Having been in the moving industry for as long as I have, there aren’t very many moving tricks that I haven’t heard about, both successful and disastrous. So I have taken the time to compile what I believe are some of the best tips to ensure your move is as stress-free as possible!
- Do it a little bit at a time. Don’t procrastinate on this job because it’s a big one, and you won’t be able to find the time to finish everything that needs to get done if you leave it until the last minute.
- Declutter before you move! I can’t stress this one enough. You do NOT want to move items that you don’t need. It creates more work, costs more money and utilizes more valuable time. One of the best ways to declutter your space is to put everything into four categories.
- Pack Now – Prioritize what needs to be packed first.
- Pack Later – Decide what needs to be packed last.
- Donate – anything that is no longer of use to you, but may be valuable to someone else.
- And Throw Away – anything that is broken or has no value to you or others.
- If you are moving last minute, then your best bet is to have a packing day. The more people willing to help you, the better!
- Create a moving checklist – In your list, make sure to include all the rooms in your home. Then you can create a row that specifies the following categories: Which colour will be for which room, who is in charge of packing that room, a box to check when that room has been completely packed, and then space for any additional notes.
- You will want to make sure you pick up good quality moving boxes and have multiple sizes for packing all different sized items.
- Try to use extra space like suitcases and large totes that may be currently empty to lower your costs and the space needed for moving.
- Make sure to have lots of storage bags on hand. All variety of sizes you will find come in handy for different things. You can place all those little odds and ends in there, so they don’t get lost.
- If you choose to colour code the rooms, it works well to place a label outside the room right before entering and then another on the wall inside. It doesn’t have to be fancy; just a big coloured dot on a piece of paper with the room name will do. These colour guides will help your movers know exactly where things need to go.
- If you have people helping you pack or move, make sure that you have coordinated food and drinks for them. You can make something like finger sandwiches, fruit and veggie trays ahead of time or make it easy and order some pizza.
- You will want to create a “moving station.” A moving station is a place where all packing essentials are kept. Then anyone can access packing materials as needed, such as boxes, tape, scissors, sharpies, etc.
- It is crucial to delegate one person to be in charge of managing the packing process. This person will be in charge of the master checklist you initially created with all the rooms. They will also be the go-to person for answering any questions related to packing. If you have more than one person giving directions, then you may have a disaster.
- Once a box has been packed, it is crucial to make sure that it is labelled appropriately with the right colour of tape or sticker for the designated room, so there is no confusion for the movers.
- Always write down the contents of each box in great detail; you can do this in a couple of different places:
- Write the details on the box if that works best, or
- You can number your boxes. ei. Kitchen could be 100s: So you would label your boxes #100, #101, #102, etc. Living Room 200s: #200, #201, #202, etc. Then on the master sheet, list the boxes contents under the number. The more details, the better. Sometimes we need something sooner than we think when we move, and it may still be packed away. Unpacking 15 boxes trying to find one item is not fun.
- You will find it much easier to assemble all the boxes at once, rather than only assembling one at a time as you need them. You can either do this before packing day or delegate someone to do it at the beginning of the day. It is easier to pick the appropriate size of box for the items you are packing. It will save you a lot of time in the long run.
- Use pillows, blankets and towels as an inexpensive way to help provide padding to breakables, valuables and electronics.
- If you are struggling to find a place for your long-handled equipment (brooms, mops, rakes, etc.), you may be able to utilize your garbage can to move them.
- Often furniture will need to be taken apart entirely or partially when moving. For any furniture that does get taken apart, place all small parts (nuts, bolts, screws, Allen key, etc.) in a plastic baggy to keep them together; you can either:
- Tape the bag directly to the furniture so that everyone knows where it goes. Or if that won’t work,
- You can label each bag with details of what piece of furniture it belongs with and create a general hardware box. If you choose this option, don’t lose that box!
- Label cords, remotes and other essentials with tape & sharpies and put all of them together in one bucket. Don’t leave loose cords anywhere. This box can go with the hardware box, but remember both are very important boxes, don’t lose them!
- Once you have finished packing the box and it get’s a label, it is important to move it to the side so that it is out of the way and people know that it is done and ready for moving day.
- Pre-cook and package a bunch of frozen meals into a cooler so you can put off grocery shopping for a few days while you are trying to get unpacked and settled. While saving huge money by not having to rely on takeout!
- Hire a moving company for the actual move. This is not a requirement, obviously, but I do highly suggest it. Moving people is what our experienced employees do day-in, day-out. We have the resources and the expertise to make sure that your possessions are taken care of with the utmost care at all times. Leave the hard work and the heavy lifting up to us.
- Ensure that you create a space and label it if there is anything in the home that the moving company is not moving. If you are wanting to transport some items in your vehicle, put it all together and then leave a little note, “This stays here” or “Going in Car”. Then not only the movers, but anyone who may lend a hand knows not to move that stuff.
- If you have kids or pets, it may be a good idea to take up any offers for play dates or a sleepover at grandma’s to make the day a little less stressful for everyone. Sometimes the chaos of moving can be stressful for kids and pets.
- Make sure you plan your move-out clean in your moving plans; recruit help or hire a company to do the move-out clean. It is important not to underestimate how much time this will actually take you to complete! Make sure you don’t plan on do the cleaning while the movers are moving, or you may end up wasting a lot of time re-cleaning. You can either:
- plan a few hours after the movers have gone, or
- You can come back the next day and tackle the cleaning.
There is no doubt that moving can be an extremely stressful situation if you’re not properly prepared. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be. By creating a clear packing plan, recruiting willing friends and family to help and hiring a reliable moving company, it can be a seamless process. If you liked these tips and you’re looking for more like this check out our tips on our social media pages. I would also love to hear your go-to moving tips for a stress-free move, make sure to leave them in the comments!