You’ve probably heard the saying, “The three most stressful things in life are death, divorce, and moving.” Unfortunately, this has proven again and again to be true. When moving day comes, people often find themselves ill-prepared and overwhelmed by the task at hand, leading to high stress levels and an ineffective move.
Thankfully, there are many moving hacks you can take advantage of that will help make your move as smooth and stress-free as possible. Continue reading to learn all about how to handle your move with ease and start your life off on the right foot in your new home.
Preparation, Packing, and Unpacking
To have a stress-free moving experience, you’ll need to prioritize preparation just as much as packing and unpacking. All of these steps are equally important, so make sure to focus your efforts on preparation before moving into your packing stage.
Preparation Moving Hacks
- Hire a Professional Moving Company: First, one of the best things you can do to reduce your stress on moving day is to hire an experienced professional moving company like Movegreen. Because professional movers can assist with supplies, packing, moving, and unpacking, the right moving company can take a massive weight off your shoulders.
- Set Up Your Utilities: Switching over your utilities, such as your internet connection and electricity, is a quick and easy task that can be done over the phone or even online. However, people often forget about this step until the last minute, leading to added stress on or after moving day. Once you’ve confirmed the date of your move and have your new address, reach out to your utility companies and let them know where and when you’ll be moving to get this easily forgotten but straightforward task out of the way.
- Declutter and Donate: It’s also crucial to take moving as an opportunity to clear out the “extra” in your life. Donating, recycling, or disposing of items that you no longer use is a great way to not only reduce your stress on moving day but also reduce life stress in general. The longer we’ve lived in a particular place, the easier it is to build up the clutter that can take away from the charm and comfort of our home. Moving is a perfect opportunity to clear out unwanted items so that your new residence is free from clutter. Also, moving allows you the opportunity to help others through your donations. Organizations such as The Salvation Army will even come to collect large donations at your home, and you can schedule a pick-up before moving day.
- Plan Your Meals: Moving a large amount of food can be a difficult task, especially if your new home is far away. To prepare for your big moving day, eat as much of the food you have on hand as possible in the days leading up to your move. You can achieve this by planning out your meals a week or two in advance and getting a little creative with unused ingredients. Keep in mind that donating to a local food bank is a great way to avoid waste and help others if you have food leftover.
- Gather Your Supplies: In preparation for your move, make sure that you have all your necessary supplies stocked and ready to go. Look for eco-friendly supplies, such as those provided by Movegreen, to minimize impact on the environment. Some of the essential supplies you’ll need for your move include:
- Boxes of various sizes
- Cushioning (such as bubble wrap or foam wrap sheets)
- Packing tape
- Markers for labeling
- Cleaning supplies
- Supplies for small repairs (such as spackle for filling in small holes)
- Garbage bags and small plastic baggies
- Furniture straps
- Prepare an Overnight Bag: Remember that, even if you’re not moving far, things are going to be a bit hectic in your new home for the first few days. To minimize your stress on moving day, make sure to pack an overnight bag ahead of time that contains all your essentials (such as your toothbrush, a change of clothes, medications, and chargers) so that you can relax and get a good night’s sleep after a full day of moving.
- Stay Organized: Finally, one of the best tips for preparing for moving day is to stay organized. Make sure that you’re keeping all essential correspondences, such as a new lease, moving contract, and necessary bills, together in one secure place. Furthermore, when you begin packing, keeping boxes designated for specific rooms together is a simple way to make the whole process smoother.
Packing Hacks
- Watch the Weight: When it comes time to start packing, one of the most important things to keep in mind is to disperse the weight between your boxes evenly. Nothing makes a moving day more difficult than having boxes that are nearly impossible to lift. You may even find yourself needing to unpack and repack boxes if you make them too heavy the first time around. Remember that, while you technically “can” fit a lot of books in one box, that doesn’t mean you should. Instead, try balancing books (and other bulky items) out with lightweight options such as towels or clothing to keep the boxes from getting too heavy.
- Protect Your Valuables: You must protect your valuables, such as electronics or jewelry, on moving day. One surefire way to make moving more stressful is to find out that your precious items have been damaged. Therefore, make sure to take the time to properly pack and protect your valuables by wrapping them in bubble wrap or a soft fabric. Additionally, if possible, it’s always best to pack electronics in their original boxes. Professional movers will have packing materials available that can help to ensure your valuable items are secure. For highly valuable and fragile items, such as artwork, be sure to use a professional crating service that will keep your valuables safe during the move.
- Use What You Have: Using items you already have handy to help you pack is an essential moving hack. You can take advantage of natural packing containers like hampers, laundry baskets, and tubs or bins to kill two birds with one stone. For example, you can pack towels or children’s toys in your hamper or fill your laundry basket with shoes. Additionally, you can use delicate items such as clothing or sheets, to wrap more fragile belongings.
- Make it Easy: Like all life hacks, moving hacks should be as simple as possible. Make your move less stressful by avoiding unnecessary tasks such as emptying your dresser drawers (or drawers in other pieces of furniture). If you have a small enough dresser, you might be able to move it with all the drawers still in place by merely wrapping it in plastic wrap. If the dresser is large, take the drawers out and wrap them, but don’t bother emptying them. Emptying the drawers is an unnecessary step that will only make the whole experience more difficult and time-consuming. You can also leave clothes on their hangers to make moving them between closets a snap. Place groups of hung clothes together and wrap them in a garbage back to keep them protected.
Unpacking Hacks
- Stick to a Schedule: To help yourself stay on track and avoid procrastination, stick to an unpacking schedule. Start by making a list of what needs to be done and then divide tasks between your family members or roommates. Set specific deadlines for unpacking individual rooms so that you can start each day knowing what you have to focus on.
- Don’t Overwhelm Yourself: Even though an unpacking schedule is beneficial, it doesn’t need to be overly demanding. Focus on one room at a time, and give yourself breaks to make sure you’re staying rested and hydrated.
- Unpack Your Kitchen First: The kitchen is often the most complex room in the house when packing and unpacking. Because of the dishes’ delicate nature and the fact that there are so many small items that go in a kitchen, it can undoubtedly be the most challenging space in your home. Unpacking the kitchen first helps you get the most challenging task out of the way upfront and reduces the stress of unpacking.
- Get Rid of Boxes as You Go: Finally, make sure to break down your boxes and recycle them once you have unpacked them. You will get a feeling of accomplishment by getting rid of boxes, and you’ll also free up more space to move around comfortably and set things up the way you want.
Enjoy a Stress-Free Moving Experience
We all know that moving can be a stressful experience. However, by employing the above tips, you can significantly reduce the pressure. Make sure to take the time to prepare in the days and weeks leading up to your move. Find a professional moving company that can help you, and make sure to stock up on all your supplies ahead of time. Also, take the time to declutter your house and donate or throw away unwanted items that are just taking up space.
When it comes to packing, make sure you’re not overloading your boxes with heavy items like books. Additionally, make it easy on yourself by avoiding unnecessary tasks such as unpacking dresser drawers and taking clothes off hangers. You can also use what you already have to move multiple items at once, such as putting bedding, toys, and other small objects into laundry baskets, hampers, and other larger containers.
Utilizing moving hacks can significantly reduce the stress caused by the moving process. Preparation, as well as thoughtful packing and unpacking, are the keys to success. Make sure to take your time to set yourself up for a happy life in your new home.