Moving is a hassle no matter how you look at it.
You’ll spend hours packing up all of your things, then hours unpacking them at the new place. You probably know some common tips for packing for a move, but have you ever wondered if there's a trick to making it all easier?
Below, we have some ideas to hack the system! Take a look and choose the ones that make sense for you.
You’ll save yourself some time and headaches.
The less you have to move, the easier your move will be.
As you pack up your clothes, your cupboards, and all of the things stashed away in the basement, separate the things that you don’t use. Throw these out or donate to your favourite thrift store.
Moving companies typically charge by the hour, so if you make their job easier, you may be able to save a bit of money.
One way to do this is to put all of your boxes in a single location. The closer to the door, the better. A rarely used dining room or home office could be the perfect spot to put these boxes.
Rather than taking your clothes off of the hangers, packing them into boxes, and then putting them back on hangers in the new closet, you can make your life easier by simply transporting them while still on the hanger.
Open up your garbage bag and slip five to 10 items of clothing into the bag. Pull the bag up over the clothes, then tie it around the hangers. At the new place, just hang the bundle up, then remove the garbage bag.
There’s no need to bring empty suitcases over to the new home. Save yourself a few boxes and use the suitcases for packing. They can hold clothes, bedding, or even knick-knacks.
If you’re packing clothes, consider purchasing the space saver bags that vacuum air out of the space. Compressing the clothes gives you more room in the suitcase.
Think about the things you’ll need your first day – bed linens, a coffee pot, and things for the bathroom, for example. Gather these things in their own boxes and put them in your car rather than letting the movers take them.
You’ll be able to dig right into the things you need most.
You’ve probably heard that you should label your boxes so you can easily put them in the right rooms at the new place, but colour-coded tape makes it even easier.
Rather than having to look at the box from different angles to see your label, you can quickly glance at it to see where it belongs. If you go this route, create a chart for yourself just in case you forget which colour goes to which room.
Go a step further with each box by making a quick list of what’s in it, then taping it to the outside. You’re unlikely to get to all of the boxes on your first day, but it’s frustrating to have to open up every one when you're looking for something you need.
The list gives you a quick reference and makes it easier to unpack the most important boxes first.
Don’t box up empty containers. Use up every little bit of space.
For instance, you could fill up your pots and pans with spice jars or other pantry items. Rather than taking your silverware out of the container, just wrap it up with plastic wrap so you don’t have to worry about setting it up at the new house.
Many of your items will need a bit of padding to keep from breaking, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money on packing peanuts or bubble wrap. Instead, wrap things like towels and t-shirts around breakable items.
There’s nothing more frustrating than losing some of the small pieces that go with an object somewhere during the move.
Keep these things together.
If you’re taking the bunk beds apart, for instance, put all of the bolts in a bag and tape it to the frame. Tape the TV cords to the back of the TV. It sounds like a small thing, but you’ll be grateful you did this.
You want your move to go as smoothly as possible. Getting organized is the key to making this happen. We wish you a flawless move to your new home!
Have an interesting home moving hacks of your own? Share with us in the comments below!