Keep The Essentials Close At Hand When MovingMake sure to pack some bathroom items and a few essential kitchen items in your car for use once you get to your new home.
Boxes for Storage and DonationsInstead of retrieving free boxes from the grocery store, retrieve the boxes from local merchants who do not sell food or beverage items. These merchants will most likely be very happy to not have to pay for their box removal.
Packing Materials for Glass ItemsCheap paper towels are the best wrapper for glass items when packing to move. It leaves no black ink residue the way newspaper does. It's thick and reliable and best of all, it can be used again after you unpack!
Use Plastic Wrap When MovingWhen packing to move, use plastic food wrap to enclose your utensil trays, and any tray that you might have in your office desk that holds paper clips, stamps, staples, etc.
Moving Supplies ChecklistItems needed for an organized move: large markers to mark boxes, check home improvement stores, liquor stores and grocery stores for free boxes...
Boxing Up Items When MovingLoad everything that you can into boxes. You can stack them on a dolly to move multiple boxes at a time and they allow you to easily pack a moving truck.
Labeling Moving BoxesHere are some tips for labeling boxes when you are moving. Label items with a large, dark colored permanent marker. Make sure to note the contents in the box and the room that you want to box to be put in in the new house.
Loading a Moving TruckIf you rent a moving truck, these tips may be helpful to consider as you load it. Make sure to stack breakable items towards the top and put the items that you want to get to first in the truck last.
Moving Furniture and Wall ArtStand sofas on end to reduce the space used. Wrap them in plastic to prevent them from getting dirty. If you are moving a dresser, remove items from drawers to make them much easier to move.
Keeping Your Floors Clean While Moving InTo prevent footprints in your new home when moving in, create walkways with drop cloths where the movers will be walking. If you have a lot of people helping with you move, have half the people unload the truck and half the people distribute the items throughout the house.
Hiring MoversIf you are hiring movers, be sure to ask them what their insurance covers before packing anything yourself. Quite often, they will only cover boxes that they have packed.
Sliding FurnitureThis is a tip for sliding furniture across floors that you don't wish to damage. Save cardboard milk cartons and cut the top of off four of them. Then slip a milk carton bottom under each leg of the furniture.
Lifting Heavy ItemsWhen you are lifting something heavy, bend your knees, not your waist. Use your legs to support the weight. You'll put less pressure on your back that way.
Fast Food Boxes for MovingA pal recently asked if we had any moving boxes they could have. I told her that any time we need any boxes for storage, etc., that we usually head for one of the nearest fast food restaurants and get their strong sturdy boxes that frozen french fries come in.
Check For Library Fines Before MovingIf you are moving and you and/or your children use the public library, check to see all your fines are paid. The public libraries are strapped for $ and are sending people with overdue accounts to collections!
Move Food In A Trash BinHaving moved countless times and lived in 5-6 states, I've used this tips many times! I bought a new outdoor garbage can with lid and 2 wheels. When I moved, I put a contractor's garbage bag inside, filled the can with canned goods and boxed groceries.
Keep Drawers Closed With Cellophane During a MoveWhen moving, be careful not to use tape on your furniture to hold dresser or night stand drawers closed. The tape can easily damage the finish, especially in hot weather. Use a self clinging cellophane wrap.
When Moving, Set Up Beds FirstWhen moving, the first piece of furniture you want to move into your new house are the beds. Place them in the designated bedrooms, put them together, and make them up. At the end of the day, all you want to think about is a shower, food, and a good night's rest.
Leave Drawers Filled When MovingRemove filled drawers with clothing, sheets, or whatever. Load the empty dresser, night stand, etc. on the truck. Replace the drawers and turn the furniture to the inside of the truck, so the drawers will not come open while traveling.
Packing Dishes and LinensUse towels, wash cloths, and sheets to wrap lamps, dishes, and other fragile items. Not only will it help to prevent breakage during a move, they also stay clean, so you do not have to rewash and clean everything after moving.
Mark Back of Drawers When MovingIf you plan to refinish or move a dresser, chest, or any furniture with more than a couple of drawers; an easy way to remember where each drawer goes is mark on the back of the drawer with a marker pen with "A", "B", "C", "D" or "1", "2", "3", "4".
Reusing Moving Boxes for Frequent MovesIf you know that you are going to be moving again shortly, or if you expect to relocate frequently, you might appreciate this tip from my military wife former mother-in-law, Mary Jo.
