Congratulations on your new home! I love seeing the joy on a new homebuyer’s face when the deal is official! It won’t be long until you are settled in, exploring your new surroundings, and enjoying this next chapter of life. Unfortunately, before you get to do any of that you have to PACK (wah, wah, waaah)! Moving is exhausting but there are some hacks to make your life easier.
I have moved, like ummm, a whole lotta times over the years. From Alaska to Miami and many places in between…That’s a lot of ground and a lot of houses. I’ve learned a thing or two about the overlooked costs of moving that can add up and have become a pro at learning a new city.
The first thing I’ll tell you about moving is don’t wait till the last minute.
You need to start giving it some thought and taking care of a few things about 2 months before you are planning to officially move out. Leave it to Martha Stewart to have a checklist for that.
This blog isn’t about general packing tips like gather supplies before you start and label boxes clearly. Nope, I’m here to give you a few hacks to help you pack up a little easier.
1. Before you put your toaster in a box, put it in a garbage bag. Trust me, no matter how many times you shake that sucker, a massive amount of crumbs will fall out in the move.
2. Pack spices in pots and crockpots. It saves space and keeps them from breaking. Shove a little paper in the gaps just to be safe.
3. When packing mirrors or large framed pictures, put an ‘X’ out of masking tape over the glass. That alone won’t keep it from breaking (you’ll still need to wrap it carefully) but if it breaks it will minimize the shattered glass.
4. Pack books in smaller boxes. They get heavy fast, just ask my back. Books should be packed flat or with the spine touching the bottom of the box.
5. Electronics can be a little tricky. Actually, packing them isn’t tricky… it’s unpacking them and putting them back together the right way that can be tricky. Take photos of your electronic settings to help you remember how to reassemble. Colored stickers help to mark the cables.
6. Your toolbox should be the last thing you pack and the first thing you unpack!
7. Moving a washer and dryer can give you a little extra space to pack comforters, pillows, towels, or extra bed linens . Yep, just throw them in there like a load of clothes (only folded)
8. Place kitchen towels or linens at the bottom of the packing box to help cushion your dishes.
9. Put a Styrofoam plate or coffee filter in between your plates if you don’t want to individually wrap them.
10. Use clean socks (doesn’t everyone have a basket of unmatched socks?) to put over glasses.
Pack what you don’t use often and less-used rooms like the guest room, first.
Obviously, label any boxes that could break as FRAGILE.
I remember the first cross country move I had to pay for. My previous moves had been paid for, including packing, by the US Coast Guard. I had no earthly idea of how much it cost. The mover came over to do a walk through and I showed him a pair of 10 lb hand weights in addition to many other heavy and very replaceable or unnecessary knick-knacks. He looked at me and said “Ma’am you might wanna just buy new hand weights in North Carolina” He quoted me the price for all that I wanted to move and, well let’s just say the hand weights didn’t make the move.
Do yourself a BIG favor and use the move as an opportunity to PURGE what you don’t need. Do you really need to pack that violin your kid hasn’t touched in 3 years? Do you think you’ll use those ski’s that have been sitting in the garage for 5 years in your new home? SELL what you can and donate what you will.
Happy Moving!
