Moving & Packing Tips

If there’s one thing I am experienced at over the past five years, it’s moving! For largest or for worse, we have just completed our third move within five years (with two kids and pets!).

In this post, I will teach you everything I have learned well-nigh how to pack, how to move efficiently, and settle into your new home quickly. We’ll moreover imbricate upkeep tips and pointers for making the transition smooth for children.

I moreover have passionate feelings well-nigh the weightier packing supplies that streamline the process—especially if you are doing all the packing yourself!

Related: What I Learned Moving With Kids and How We Prepped Our Home To Sell.

Packing Tips For Moving

We chose to pack our own boxes considering we wanted to take wholesomeness of the endangerment to declutter and donate items as we packed.

I see the obvious benefits of hiring a mover to pack all your belongings for you, but I would at least consider doing it yourself if you finger you have a lot of scramble to get rid of. We spent time packing our belongings on nights and weekends.

Throughout this process, we saved thousands of dollars in moving fees and we were worldly-wise to donate a lot of stuff instead of moving it and then donating it later. Here are my tips for doing your own packing:

• Get matching boxes. I completely understand how tempting it is to try to save all your Amazon boxes or procure some boxes from a local grocery store. But hear me out—it’s worth it to get boxes that are all exactly the same size. The boxes we used were primarily medium boxes with handles and bankers boxes (which require no packing tape). I highly suggest bankers boxes for books and heavy, small items.
  
• Use clothing bags for suit and linens. We purchased plastic storage bags for moving all our “soft stuff” like clothing, bed linens, pillows, and plane items like kids toys. These tons fit a lot increasingly than boxes and create a plush layer that is unconfined to use as padding in your POD for furniture, mirrors (or other items that you are very concerned well-nigh protecting).
  
• Label everything. Plane if the box you are packing seems “random,” try to resist the urge to label it that way or not label it. Instead, make notes on the boxes of any items you may try to find later. If you want to do a verisimilitude coded system, I recommend these moving box labels.
  
• Declutter ruthlessly as you go. As I mentioned above, one of the weightier perks of packing your own boxes is you can simultaneously declutter your belongings as you go. I recommend getting rid of anything that you don’t use, you don’t love, or that you’ve outgrown in style. I like to use the Marie Kondo “Does it spark joy?” method. Try to donate as much as possible.

Booking a Moving Service

After reading our friend Julia’s moving fraud experience, we decided versus a moving usurer or a full service moving company. I am sure there are many reputable options out there, but without reading her story we felt safest with a simple POD moving option.

Having used a POD in the past to relocate wideness state lines, we knew what to expect and felt good well-nigh the option.

The biggest difference between a POD and a moving truck like U-Haul is that you don’t have to momentum to POD yourself. So once it is packed and locked up, you can momentum to your new home (or plane fly) with minimal belongings and you know your POD will make its way to you in a few weeks time.

The way our POD wits worked is that we booked an word-for-word day that our POD would arrive—about a week surpassing we departed from our home in Tennessee. Once the POD arrived, it sat in our driveway for virtually a week.

You can segregate to pack the POD yourself or rent a local mover to help you pack it. We chose to do a hybrid approach. We packed the majority all our boxes ourselves over well-nigh a month’s time surpassing the POD arrived.

On the day the POD was dropped off in our driveway, my husband loaded the majority of our boxes himself. He wanted to do this considering he was meticulous well-nigh putting all the heavy boxes at the bottom. He packed each row all the way to the ceiling so there was scrutinizingly no wasted space.

The next day, a moving hairdo arrived and helped us move large and heavy items into the POD that we couldn’t have washed-up on our own. Since we sold most of our furniture with our home, we only had well-nigh 10 big and heavy items to move and it took less than an hour.

Once that was completed, we used every inch of the remaining space to fit increasingly stuff into the POD. We ended up using 100% of the space within the POD and were worldly-wise to fit scrutinizingly everything we wanted into the space. What we couldn’t fit, we squeezed into our cars or donated surpassing moving.

Why we like PODS – First of all, PODS are affordable. I haven’t found a increasingly affordable option for moving wideness country. I really like that you have up to a week to pack so there’s time to get it just right (most of my mistakes in life are a result of rushing).

The POD system is extremely simple and straightforward. We felt protected from fraud and we saved a lot of money on the move overall. Our move forfeit under $4,000 total, which is a big savings on what it would have been with a full service option.