Finding the Bedding When MovingThis is an added tip on moving. Pack bedding in washer and dryer if you have them. Then they are handy to get to for making the bed the first night.
Keep Inventory of Box ContentsIf you are moving long distance using a professional mover, try to make itemized list of what is in the boxes. We lost 9 boxes on our last move and lost money from insurance because we could not tell them exactly what was in each box.
Use a Bathroom Rug to Move FurnitureRecently I needed to switch furniture in two rooms in my house. I have beautiful hardwood floors that are 57 years old and was afraid of scratching them. The furniture I needed to move (by myself) was heavy, big pieces and cumbersome. I thought about getting some of those mover thingies you put under the legs to move things but I didn't trust them to not scratch the floors.
Set Aside a Box of Necessities When MovingI have moved well over 20 times in my life and the following tip has saved me a lot of frustration and money. I pack 1 box of necessities needed immediately.
Newspaper End Rolls for PackingIf you need packing paper to wrap your valuables, go to your local newspaper and ask for an end roll of paper. They give it away for free here and it has no print on it and has plenty of paper for getting your things packed. You can also cut it to the exact size you need.
Move A Few Essentials In EarlyWhen you move, many places will allow you to have access a few days early. If this is possible, before the major move, bring enough kitchen tools to the new place to be able to fix a simple meal. Put them away in their new places. How LOVELY, to have a coffee pot, can opener, plates and glasses on the first chaotic morning in your new house.
Ask Friends To Help With MovingHaving just moved about 1 1/2 months ago, I can definitely testify that it is an exhausting process. One thing that helped us out a lot was to ask friends to help us with loading and unloading. We have one of the coolers with a water dispenser.
Organizing With Shoe Boxes for a MoveI recently moved. I was VERY disorganized but am getting better. The one thing I found out is that Target stores are more then happy to let you have empty shoe boxes. I drove my family nuts I had shoes boxes all over.
Leave Remotes and Appliance Manuals When MovingWhen moving, don't forget to leave behind garage door, blind, and ceiling fan remotes. Also, leave any appliance manuals and warranties that may still be applicable. You could even leave the names and numbers of the utility companies that they may need to call.
Use Masking Tape and Crayon to Label ItemsI use masking tape to label items, writing on it with crayon instead of permanent marker. I have two small children who leave stray crayons everywhere, and a permanent marker is a potential disaster if they get a hold of one.
Keep Your Move OrganizedWhen I moved a few years ago, I stumbled upon a system that kept me sane before, during and after the move. When packing a box, put a large pad of lined paper next to it. As I wrapped and put things in the box, I wrote down precisely what I had packed.
Color Code Rooms When MovingI've been reading the moving advice here and have one more thought to it. When I moved, I bought 20 sheets of red, blue, green and yellow paper etc each, from at a copy center.
Paper Towels as Packing MaterialWhen packing household item to move I use paper towels, the recycled kind. When I unpack, I reuse the paper towels for cleaning jobs!
Use Paper Towels for Temporary CurtainsAfter I moved into my brand new house, the most important thing for me was to find curtain for all of those more than 40 windows. Because there are so many, it is hard for me to find the right curtains and have them installed in a short period of time.
Use Styrofoam Egg Cartons for PackingI use Styrofoam egg cartons for mailing in place of packing peanuts. I never throw an egg carton away. They are far less messy than the peanuts and cost nothing.
Trash Cans for Moving FoodWhen ever I move, I never want to take my old outside trash cans with me. So when I am moving, I buy two or three new trash cans with wheels. Then when I am packing up all of my grocery items, I place the food items such as can goods, box goods, canister items, spices, etc. in the trash cans.
Use Paper Plates for Packing PlatesI am getting ready to move and packing up my dishes. I have packed my plates between paper plates that I got from the dollar store. They take up less room than newspaper.
Moving Heavy FurnitureWhen moving furniture on carpet, place a magazine with a glossy cover on all corners. This will make moving the furniture easy. When moving furniture on wood floors, place a wash clothes folded in fourths on all corners and move with ease.
Mark Emptied Cabinets When MovingWe are in the process of moving and I came up with this nifty idea. I put a strip of masking tape across each cabinet door and drawer in the kitchen (and bathrooms) as I empty and clean it to save time later.
Use Boards to Slide Boxes Down StairsI had a wonderful idea that might help you all when you have to move from down a flight of stairs. I made a ramp out of two 2X6's and slid the boxes down the steps!
