I can't wait to share the tips I've compiled already. If you're in need of this post, be sure to come back Thursday!
4.03.2012
Moving Tips: Care to Share?
I can't wait to share the tips I've compiled already. If you're in need of this post, be sure to come back Thursday!
23 comments:
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Moving tips
ReplyDelete1. Do not pack stuff that you are not using...donate or trash. Time on packing will save you time unpacking.
2. Definitely write on the outside of the boxes what room the box goesbinto and when you move to the next location place the box in the room
3. Clean the new place before moving into it
4. Have a special unpacking kit handy...box cutter, marker, hammer, nails, level, and some towels/cleaning supplies can you can clean the stuff you unpack as you go
5. Take 5 seconds and follow through with whatever you started instead of making piles
6. Set reasonable packing and unpacking goals
If you touch it twice and it didn't make it into a box, then get rid of it.
ReplyDeleteJust bought a house last week. Definitely looking forward to this post!
ReplyDeleteSara :)
Smiling In Second Grade
We bought a house a couple weeks ago, and I have been anticipating what method we will use to make the transition a seamless one. The last time we moved, I didn't pack boxes. As funny as it may seem, I used laudry baskets. They hold a ton of things and you can see what is in them. Once I filled up the laundry baskets that fit in my vehicle, I would bring them to the new place and unpack them. This may not be helpful if you are moving a long distance. I am also planning on packing up and moving one room at a time. In an ideal world, I will move all the non furniture pieces and get them organized while my husband is at work. When he gets home, we will tackle the furniture for the rooms I already moved. Hope this helps. I look forward to other tips.
ReplyDeleteMake a spreadsheet with items per room. That way everyone on the moving team knows where each thing needs to go...and so you know where things should be when they are "lost!"
ReplyDeleteMy husband accepted a new job in February and we had 3 weeks to move from Northern California to Southern California.
ReplyDeleteHere are a few tips that made everything run smoothly for us-
1. Donate or sell what you no longer need
2. Pack by room and label every box with its contents and which room it goes to.
3. Mark priority boxes as "open first".
4. If you are using movers, pack items into your dresser drawers. No need to box up what can stay in the dresser.
5. Use the bottom of wardrobe boxes to pack other items. I used it for purses, bedsheets, pillows and just about anything that fits.
6. Ask moving companies if they sell used boxes. They generally only sell boxes that have been used once and the boxes are LOTS cheaper than new boxes. Or purchase new boxes from UHaul or other companies that will allow you to return what you will not use.
Make Color labels for boxes. preferably the colors would refer to a specific room, then say what was inside, if it was breakable, and other useful information. For instance a orange label for the kitchen that says bowls, Breakable, open first. cant wait for your post!
ReplyDeleteBy:Phoebe McCarty
1. Write the content of the box and what room it goes in to on three sides of the box - the top, the longest side and the shortest side. That way you'll always be able to see what the different boxes contain.
ReplyDelete2. Use small boxes for heavy things and big boxes for light things.
3. If you see something and go "I didn't know I had that" - throw or give it away.
We bought a house the day before yesterday so this post comes right on time :)
ReplyDeleteLabel boxes/furniture with a unique number per room in addition to the name of the room. Then tape the room number above every room in your new house and the movers will know where to put your items when they come off the truck without your assistance. I found this very helpful when it came to bedrooms and bathrooms...movers don't know the difference between "boys room" and "guest room".
ReplyDeleteIf you are moving into a home with hardwood floors, put the felt pads on the bottom of furniture as you are bringing it in the house. My husband and I literally stood in the foyer and felted the bottoms of everything as the movers brought things in.
Invest in clorox wipes and clean all baseboards and windows before you move in. If you have help, it shouldn't take more than an hour. WAY easier to clean before the stuff gets moved in.
Know where you want your beds in each room and have the movers set them up before they leave.
Work to get your bedrooms and kitchen completely set up and functional first. These are necessities and the rest will come.
We are packing up our 1 bedroom apartment now for a move next week and I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteWe bought boxes from U-Haul... they will buy back any unused boxes. The boxes are the same shape which makes stacking them easier.
We are lettering our boxes in 3 places and making a list of them on our iPads with their contents. When the movers show up, all the boxes will be in one location and that will make it easier for them. Boxes first, then furniture and when they deliver it the furniture will get unloaded first. In our new apartment the boxes will all go in one spot and we can sort it all out. You usually pay the movers by the hour so make it as easy for them as possible.
I am moving at the end of the month, and these reader tips are so helpful!
ReplyDeleteI have so many t-shirts from races and volunteering that I was just going to donate, but then I realized that they are great for keeping fragile things safe. The cotton t-shirts are thin and the right size for almost everything. If something were to break, I won't mind tossing the t-shirt and broken glass because I was going to donate the t-shirt anyway.