Cons of PODS (be shielding for these things) – The biggest complaint that I hear from people who have used a POD for moving is that a lot of stuff was wrenched or damaged. You are basically packing a small semi truck when and then you don’t see it for well-nigh two weeks when it arrives in your new driveway.

What happens to them during their journey? This is unclear, but it seems like they maybe go to hell and back. Haha! OK, but really—you have to be very strategic in your packing! It’s up to you to make sure furniture is sufficiently padded and secured.

Assume that the items in your POD are going to have a VERY rough trip and pack accordingly.

There are several things we would NOT put in a POD and instead kept in our cars that we drive. One was very expensive equipment like computers, frame TVs, and my husband’s music gear.

Another thing is plants. I personally would not put plants in a POD unless you veritably had to considering they may not make it.

The last thing to be shielding well-nigh is anything that can melt or freeze. Depending on the season, be shielding and remember that this POD is not temperature controlled. I would not put candles and things like that in the POD as they could melt and make a mess.

The last con of moving with a POD is that you don’t know the word-for-word day it will victorious at your new home. You will be given a window of time. So you have to be flexible and worldly-wise to live without EVERYTHING in your POD for up to a week or two extra.

To make up for this, we made sure we packed two weeks of suit in our cars and you’ll want to pack other essentials (like maybe air mattresses to sleep on) until your POD arrives.

Moving Tips and Hacks

• Pack a “comfort box” for each member of your family, including pets. Items you will find in our repletion boxes are anything you can pull out the first night to finger comfort. Examples include the kids’ favorite blankets and stuffies, my favorite candle with a lighter to light it right away, favorite snacks, socks, tea or coffee. It’s moreover a good idea to pack essential items in an overnight bag like toothbrushes and a few changes of clothing. Your future self will thank you!
  
• Keep one box for super important items like passports, bills you will need to pay (basically anything that can not get lost for a month).
  
• Pack boxes fully. Don’t leave big gaps in boxes. We filled in many of our boxes with towels, uneaten clothing, plane rolls of toilet paper.
  
• I have moved my suit on hangers several times. To do this, you alimony bundles of suit on hangers and imbricate them with (unscented) trash tons that are turned over with a slum for the hangers. It saves a lot of time.
  
• Choose boxes that are uniform in size and have handles. Our favorite options are this size for worthier items (kitchen appliances, toys, etc.) and this size for books and decor.
  
• Label necessary items you will need immediately VERY clearly. Make them very easy to find. This could include sheets and blankets, towels, toiletries and daily use kitchen items like a coffee maker or tea kettle.
  
• Reward yourself for all your nonflexible work. You deserve it!

Note: If any part of you feels guilty ownership moving supplies instead of procuring freebies and tint offs, here is my pep talk. Most importantly, uniform boxes and tons will make your moving truck packing increasingly tight and professional.

And remember—you can pass ALL of these items withal to the next person you know who is in need of moving supplies. Nothing needs to be wasted. Scrutinizingly everything can be used again.

Get Organized Surpassing You Move

Here are some ideas for your pre-move checklist:

• Schedule utilities, internet, lawn care, or any other services needed for your new home.
• Schedule a stop stage for services at your previous home. We typically do it right without the new owners take occupancy and let them know the stage so they can schedule new services.
• Have your mail forwarded to your new write by USPS. Transpiration your write on all finance you use often (like Amazon, any bills you receive each month, your bank, etc.).
• Schedule a grocery wordage for the day you move into your new home.
• Change the write for any subscriptions you have that victorious each month.

Best Moving Boxes and Packing Supplies

These are the supplies that I personally used. It’s very worrying to have to run to the store for simple things like increasingly boxes or tape, so stocking up surpassing you uncork packing is smart. I reordered a few things as we began to run low.

• Medium boxes with handle holes. These are our go-to boxes for larger items. We only used a few boxes larger than this. The majority of our stuff like kitchen appliances, kids toys and things like that fit within these medium size boxes. They are the weightier size so they don’t get too heavy you can’t lift them.
  
• Bankers boxes. These are the weightier for packing books, files and any kind of paperwork. I LOVE these boxes considering they don’t require any packing tape (at all!) and once you learn to fold them they are quick and easy to assemble. I moreover love how easy the tops are to take on and off. I strongly recommend these boxes for books considering they are stronger than taped bottoms and don’t get too heavy. We moved hundreds of books in these boxes with no issues.
  
