After 17 years of renting, my husband and I are finally purchasing a home. I am completely stressed out with the whole process but totally excited at the same time. I was wondering if anyone had any good tips to share about moving in general - there just seems to be so many questions to ask and things to remember! Thank you in advance for your advice.
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Congratulations!
1. You can get sturdy packing boxes from Kroger/Meijer if you ask one of the managers...ask for the gallon water jug boxes. They don't have much of a lid, but are great for packing oddly shaped or larger items.
2. Label each box (on each side) with the room it will go in. That way anyone helping you knows exactly where to put the box and everything doesn't end up in the main room in a heap!
3. Definitely plan to eat out after the big move, or order pizza in! Don't forget to order cold drinks too!!
All the best on your move!!!
Be sure you pack the bed linens where you can find them easily. Having moved many times I know that the most important thing is to have the bed made up so you get a good night's rest. Then you will be ready to unpack all those boxes the next day.
Check Flylady.net for a complete moving guide.
Yes! ALWAYS label your boxes for each room! I made the mistake of not doing that once and it was a mess trying to find the stuff I wanted!
When you go into the Post Office to change your address, they have a moving packet that has some coupons in it (it is free)...that might be useful.
Keeping the boxes close to the same size helps too...that way they stack nicer...for the ones you won't be getting to right away.
I packed a box of stuff that I would need right away, and kept it seperate because we moved in the afternoon and by the time everything was moved, it was too late to dig...things to include:
Take you time...it can get very overwhelming at times but it will get done!
Moving...OMG, I've moved so many times, that I can blow a whistle and have my stuff jump into a box! The best tips I can give you is if at all possible, drive kitchen survival stuff and linens to your new house ahead of the big move. Also, make sure that at least one phone is packed into an "open me first" box.
Know where the furnature is going to go ahead of time, (MEASURE) do any deep cleaning prior to occupancy. If you are not moving locally, try to arrange for a cleaning company to come over, do carpet, floors, kitch, bathrooms. Once you fill up with boxes and furniture, it'll be too late.
Change the locks or at least the tumblers ASAP. You don't know who had access before you. Start packing way to early, and rid yourself of excess clutter in the process. You might list excess on freecycle. That site is a blessing to so many.
Don't make your boxes too heavy. Use blankets/sheets/towels to help cushion breakables. If you have pictures, wrap them is something cushiony and place them along the sides of boxes, never flat. Lamp shades are usually safe in clothing boxes with small things tucked in and around them.
Find out if your moving company requires you to empty dresser drawers. Some do, some don't.
Keep your cell phones. Good jewelry and any cash IN YOUR PURSE, and never put it down during the moving process.
If you're not going far, most fridge food can make a reasonable trip in a cooler. Start saving ice a few days before the event.
Any Questions, feel free to write me at doggypaddler(at) aol. I'll be happy to help if I can.
Number the boxes as you pack them. Keep a masterlist on a paper with the number of the box and what's inside it. That way you dont have to go through boxes to find what you want.
If you're moving to a house that is close and you're making several trips back and forth, take your kitchen and bathroom drawers out and take them with you on one of your trips. Transfer them straight from your old drawers to the new ones and take the empties back on your return trip. It's an easy way to eliminate packing and unpacking a few boxes. After several moves, I figured this one out and it did help!
Congratulations on your new house. My Mother-in-law told me some boxes will just not get unpacked. They will be stashed somewhere to be opened years later. It will be just like Christmas. She was sooo right.
Moving day is extremely risky for small children and pets. Make sure they are secure. The potential for mishaps and accidents is major on moving day.
Again, congratulations.
I've moved WAY too many times, and heres some things I've done to make it a little easier.
I made lists of things I wanted to clean/paint before I moved, so it would get done. So if you have a dresser that needs a new coat, or a drawer handle that needs to be fixed, do it! I also made sure I had no dirty laundry that I had to haul, and gave my furniture/mattresses a good cleaning (I have my own carpet cleaner w/attachments)
Write down a list of all the places you'll need to change your address with and call them, and make sure you change it at the post office at least twice! It seems when I would do it once, it wouldn't get done.
Move all your big stuff first, then your decor (shelves, pictures, etc.) You never know that a picture you had in your room will look better in the dining room. Then I usually moved everything room by room, that way when a room was empty, it got cleaned really well (I've always rented, so I love getting my deposit back, haha).
I've only used a moving truck once, and it was the best money I ever spent, and it took one day to move my stuff. They are cheaper on the weekdays.
If you don't want to pay any money to buy boxes, some stores will give you some before they get recycled. Or just buy tubs you can re-use. I used my laundry baskets to move my clothes, then when my clothes were hung up and in my dressers, I could repack in them. Those big giant Ziploc bags you can buy now work really good, too.
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