Tips and Tricks for a smooth moving process

                

 Start Early 

This is important. I've always found moving to be extremely exhausting and overwhelming. The earlier you can start purging and packing the better.  I always start with packing whatever season we have just finished- or one (such as winter stuff) that you know you won't need access to between now and when you move. 

Declutter as you pack 

Why would pay to haul things that you don't actually want to keep?!? Donating and selling things that you don't need or you want before you move is a great way to reduce the amount of stuff you move and the overall cost of moving. 

Set packing goals 

Because it is so overwhelming I tried to set goals for myself. Typically during the week I would set a goal to pack 2 or 3 boxes. Then during the a weekend I would set a goal of tackling a bigger project like a closet or a part of the garage. This gives you appropriate end times to just say "ok- I'm done for today."- rather than try to pack so much and get exhausted. 

Try to get boxes similar in size for easier packing 

For actually moving and storing your stuff it makes it easier if most things are in similar size boxes. Obviously this isn't always possible, you will always have some stuff that is loose or awkward but it does help when stacking stuff. 

Have an organizational system 

Now, I've seen some people that have an entire color scheme and an excel spreadsheet that go with their move. Honestly, I feel like this is more time consuming than is actually worth but I do think so you should have some sort of system. We just made an effort to label every box with every room that the contents belonged in as well as...

Label specific items in a box in addition to what room it goes into 

We found this to be super helpful because we would have 10 boxes that said kitchen but we wanted one specific thing without unpacking all the boxes. For example we would write "Kitchen" in big letters on the box and then on the top of the box we would write things that we might possibly want that were in the box such as "Rich cooker" or "utensils" that way we could easily sort through the kitchen boxes and not have to open all of them to find stuff. It wasn't a perfect system but it did help. This is also helpful if you accidentally pack something too early.

Have a location in your house where you begin to store to things that need to be packed

When I was not packing at home, if I came across something that could be packed I would put it in a corner of my living room. This way when I went to pack things I typically had at least one box worth of stuff in that corner already in one place to pack. It worked pretty well for me. 

Leave clothes in dresser drawers 

This is something I've always done and never understood why people pack up their dressers into boxes just to literally un pack them back into the dresser. We literally just kept everything in the dresser drawers and moved it as is. You may want to pack away your underwear depending on who is moving your dresser though. 

Make a few boxes that are "open first" supplies 

Basically whatever you pack last should be easily accessible. We wrote "Open first" on a few boxes. Suggestions for these boxes include- cleaning supplies, plates, utensils, cups, sheets, toilet paper, paper towels, soap. The bare necessities you need to survive the first night in your new place. We also put these towards back of the truck so it was one of the first things unloaded.  

Pack a suitcase for all your daily essentials 

I've found that it is easier to pack a suitcase with your basic toiletries and a few days worth of clothes to get you through the first few days of moving. Our last move was a little different because we were going on vacation but it usually takes a few days to unearth your closet and this way you know you have your basics in a specific location and aren't looking for your toothpaste at midnight. 

Save extra empty boxes for the end 

For some reason I always underestimate how many boxes that I will need or I deceive my stuff that the cleaning supplies that I have left out won't take up so much space. It is easier to give away/recycle boxes at the end than it is to acquire new ones last minute- so get more boxes than you think you will need.

Put loose things in trunks or nonconventional empty spaces 

We brought our deep freeze with us on our last move. Once we got it in the truck we packed it random loose items. We  did the same thing with the blanket box that my dad made for me.Try to pack as much stuff into "empty spaces" as possible. 

Break down as much furniture as possible 

If possible try to break down tables and chairs as much as possible to make them easier to fit on the truck. Make sure you put all the hardware for them into a bag and put them in a designated place. 

Eat your way through most of your pantry 

I made a rule to my husband that we could only bring pantry items that were spices or basic staples. In my opinion there is no reason to haul pounds and pounds of food. We planned our meals out and started purposely depleting our pantry ahead of time so that there was less to move. 

If you have to pack liquids put them in a plastic bag or trash bag. 

I try to avoid packing liquids as much as possible incase of spills. One trick I found on this move was to put a trash bag in a box and then put liquids in the trash bag and tied it. This way if any of the liquids spilled it was contained and didn't leak through the box. I also wrote "liquids" on the box so that I knew there were liquids in there and kept them away from specific boxes. 

When you buy a new tv or an awkward kitchen appliance save the box 

My flat screen tv has lived in 5 different states with me. Every time I save the box because it is such an awkward and fragile item to try to move without its box. Typically we throw the box in the attic or a shed while we are living in the house. We also have saved boxes for our kitchen aid, crockpots etc for better moving. 

Pack your safe/ important papers in your car with you

Be smart with documents like passports, birth certificates etc. and take them with you. These things are hard to replace if they get stolen. It always just gives me peace of mind to know that these documents are with us instead of on the truck. 

Know that it's ok to have a lot of mixed emotions

This past move for me was especially emotional- this was the longest I had lived in one place since leaving my hometown for college. I had a community and friends that I loved and still miss dearly. On one hand I was super excited to move to Washington and explore a new area but I was also terrified of the unknown. I was happy, excited, terrified, scared, doubting whether we were doing the right thing, already missing my friends and my safety net. All of that is ok and normal. Both my husband and I cried a few times the week of our move just out of sheer overwhelming emotions. 

If you are moving far plan for a lot of people wanting to spend time with you right before you go

This is something that somewhat caught me off guard. There were certain people that I expected would want to go to dinner or something before we left, but a lot of people wanted to spend time with us right before we left. This stressed me out a bit because I had so much to do but I tried to accept it and just spend more time at night packing and preparing. Had I known this I would tried to be farther ahead in packing than I was one to two weeks before we left. 

Good luck with moving!