separately in a plastic bin. If the liquids spill, they won’t be able to spill on anything during the move and the plastic bin will keep the spill maintained.
15. When moving your coolers, you should load them up with the items from your refrigerator and freezer. It is a great way to keep your things cold during the move and it will keep you from wasting your moving boxes.
16. When packing your knives, store them in your oven mitts. This will keep you and the people who work for the service from being injured.
17. When packing up your pans, use rubber bands to hold the lids on. This will make unpacking easier. You can also use your pans to pack up spices, silverware, and other kitchen items. If the covers are secured with elastic bands, the items packed inside won’t fall out.
18. Use clean trash bins, laundry baskets, and suitcases as boxes. They need to be moved to the new home, so why not fill them with items. When you do this, you will need fewer boxes.
19. Keep your important documents such as Social Security cards, birth certificates, and insurance policies in your car during the move. It would be a huge hassle if these things got lost in the move.
20. Create a list of all of the boxes that are going to be moved. Give each box its own name, such as kitchen 1, kitchen 2, bedroom 1, bedroom 2 so that you can take a complete inventory after everything has been brought to the new house.