• Clothing bags. These are unconfined for suit and moreover linens, pillows, and holiday decor like Christmas trees, garlands, and wreaths.
  
• Moving labels. These are unconfined considering they are verisimilitude coded as well!
  
• Safer box cutter. I love this thing! It’s easy to use, works unconfined and is far safer than a metal razor blade.

Tips For Moving Cross Country

Strategy is everything when moving wideness state lines with children and pets. Since the majority of our belongings were in our POD on moving day, we stuffed our vehicles with everything else we could fit.

Unfortunately, we ran out of space and had to requite some items yonder at the last minute. This is common, so plan for it by packing your top priority items first.

On our moving day, I had the car with our dog and two kids, and my husband crush our other car, which was way increasingly stuffed with belongings.

• Plan carefully. Since space (both in your new home and your moving vehicle) will probably be limited, plan as well as possible and try not to pack things you will need to sell or donate once you arrive. Also, be strategic in what you pack, prioritizing as you go and leaving optional items for last. If you are packing in a rush, it’s nonflexible to purge as you go, so I recommend starting as far in whop as you can. Ideally with months or weeks to pack.
  
• Sell, donate, purge. Surpassing moving, get rid of everything you aren’t sure will work in your new home. If your new space is a variegated era or style or if your preferences have changed, consider this an opportunity to start fresh. I downsized my closet by well-nigh 50% surpassing moving and we ended up selling our house with most of the furniture included. Plane still, I donated well-nigh five increasingly kitchen boxes immediately the first week we were in our new home. Purging as you go will help to eliminate some of this wasted effort and make unpacking increasingly of a pleasant experience.
  
• Ship helpful items to yourself. Considering we used the POD system, I knew we wouldn’t have beds or mattresses. So, I shipped us some nice air mattresses to use the first week, withal with some other useful items like cleaning sprays and toilet paper—all the stuff you need immediately.
  
• Create comforts unendingly you can. When we pulled into the driveway of our new home, my in-laws were in the front yard waiting for us. My mother-in-law had offered to buy us groceries that day (I should have said yes!). We had a scheduled deep wipe a few days surpassing we moved in. We did the repletion box idea and I had candles to shrivel and our kids’ favorite blankets and pillows. Plane with all of these comforts, the moving day is stressful and exhausting. My suggestion is to do as many of these comforting tips as you can, but moreover winnow that no matter how nonflexible you try, moving is an emotional wits with highs and lows. This is to be expected and normal.

Tips for Moving with Children and Pets

I’ve moved several times with our young children and we get a lot of questions well-nigh how to make it easier on kids. The truth is that leaving your school, the comforts of the home, neighborhood and town your child knows is very scary.

For our children, the big feelings seemed to come in waves and the worst of it was weeks without we moved when the pebbles began to settle.

In wing to the repletion boxes, which we talked well-nigh above, I have a few tips for navigating a move with children.

• Leave space for sad feelings. There is nothing wrong with missing your old home, school, friends, or life surpassing a move. Leave space for these feelings and for your child to work through them at whatever speed they need to. Sad feelings well-nigh a previous home or school are not a reflection on how they finger well-nigh the new home or new school. You can finger two feelings at the same time—these are normal, healthy emotions.
  
• Create things to squint forward to. When we first told our children that we sold our home furnished and that we were leaving all the furniture (even their beds), they reacted with sadness, which we expected. To help the kids finger excited for our move, we let them help us segregate new beds for each of their rooms withal with themes and colors for their walls. We moreover reminded them often of the reason we were moving—so they could see their family whenever they wanted. This was a huge help and repletion to us as the move approached.
  
• Do fun activities right away. The week we moved, my husband and I were overwhelmed and exhausted. If it were just the two of us, we probably would have ordered in every night and never left the house. With the kids, we found it useful to jump into new activities right away. We joined a pool where they could go swimming with their victual cousin, we walked to dinner in our neighborhood, and I took each child out for individual time like visiting the local bookstore and going out for ice cream. These uneaten activities brought the kids a lot of repletion and joy and gave us a soft place to land that first week.

Moving with pets. Our dogs have tended to be pretty flexible in all our moves. My suggestion is to requite them a few uneaten treats, uneaten walks, and a resulting place to sleep from the first night. I have heard that moving with cats is increasingly of a challenge, so if you have had that wits I’d love to hear your learnings in the comments.

If you have any tips for moving, packing or navigating change, I’d love to hear them in the comments! Love, Elsie