Besides the tips on "clean before you move in", I want to add "paint before you move in". There's no use moving in furniture just to have it sit in the wrong room!
My husband and I have moved 9 times in 11 years, so we feel we have mastered the art of packing and unpacking. We do nothing special, but we find it works well for us.
ReplyDelete-we use the same size boxes. Easy to stack and move a lot at once with a hand truck (dolly)
-label the box with the room it goes too, and place the box into that room.
-use towels to protect breakable items instead of purchasing bubble wrap or packing peanuts
-Use blankets to protect furniture and tv's from being scratched
-Purge things as you pack. We always get rid of things if it hasn't been used since the last move, or if it never truly gets unpacked we donate or throw it away.
-sharpie markers and packing tape and a box cutter are a movers best friend!
We just moved a month ago and my brother-in-law said that it was the most organized moved he had ever helped with. I was pleased with his comment even though I thought it was mass chaos.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing that I did was to create labels out of colored paper. Mine were purple, my son's green, my husband's orange, the kitchen was white, bed/bathroom yellow, etc. When the many hands that came to help I told them to stack the boxes according to the color of the label. This made it easy when it came time to find the sheets to make the beds that night because all I had to do is find the yellow labels and pick out the box that said master bedroom bedding.
Label the boxes AND the new rooms so the movers know which room is which.
ReplyDeletePack an overnight bag so you know where at least your toothbrush is.
Pack kettle, mugs, milk and tea bags in the first box to be opened (UK only?).
Don't leave non urgent boxes to be unpacked later. They will still be unpacked a year later if you are anything like me.
Have an “open first” box—soap, paper towels, shower curtain liner, paper plates/cups, toilet paper—just stuff you’ll need immediately (even while you’re moving in).
ReplyDeleteIf you don’t want/need it, don’t pack it and move it. Put it immediately in a sell/donate box.
May as well organize while you pack—pack like things in the same box.
Put books and other heavy things in smaller boxes. Large boxes should be reserved for pillows, comforters, and other light items.
If you take apart something, tape a Ziploc with the screws/pieces in it to the item it belongs to.
If friends are helping you move, have paper plates, water bottles, and food for them (donuts/muffins in the morning, pizza for an afternoon move).
For an easier time with the first meals, pack a box that goes with you marked open first. In it put your coffee maker/grinder, paper towels, toilet paper, can opener( wine opener),paper plates, napkins,cups, hand soap, salt/ pepper,coffee fry pan, cereal etc. So that you don't have to be unpacked to enjoy a quick meal. Pack things that you might need before you get to all the other boxes, esp if arriving at the end of a long day of driving or unloading.
ReplyDeleteFor friends of people moving:
- prepare a meal(bought or home cooked) and set it up at the loading/unloading site to feed the friends and family of the moving family.
- Volunteer to take care of children so mom can get more packing/ unpacking done.
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI have some packing and moving tips.
Label each room in your house with a letter. For example, kitchen "A". living room "B." Label your boxs A1, A2, etc. When you start packing keep an inventory of each box in a master notebook. After you move all you have to do is look at your list to see what box you need.
When you get to your new house. Post the letter of each room on the door. Direct moving helpers to bring "A" boxes to room "A."
I hope this helps.
~Heidi
I agree with the open first box! We just moved (10th time in 10 years!) and I wish I had done a better job with this! In addition to the things other people mentioned, make sure you have toilet paper, tooth brush, shower curtain, towels to shower with, and sheets for the bed! We spent hours trying to find sheets so we could go to bed.
ReplyDeleteSet out a "give away" box when you pack and when you unpack. Even though you might think you already went through and purged, you'll be amazed the things that will continue to follow you around that you might not need.
If you can afford it, have someone pack for you! After 9 moves, we finally got movers to pack for us this time... AWESOME!
Mark the cords to your electronics, once they get jumbled and boxed it's hard to remember what goes where.
Just a few tips, looking forward to reading your ideas... off to unpack boxes now :)
My husband, Me, and our 3 kids have moved 7 times in 9 yrs. including 1 cross country move 2 yrs ago. I have found that my label maker rocks, I use different colored tapes. And I use mostly Rubbermaid containers to pack our stuff into. They are stackable, sturdy, and REUSEABLE!!!! And when we get unpacked they all stack into each other.
ReplyDeleteI tend to pinch pennies whenever possible. However, one place to NOT cut corners is when gathering your packing boxes! Purchase boxes of the same size or few sizes (rather than picking up odd boxes from the back door of every big box store), you will be able to move many more boxes and store them in much less space.And, you can stack up those boxes in your new place in a much more orderly manner.
ReplyDeleteWhenever you think of relocating, quick Dallas Moving Service would help you in transportation of all the necessary articles you want to carry to a new home.
ReplyDeleteMovingis always thus thrilling!! I really hope the up coming duty place is close to an enormous area... absolutely skip the city life!
ReplyDelete