Moving is a big job, but you can make it easier!
10 Moving Hacks For a Safe and Easy Move
Moving is an exciting but arduous process, and the longer you’ve lived in one home, the more items you’ve accumulated. Trying to pack up everything and coordinate this transition can feel daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Fortunately, we have some moving hacks that will help you out.
We spoke to professional organizers Lauren Saltman and Bonnie Borromeo Tomlinson to hear their strategies for a smooth transition into your new home. Below are the tips and tricks they share with their clients.
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Start With a Clear Vision
Sometimes, moving hacks are as simple as making a list. Tomlinson’s first suggestion is a three-step checklist she advises her clients to start with:
- Make a vision board, either physical or online, of what you want your next residence to look like.
- Shop from your current possessions for those items that create that vision for your home and yourself.
- Pack it.
This method ensures you identify the things you want to keep and the things you should consider getting rid of in your downsizing efforts.
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Keep a Binder
One of Saltman’s top moving hacks is to create a prepping binder to help stay organized. “Having a binder where you can quickly access all the key information about your move will save you a significant amount of time in the long run,” says Saltman. It can be digital or physical; whichever you prefer. The goal is to keep track of the important documents and contact information you’ll need throughout the move.
Saltman suggests including sections for:
- Your contract with your moving company,
- all the old and the new utility companies that you will need to call,
- a list of contacts that you need to tell about your new address (e.g., lawyers, doctors, magazine subscriptions),
- schools if you have children,
- documents about your new home.
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Set Specific Goals
Moving is a big process, so breaking it down into bite-sized goals can help it feel far less daunting. After all, it’s nearly impossible to pack your whole life up in a single day.
“A coat closet or kitchen drawer completed is one step closer to a full house being downsized, sorted, and packed,” Tomlinson advises. As you start planning, create a list of goals and benchmarks, and be specific. “Pack up bookshelf one on Monday,” “Tackle towels on Tuesday,” and so on until you have a complete gameplan.
Plus, this hack can actually save you time in the long run. As long as you stick to your goals, you’ll have a clear idea of your schedule and move much faster.
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Enlist Helpers
Moving is a huge task and one that will quickly overwhelm you if you try to do the whole job yourself, so set yourself up for success.
“Call in help,” Tomlinson advises. “If you can’t find the motivation to do it, having something there to cheer you on or push you harder is a huge help.” This could be “family, friends [or] your local donation truck.”
Sure, you may be on the hook for pizza and drinks. But you’ll save yourself a lot of time.
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Downsize as You Go
Downsizing may seem like it belongs on a list of chores rather than one about moving hacks, but don’t be fooled. “Don’t move [all your stuff] with you with the idea that you’ll sort and downsize on the other end. 98% of the time, those boxes will stay packed until your ‘next’ move,” Tomlinson warns.
Downsizing as you go can save you space—and potentially money. If you’re not planning on keeping something, donate it or trash it immediately.
It’s easy to hold onto things you don’t want or need out of a sense of obligation. “Don’t burden yourself with guilt over that figurine that your great aunt left you in her will that you’ve hidden in a closet all this time because you hate it,” Tomlinson says. “Let it go.”
Saltman agrees and uses the following list of questions with her clients to help them identify the possessions they don’t need and declutter:
- Do I love it?
- Is it useful?
- Why do I have it?
- How often do I wear or use this?
- Does it have value?
- Will it fit in my new home?
- Does it fit my new lifestyle?
- Would I buy it again today?
- Is this item irreplaceable?
- Is it in good condition?
- Do I have more than one of these items?
- Does it bring value to my new lifestyle?
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Pack Smarter, Not Harder
It can be tempting to just throw things into a box as you grab them. But that strategy will slow you down when it comes time to unpack. Tomlinson suggests creating “‘room in a box’ collections as you pack,” meaning pack items together if they’re going in the same room. “[Then,] when you open them up, everything you need to outfit your space is in one place.” No more sifting through miscellaneous stacks of boxes to find the ones labeled “dishes” or “towels.”
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Save Space Where You Can
Sometimes, products are the best moving hacks. Items like clothing, bedding, and towels can take up a lot of space on their own. Invest in vacuum bags so you can fit more items in boxes and suitcases. Plus, once filled, the bags will be roughly uniform in shape and size, so you can fit them in your boxes, suitcases or even just in the moving truck much easier than an amorphous blob of blankets and sweaters.
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Utilize Your Soft Items
If you’re looking for moving hacks to save money, this last one is for you. Rather than buying bubble wrap or something similar for your breakable items, consider wrapping them in spare towels or blankets. This way, your items will still be protected from the jostling and crowding that comes with packing.
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Pack in the Right Order
When loading up your moving van, consider where things will go in your new place. If your new home has multiple stories, pack the upper floors last so that you can unpack them first when you arrive. This way, you won’t trip over downstairs boxes as you cart things upstairs.
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Leave Yourself Rewards
Even the easiest and most planned out move is going to be work. Tomlinson shares an anecdote from a previous move:
“My last move was a big one. I downsized from a big family home I had lived in for 20 years to a townhouse half the size. My stuff was going to be in storage for three months in between as well. I had forgotten that I was ‘being kind to myself’ when I packed because when I unpacked on the other end, one of my kitchen boxes had a bottle of Advil, a bottle of water, and a box of Swedish Fish with the note that read, ‘You made it!'”
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FAQ
When is the best time to move?
The best time to move depends on a number of factors. You’ll want to consider the climate you’re moving from and to, as well as overarching scheduling commitments. Tomlinson suggests avoiding moving to harsh climates at their most extreme (e.g. “coastal Maine in January or Texas in August”). She also suggests avoiding major holidays because “the movers have families too.” And avoid mid-semester moves where possible to ease the transition for your kids.
Sometimes, some of these things cannot be avoided. “Be patient and flexible and once you’ve done all you can do, the rest is in the hands of the universe,” says Tomlinson. “So just go with it.”
How much should movers cost?
There’s not one single number when it comes to how much it costs to hire movers, Tomlinson explains. She lists out some of the factors that go into the overall pricing:
- How far are you moving?
- Will things be in storage at all? Or are they getting loaded onto the truck and moving immediately?
- What time of year? (The end of the school year gets busy fast, so prices may be higher.)
- What does your new home look like? If it has limited parking or no elevators, the price can be bumped up.
Tomlinson says the most important thing “is that you find a reputable moving company, with experience in what you need, that carries a suitable amount of insurance so you are covered.” Be sure to “ask them everything you have questions about before you book so that you are comfortable that your things will be in their care, then let them do their job,” she continues.
About the Experts
- Lauren Saltman is a professional organizer and the owner of Living. Simplified. LLC, a home organizing business.
- Bonnie Borromeo Tomlinson is a home organizer and author of Stop Buying Bins and Stop Pushing Perfection.
