How to Prepare for a Successful and Affordable Move

December 14, 2009 by admin

Moving is stressful.  There is nothing worse than getting all of your “stuff” to the new place, only to discover you can’t find anything without digging through every box and tote to find what you’re looking for.  Here are some tips to help organize your next move and lower your moving costs:

Get Supplies That Let You Prepare

Several weeks before your scheduled moving date, the following supplies should be obtained to make it possible for you to pack everything and still find it when you get where you’re going:

  • boxes of all sizes, at least 20, but probably more!
  • Packing tape
  • Black markers to label boxes
  • Furniture dolly / mover’s cart
  • newspapers for wrapping glass and breakables

Clean Out!

Most people have clutter and unnecessary items hidden all over their homes.  Why move those unneeded items to your new home?  Now is a great time to do a deep cleaning.  Recycle anything that is in good shape but is no longer needed by giving it away, selling in a yard sale, or donating to charity.

Room by Room

The most organized way to pack is to put a few boxes in each of your rooms, and only pack items from one room into each box.  If your moving in summer, you can start with your winter items (and vice versa) since you won’t be needing them for awhile.

As you fill each box, close and secure with packing tape and label the box with the room and a quick description of what’s in the box.  Mark all breakable items with big letters, FRAGILE, on several sides of the box.  An example would be:

  • bathroom, towels and washcloths
  • kitchen, baking dishes. FRAGILE

Moving Day

When the big day arrives, you should pick up the UHaul or other moving vehicle you’ve borrowed or rented, and begin moving your items out. You can also look at renting various storage units or hiring cheap movers to get the job done.  It’s a good idea to move your big furniture pieces in first, stacking and consolidating space as much as possible.  You can often flip a loveseat upside down and place on top of a full size couch; turn bookshelves and cabinets upright and then fill the inside of their shelves with smaller items, etc.

Try to keep all boxes with FRAGILE on them in one section, to make it easier to keep track of where the boxes are that need special care.

Unloading

When you reach your new home, resist the urge to bring everything into the first room you come to and dump it!  While you don’t need to set up your furniture configurations immediately, moving items into the rooms they belong to prevents having to move everything multiple times.

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