Moving Hacks and Actionable Items
An Actionable Moving Checklist
Moving can be stressful fоr a lot оf people.
It kind of puts your life into a state of chaos, at least temporarily.
Even after moving a several times, some people
find moving doesn’t get any less stressful.
However, with the various life-hacks available
online, there are a number of things that can dramatically cut down on the
stress of moving.
Overcoming Moving Solo
Depending on whether roommates are a part of
your plan, you may end up moving solo. If this is your situation, pay attention
to the next portion of this blog, as it may save you a great deal of headache.
When it comes to moving, especially if you’re
doing it alone, it’s important to have a great game plan before you get
started. I can't stress how critical this is.
Anthony Bale, a columnist at The Moving Blog,
provides some valuable tips for people moving to a new city by themselves. He
notes that there are 10 things that you should take into consideration:
When moving to a new city alone
- Move to a new city for the right reasons
- Check if you can afford to move to a new city
- Save good money when moving to a new city
- Organize the perfect new-city move
- Secure a job and concentrate on your work
- Make friends in the new city
- Stay in touch with your old friends
- Explore the new city to find its charms
- Give yourself more time to acclimate
- Manage your budget well after moving to a new city alone
It’s no surprise that managing your money
appears multiple times on this list. Among the items on your list, you should
also consider
Whether you’re moving across town or moving to
another state, having a moving checklist will save you a lot of wasted time. A
moving checklist can help ensure that you’re not forgetting anything in the
midst of a move.
According to The Moving Blog, here’s a
checklist to help facilitate a stress-free move:
Click here for the Moving
Checklist. As a quick summary, here are some of the best moving
tips:
- Request a moving quote
- Organize your moving paperwork
- Change your address with the USPS
- Make your new address known
- Transfer your home utilities
- Cancel delivery services and subscriptions
- Get your medical records
- Get school records
- Have your pet checked up
- Organize a moving sale
- Get free packing boxes
- Secure required packing materials
- Make an inventory of your home
- Get rid of any unwanted items
- Dispose of items forbidden for transportation
- Start the packing process
- Observe packing safety and Protect your breakables
- Pack “essentials” boxes
- Label your moving boxes
While this list certainly isn’t exhaustive, it
should keep you focused and heading in the right direction for a well-organized
move.
One item that should be considered is
evaluating whether there are items that are really worth moving.
Don’t Move Unwanted Items, Donate Them
When you start the moving process, consider if
there are any items you would rather not move. Could these items be donated to
someone it might find more value or use out of them?
According to Updater, one of the first moving
hacks you should consider is to create a “give away” pile. Setting items you
aren’t dead-set on moving will help streamline your move and prevent you from
moving items unnecessarily.
“Designate
a donate pile for all clothing and items that you don't want to take with you.
That way, all you have to do is schedule a pickup with the Salvation Army or ClothingDonations.org. Don't forget to ask for a receipt to claim a tax deduction!”
Interested in learning even more moving hacks? It
might be worth checking out the full article from Updater here. There really
are some great tips when it comes to efficiently moving.
Keep A Stock Of Rubber Bands
Another brilliant moving tactic is to keep a
supply of rubber bands when doing a move. At first, this might seem like an odd
item to keep on-hand. However, before you dismiss this, consider the following:
Strategically tying a rubber band around a latch can prevent accidentally being locked out of your apartment. Here are just a few ingenious examples:
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Prevent an accidental lock out - Image from Awesome Inventions
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Keep your lids from falling off your crock pot - Image from Awesome Inventions
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Removing a stripped screw with a rubber band - Image from Awesome Inventions
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Before Moving Day: Stay Organized
So the big moving day is here… now what?
On your moving day, it’s important to stay
organized.
Starting the morning off right really can set
the tone for the rest of the day. For this reason, we agree with some tips from
moving blog You Move Me. In their blog titled, “8 Ways To
Keep Your Home Organized After A Move” they note that:
Start your morning the organized way
“Your
bedroom will seem more organized the moment you make your bed in the morning.
This will take just a few minutes each morning and you’ll be able to start your
day by creating an organized look in your bedroom. Afterward, your personal
sanctuary will seem more relaxing and inspiring, which will have a positive
effect on you, as well.”
Keeping a single room that's your "haven" will provide a bit more sanity and peace to your life as you begin unpacking your other belongings.
Free Is A Great Price
One of the biggest hassles of moving can be
sourcing all those boxes you’ll need to pack your belongings in.
How many moving companies and Van Rentals
offer boxes, the cost can become exorbitant if you have an entire house to
move.
So what's one to do?
Best part about sourcing boxes in many cases
they can be free. The Moving Blog
Where To Find Free Packing Materials
One of the difficulties when looking for free moving boxes is that you’ll need too many of those containers. Roughly speaking, you’re going to need 15 medium, 13 large, 7 extra-large, 4 wardrobe, and 3 picture boxes when moving out of a studio apartment. As you can imagine, you’ll need to at least TRIPLE those quantities of moving packing boxes when moving out of a 3-bedroom home… Speak with the store managers and ask them openly if you can have the packing materials they don’t need. Usually, you will be told that yes, you can have them as long as you go and pick them up at a specific time frame when the store has received their shipments and its staff is about to throw away for recycling those boxes, bubble wrap, paper, and other packing materials. Read more...
Another tip to consider when it comes to
finding boxes is to make sure they’re consistently sized. This can be
particularly helpful when it comes to similar areas of your new residence, like
the kitchen or your personal belongings.
Simply asking your local supermarket for apple
or produce boxes hey would otherwise recycle could save you a considerable
amount of money on purchasing new boxes.
Conclusion
While there isn't a way to eliminate all the
stress of the moving process, there are definitely ways to help alleviate a great deal of the stress. With a few simple
moving hacks, the process of packing, prioritizing, and organizing your move to
be a snap.
Interested in learning more, or just
streamlining your next move? Take a look at the related resources below.
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