Moving is a part of life. And whether you move often or are packing up your bags for the first time in a long time, it can be a stressful process Fortunately, while moving isn’t necessarily easy on anyone, there are many ways to pack and unpack faster, reduce the amount of work, and ultimately make the process go just a bit smoother than it might otherwise.
Getting prepared
The best way to pack for moving is to start earlier, rather than later. So before we get to packing tips and tricks, here are some moving hacks that will help you start off on the right foot. There are a lot of things you can do before you even pack up that first box to help facilitate an easier move. The moving hacks below will help you start off on the right foot.
- Call the utility companies as soon as you know you’re moving. You’ll not only get it out of the way early on, you’ll also ensure you don’t forget to do it later.
- Find a mover fast. Use comto find movers near you that have already been vetted for quality and reliability.
- Set your budget. Moving can get expensive, and you don’t want to end up with major sticker shock on top of everything else.
- Empty your fridge. Make it a goal to eat as much of the food you already have in your house as you can before moving day arrives. Do good at the same time by donating unopened/ unexpired food to a local food bank. This way when you move, you do not have to carry food with you that may get spoiled.
Getting rid of stuff
Your move will be so much easier if you organize your belongings and toss, recycle, or donate what you don’t need instead of lugging it with you to your new home. It can be a struggle, but these tips can help you!
- Do a closet purge. If it doesn’t fit, is out of style, and/or you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it.
- Get rid of items you haven't used in a long time. When deciding whether or not to toss an item, ask yourself whether you have actually used the item for it's purpose and if you genuinely need it.
- Make donation pick-up arrangements. If you know you’ll be donating big items like furniture, schedule a pick-up ahead of time so you can be sure you have an organization that can come get them.
- Purge hacks. Try different purge hacks to help you get rid of stuff.
- 1-29 method: A 29 day house purge hack. If you are someone who has a hard time getting rid of stuff, try using 29 days to get rid of things. On the first day, get rid of one thing, on the second, two things, and so on.
- Marie Kondo hack: If it doesn’t spark joy, throw it away
Saving money on your move
In addition to being a lot of work, moves can also cost you a lot of money. Follow these moving budget hacks to keep your costs down.
- Get quotes from multiple different movers. This helps ensure you get the best price, and you may even find that a company is willing to reduce their estimate if it means getting your business.
- Look at all your options. The best way to move is the way that makes sense for your needs and your budget. Price compare moving companies against renting a moving truck or using a portable moving container to hone in on your most cost effective option.
- Find free packing supplies. You can often score free boxes by calling up local retailers or just asking friends and family members. These can include old boxes from shopping, moving, etc.
How to pack for a move
Packing to move might just be the most time consuming part of the whole process. The best packing tips for moving are all about cutting corners so that you can save yourself time while still making sure that your belongings are protected.
- Don’t empty out your dresser drawers. Take the drawers out of the dresser, leave the items in there, and secure them by wrapping up the drawer in plastic wrap. If it’s not too heavy, you can leave the drawers in the dresser and just wrap up the dresser itself in plastic wrap.
- Leave your clothes on the hanger. Keep clothes on their hangers and either group them up and wrap them in large garbage bags or hang them in a wardrobe box.
- Put your linens, towels, and other soft items to use. Wrap up breakables like glasses or perfume bottles in socks for serious padding, and use linens and towels to provide cushioning for fragile, difficult to wrap items like lamps and vases. In the kitchen, use dish towels to securely wrap up knives and other sharp objects, securing them on there with a rubber band.
- Use pots to hold small items. Instead of wasting additional boxes for small kitchen items like spices and gadgets, fill up your large pots and other sealable containers with them. You’ll save a ton of space.
- Wrap a small bit of plastic wrap around things that might spill. Prevent spills in transit by using plastic wrap to secure the lids of things like soap, shampoo, cleaning supplies, and other items you don’t want poured out all over your things.
