As an immigrant in the United States, I have moved more often than I would have liked to (11 times) in the last 7 years. Let me be honest, I absolutely hate packing and love unpacking. I do have terrible OCD though and it comes in handy while moving. So the other day when a friend asked me for moving tips, I decided that I should do a post on it with a few quick tips. Let’s get right into it, shall we?
MOVING TIPS – BOXES
1.) U-Haul has a really cool supply calculator that helps you estimate the packing materials needed. This lets you decide off the bat what you will need to start packing. You don’t need to follow the exact list, but it gives you something to work with.
2.) Pack by room. Group your boxes so that you can have the movers set them in the right room at your new place. Unpacking automatically becomes super easy.
3.) Label your boxes by contents and room. Color code it to make it even more fun. 😛
4.) Have a separate box for cables. Twist-tie and label all the cables to avoid entangling and confusion.
MOVING TIPS – TIMELINE
1.) Order/purchase supplies so you have them at least 4 weeks before moving day.
2.) Set aside a bunch of stuff (clothes, shoes, accessories, toiletries) that you will need for the first week in your new home before the packing begins.
3.) Start with packing off-season items (clothes & decorations), books and games. (4 weeks before moving day)
4.) Pack kitchen utensils that you don’t use every day, extra dining sets, fragile items (vases & other home decor items) and craft supplies. (3 weeks before moving day)
5.) Pack extra linens, towels and cleaning supplies. (2 weeks before moving day)
6.) Pack pantry items, most dining, and serving items, small appliances, important documents and all clothing except the ones set aside for the first week. (1 week before moving day)
7.) Pack baby stuff/pet supplies and the stuff set aside for the first week. (the day before moving)
MOVING TIPS – DECLUTTER
Donate/sell items in good condition that you do not need anymore. This would include items like
- Kitchen appliances and serve ware.
- Any items of clothing that you haven’t worn in the last year.
- Textbooks that you no longer need.
- Furniture that you don’t want to move.
MOVING TIPS – HACKS
1.) Pack cookers in luggage as the space in them can be stuffed with small pieces of clothing. This saves space and also keeps the cooker from being damaged.
2.) Wrap perfume bottles in clothes while packing them in luggage. Place them in Ziploc bags first if you want to avoid leak accidents.
3.) Always wrap toiletries in plastic bags or place them in Ziploc bags before packing in order to avoid leaky messes.
4.) Use shrink wraps to wrap your drawers when they are full to turn them into moving boxes by themselves.
5.) When dismantling furniture, place the screws in a Ziploc bag, label the bag and tape the bag to the furniture it belongs to.
6.) Pack all manuals in one box, preferably the one with the cables.
MOVING TIPS – NEW HOME
1.) Make sure to get the utilities set up at your new home 2-3 weeks before move-in day. Also, cancel the utilities for your current address.
2.) Apply for USPS address forwarding at least 2 weeks before move-in day.
3.) Change the address on all your accounts (Bank account, subscriptions, credit-card providers etc)
4.) Get your internet connection transferred or look for a new one and make an appointment at least 3 weeks before the move.
If you are moving between states, few things to keep in mind,
- You may/may not have the same internet service provider at your new address. Look for a new provider if you don’t and book an appointment for setup ahead of time.
- Get the utilities set up ahead of time at the new address.
- Make plans to get a new license and car registration within a week of moving.
- A lot of movers have certain restrictions on items that they will not move. The movers that we used, would not transport items like deicers (any inflammable spray actually), huge liquid bottles that have the potential to leak, valuables like expensive jewelry etc. Be sure to read the fine print early in the packing process to make sure that you pack/discard items accordingly. Note down existing damage before moving and make sure to check for further damage after moving.
I hope these basic moving tips help you with your move. Take a look at my Pinterest board for more handy moving tips, timelines, and checklists. Please leave comments or feel free to reach out with any questions. I would love to hear from you. 🙂
