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Moving? Feeling a little overwhelmed or stress? Yeah, I have been there. Today I am sharing some of my best tips for moving without as much stress. While I wish these tips could promise no stress, sadly, I think stress may just come with the moving territory. But at least using these moving tips, you may feel some relief.
My family just moved. It was quite a quick decision, and we didn’t move far, but we moved from our 1300 square foot apartment, to a 2200 square foot home.
It was a big decision for our family that we had to make because remote learning in our small space did not go well in the spring. So we decided, for our kids sake, we had to move somewhere that we could set up a distance learning space that is not the dining room table.
Moving is STRESSFUL! It was exciting, but stressful.
Did you know that most adults agree moving from one home to another is incredibly stressful? Some people even say it is one of the most stressful things they have experienced. If you are getting ready to move, you might already feel stressed over the work that you will need to put into this process.
While it is tiring and time-consuming, it is worth it when you finally get to move into your new place and unpack everything you own. When looking for ways to get through the move with ease and without losing your sanity, check out the stress-free moving tips below.
Tips For Moving With Less Stress
Thankfully, having moved several times, and having talked to friends that move a lot (for work or military) I had some great tips that helped make moving less stressful.
#1. Start Packing in Advance
Get a headstart on packing as soon as you know that you are moving. If you wait until the last minute, you are going to experience more stress than you should because you will get stuck trying to do it all at once. While you may still need certain things until you are ready to officially move into the new place, such as your couch and television, or deodorant (my husband packed his two days before we moved…), there are other rooms that you can start packing up into boxes.
The rooms you may want to start with first include guest rooms, dining rooms, and other areas that are not frequented as often as some of the other places in the home, such as your bedroom, bathroom, and living room.
#2. Use Clear Storage Containers with Lids and Labels
Pack lots of items inside clear storage containers with lids and then place labels on them. If you use clear containers, you can easily see through them, so you will know what you have packed without having to open the lid of the box.
This is especially helpful for things you may need to get into, even before you complete unpack. I was super grateful our pain medicines were in a clear container and easy to spot the first night in our new home, because I needed them after moving all day.
And, it is even easier to understand what goes where when you have labels attached to each of your containers. For example, you may have labels that say, “Kitchen Cutlery,” “Hair Tools,” and “Shoes.” If you want to feel extremely organized, use color-coordinated labels to identify which items belong in which room inside your new place.
#3. Keep Important Documents in a Secured Folder
The last thing you want to lose during the move is any essential documents you might have. These documents would include your birth certificate, social security card, mortgage information, and more. Place each of these items inside a secured folder and then take it with you when you are finally ready to move into your new home.
#4. Cover Clothes on Hangers With Trash Bags
Do you have most of your clothes hanging up in your closet? You might dread the idea of pulling them off the hangers only to hang them back up in a closet in the new home. The good news is that you do not need to do all of that.
Rather than removing clothes from the hangers, simply bring all your clothes together and place a trash bag over them. Leave the hooks hanging out from the top of the trash bag. You may then tie the bag closed. Once you move into your new place, all you’ll need to do is simply cut the trash bag off and hang your clothes right inside of the new closet.
Not only is this a creative moving hack to help save some extra time, but it is also one that will help you keep those clothes clean. The bag that covers the clothes will protect them from dirt and dust during transit.
#5. Put All Your Spices and Utensils in Your Slow Cooker
Keep your kitchen items together by placing all your favorite spices and small utensils inside your slow cooker. If your slow cooker is large enough, you should have no problem fitting tons of items inside of it.
Most importantly, you can cover the slow cooker with the lid to keep those spices and other things secure during the move. If you do not have a slow cooker, you can simply add all your spices and utensils into those clear plastic storage containers with lids to keep them together and organized.
#6. Order Boxes From a Moving Company For Long Haul Moves
So this tip was repeated over and over by my friends who have made cross country moves. I am the person who found free boxes from people for our short, half mile move, but so many of my friends repeated this, I felt it was important to put in here. Here are a few of the reasons they gave for this:
- You may think that you can find boxes from different places, such as grocery stores, but it often becomes this considerable hassle of trying to find the perfect boxes. You will spend more time searching for boxes than actually packing items inside of them.
- Moving boxes, unlike free ones, will be pretty uniform in size, making them perfect for loading into a moving van. While you will have a few odd-sized boxes, having the majority be the exact same size, will really make filling a moving truck, or pod, to the max much easier.
So, if you would like to save time and maximize the amount of items you can load in your moving vehicle, put in an order for boxes from a moving company. Most companies offer reliable, durable boxes at the most affordable rates.
You can even save the boxes for storage purposes or give them to someone else who is moving to ensure they get used as much as possible.
#7. Get Loved Ones to Help
You should ask some of your loved ones to help with the move. You might need helping hands to assist with packing boxes, bringing boxes inside the vehicles, and transporting those items to your new place. Even a small amount of help can make such a huge difference when you are moving.
Or maybe they can help with entertaining your children, helping you unpack, or even cleaning the old or new place up a bit.
Not sure who to ask?
Simply ask those who are closest to you, such as your parents, siblings, and friends you talk to quite often. You never know who might be able to lend a helping hand. Some of your loved ones might even have items that can make the moving process more manageable, such as hand trucks for transporting heavy furniture and boxes and protective covers for your furniture.
Our friends helped us on moving day. Their teenage daughter entertained our kids, even taking them to our new neighborhood park, while the older kids helped us move and do the heavy lifting.
I always suggest providing a minimum of pizza for lunch, but if you are able, I like to at least offer to pay them or gift them something for the help. Although, our friends’ kids refused payment, I was glad I at least offered.
Bonus Tip:
Be sure to call and change over all utilities at least one week before moving. Make a list of all the utilities you need to turn on and those you need to shut off and check them off as you go.
Also, don’t forget to forward your mail starting a day or two before you move, especially if you will not be moving close by where you could ask the new owners/occupants to let you come by and grab any mail that gets missed being forwarded.
Moving is stressful for most people. It is not uncommon for people to feel frustrated over everything they need to do when it comes to moving from one place to the next. While relocating takes time, effort, and hours of hard work, there are ways to make it a bit less stressful.
Follow these seven tips on making your move a bit easier, and you will be thankful that you did because you will save some time and avoid wasting too much energy. Once you settle into your new place, all the work that went into moving is worth it.