- Pack your suitcases. You can get away with packing a lot of heavy things in suitcases since their wheels make them easy to move. Use suitcases to pack things that aren’t so easily transported in boxes, such as books and heavy serving dishes.
- Color code boxes. Save time with your box labeling by picking up a sheet of different colored stickers and assigning each color a room. That way, you’ll be able to identify what needs to go where super quickly, and you won’t have to hunt for the marker every single time you seal up a box.
- Take pictures of box contents. Snap a quick pic of the inside of boxes after they’re packed in case you need to jog your memory later about what’s where. While you won’t be able to capture every item in the shot, it should help you get a general idea of what you’ll find in each box.
- Take a picture of the back of your TV. It can be difficult to remember where all those wires go. While your TV is still plugged in, take a picture of the back of it so you’ll remember how to set it back up later.
- Put together a moving essentials bag. Pack a small duffle bag or suitcase with the items you’ll need access to during your move and right after you’ve arrived at your new place, such as important documents, medications, chargers, basic toiletries, a couple changes of clothes, etc.
Moving day
Moving day itself is super tiring—and it can be super stressful, too. These moving hacks will help you get through it.
- Start with logistics. Figure out how you’re getting from point A to point B before doing anything else.
- Pack a cooler. Stock a cooler with easy-to-grab items that can keep your strength up throughout the day, like water bottles and quick snacks. Move it with you in the car instead of the moving truck so you can access it whenever you need to.
- Have a plan for little kids and pets. If your kids are too young to help on moving day, your best bet is to have them hang out with friends or family to relieve a bit of your stress and keep them safe. The same goes for pets. If you can, arrange alternate plans for your kids and pets to make your move easier.
- Be packed up the day before moving day. Last minute packing can slow down your entire day. Make it a goal to be completely packed before your movers arrive or it’s time to pick up the rental truck. That way, you can focus right away on accomplishing the task at hand.
Unpacking
You’ve finally arrived, but there’s still more to be done. Here’s how to stop procrastinating and speed up the unpacking process.
- Start with the bedroom. Getting the bedroom done first will give you a place to sleep if you do not finish unpacking within a day. You don’t have to unpack the entire room, just basic necessities such as your bed and toiletries.
- Give yourself a deadline. Schedule a housewarming party or a more casual get together for a few weeks after your move to provide yourself with a set end date for having all of your unpacking done.
- Put on some music. Music makes everything better. Skip the TV (it will just be a distraction) and put on some good tunes to entertain yourself while unpacking
- Do a little bit at a time. Don’t stress yourself out trying to get every single box unpacked right away. Get the major things done, and then focus instead on doing what you can as you can, devoting just ten or fifteen minutes at a time to unpacking instead of feeling like you need to spend hours on it.
- Get rid of boxes as you empty them. As soon as a box is emptied of all its items, break it down and recycle it. This will give you a physical marker of progress and clear up much-needed space in your new home.
- Have a plan for food. Let’s get real here: you’re not going to want to be cooking while also settling in and unpacking. Give yourself the gift of guilt-free takeout so you can focus more on everything else that needs to get done.
Moving hacks are all about making things just a bit easier on yourself. Follow the ones above and you’ll notice that, this time around, maybe your move isn’t quite as bad as you expected it to be.
We provide movesnap for all our clients as a token of appreciation.
MoveSnap | Digital Moving Concierge Service
1. To set up an Ottawa Hydro account: Click Here or call: 613-738-6400
2, To set up an Enbridge Gas account: Click Here or call: 613-741-5800
3. Ottawa Water & Sewer Account #: Property owner or manager must email completed Authority to Bill Tenant form (Authorization Agreement To Bill Tenant (ottawa.ca) ) to: revenue@ottawa.ca
4. New tenants should contact Canada Post to inform them of your impending move. They will provide you with a new set of keys and replace the lock on your community mailbox compartment for free.
5. To set up internet connection: Rogers or Bell
Post a comment