Make Scale Graph of Room When MovingTo arrange furniture in a room, make a graph paper plan of the room dimensions. First, measure the room's walls in feet to get the accurate floor plan. Next, scale down each foot of wall space to 2 boxes on the paper and draw the outer dimensions of the room.
Car Mats for Transporting GlassWhen I bought 3 coffee tables at a thrift store, I had 3 huge panes of glass that I had to safely transport home. The table bases fit in my car, but I didn't have anything to protect the glass.
Label Boxes by Room When MovingGo to your dollar/office supply store, and buy a packet of colored stickers; the type used as "price tags". They come in a variety of shapes and sizes - try to get the larger size.
Use Plastic Bags Instead of StyrofoamA friend of mine was moving large speakers from CO to CA on a bus. We packed them in boxes and used wadded up plastic grocery bags instead of newspaper or peanuts.
Use Towels And Clothing As Packing MaterialHaving been in Houston for almost 30 years, DH and I are going to retire and go back to Knoxville, Tennessee. We can live on our retirement checks without working.
Packing Tips for MovingCall around for prices on boxes and special wrap for dishes. If you use newspaper on your kitchen dishes you will have no choice but to wash them before they are put away.
Mark Electronic Cords When MovingWhen moving electronics, I find it helpful to mark my cords so that when I am ready to set them back up, the cords are not a tangled puzzle. I mark each cord with a different colored dot of nail polish.
Making Moving EasierJust before you move, pack a suitcase for you and your family as if you were going on vacation. That way, you can live out of your suitcases for a few days, and not have to have everything unpacked to bathe, dress, etc.
Pack Dishes Between Foam PlatesMoving to a new home? To help your plates arrive safely when moving, simply purchase a pack of foam plates. Check your local pound shop/dollar store! Even paper plates would do the job.
Make Furniture Templates When MovingThe last two times we've moved, it was a breeze when moving the furniture! I took graph paper, counted each square on the graph paper as 6 inches. I then measured each piece of furniture and cut a template for it using the 6 inch rule.
Hiring Honest MoversI was so excited about moving after have gone through the death of my husband, I failed myself. Since I had a short distance for moving, I decided to use someone local. Little did I know he was a crook.
Moving Canned Goods to New HomeWhen I move, I buy two large trash cans with wheels. I store all my food stuff in the new trash cans. The trash cans hold a great deal of weight and are easy to move with the wheels. If anything breaks, the cans are water proof.
Storing Empty Moving BoxesI am staying with a friend and while I unpacked my few boxes, I wanted to keep them for when I move out. I have often looked at a box on a high shelf and wondered "what is in it and why didn't I mark it"?
What to Expect When Renting a Moving TruckWe have all had to move at some point in our lives. Using a rental truck to move your belongings makes the hassle a little more bearable! Some examples include: U-Haul, Penske, Budget, Enterprise, and Ryder. I worked for one of these companies and have compiled some tips to help you know what to expect when you rent.
Washcloths to Move Heavy FurnitureHow to move a heavy piece of furniture when you are alone, without scratching hardwood floors. Use 4 facecloths, one under each leg. Then you can gently push and pull with no strain, just let it glide smoothly along the hardwood floors. It really works beautifully!
Reusing Packaging Material from a MoveI just recently moved, using a ton of paper towels to pack fragile items. While unpacking, I was making a pile up of perfectly good paper towels, and thought, "I'm too cheap to just throw them away."
Pack with What You HaveI am moving. I have lots of breakables, but also lots of yarn and soft craft supplies. Tonight I found that you can mix them and save on newspaper, time, bulk and more.
Inspect Rental Vehicles CarefullyWhen you rent any vehicle, make sure to inspect the car, van, or truck and note any damage, scratches, or dings. It would be useful to even take quick photos.
Organizing Food When MovingWhen I was getting ready to move, I did not want to get rid of all the food in my cabinets. But food items can be heavy and breakable. So I needed to come up with an idea that would keep my things together and to also contain anything that might break.
Packing Dishes for a MoveWhen packing glass dishes, use paper towels to wrap them in. That way, you don't have to wash them and you can still use the paper towel.
Moving TipsI am helping a friend move. She went out and bought moving boxes, bubble wrap and tissue paper (which adds up money quite quickly!)
Money-Saving Moving TipsTo find the right moving company, start looking far in advance. Ask your friends and family about moving experiences they've had - they may be able to recommend some good companies! You should request quotes from multiple movers and accurately describe your total moving inventory to them - you may be able to save money if your haul isn't too big and you certainly don't want any invoice surprises after Moving Day.
