10 Tips That Make Moving Suck Less
From decluttering, to choosing an agent, to packing your entire life into portable containers, there are few things in life more stressful than moving. Whether you’ve accepted a job in a new city, just finished construction on your dream home or you’re dodging eviction, no matter what way you slice it, moving bites a dirty big one. So to help you save your sanity (and because mine might be a lost cause), here are 10 Tips That Make Moving Suck Less.
10 Tips That Make Moving Suck Less
1). Make it a family decision.
To prepare for the possibility of our upcoming move, Hubs and I sat the kids down and talked. As a family we measured the pros and cons of Daddy-o accepting a new job across the country–no more 100,000 degree summers (shout out to my Texas peeps!), snow skiing just a short drive away, great schools with more extracurricular opportunities. When the job finally came through, the kids were excited, like they’d been part of a huge decision and like they, too, were in control. The same went for our first house hunt. We all made our own wish lists, compared and leveled expectations. Now, instead of dreading their second move in two years, they’re excited.
2). Take it one room at a time.
We’d been in our first home for fourteen years. It was where my Hubs and I became adults–brought home our babies, taught them to swim, ride bikes and throw a football. It was also where I first discovered you can cram a whole lot of shazam into a hobbit hole. Packing quickly became overwhelming. Paralyzingly so. But after a few deep breaths, a bottle of wine and Eddie Vedder on the sound system, I realized that when you focus on the forest, you lose sight of the trees. Break the job down into smaller, more doable goals, one room at a time.
3). Still feeling overwhelmed? Have a packing party.
Your friends want to spend time with you before you go, they also want dibs on your no-longer-needed furniture. Lets face it, with a big move coming up, that time budget is stretched tighter than your wallet. Your friends are nosy beyotches, too. Finding those old college love letters Hubs used to write you will have them giggling for years. Just remember to pack and seal the “adults-only” drawer before they arrive!
4). Leave the hauling to the professionals.Â
I know it’s an expensive option and costs way more than pizza and beer, but nothing ends a friendship faster than broken heirloom china. In my neck of the country, off-duty fireman turned professional movers are in abundance. They’re strong, trustworthy and in great shape to haul that treadmill you had good intentions of using down second story stairs. And they’re more reasonably priced than a divorce, because that’s where you’re headed if you insist on moving yourselves.
So take that security deposit refund or the mortgage payment you got to skip and spring for some help of the hunky variety. I know from experience, they’re worth every penny.
5). Take good care of your moving men.
Feed them well and keep them hydrated. Skip the pizza (that’s what everyone does) and go for pasta with whole grain bread. Try yogurt, fresh fruit and crackers for a snack. If a good tip isn’t in the budget, a cooler of cold beer at the end of the day will hit the spot.
6). Just under hot-totty firemen, wardrobe boxes are the ninth wonder of the world.
Why waste time taking clothes off hangers to stuff in a square box? Pack up clothes, hanger and all, in a nifty little wardrobe container. Or if you’re low on cash and you want to save $12 per box, lay out your hanging garments between two sheets, tie them off at both ends and carry them body-bag style. The bonus practice will come in handy when you’re ready to off your spouse.
7). Purging now means less to unpack later.
Unlike your IUD, if you haven’t used/needed it in the last year, you probably never will. Toss that junk.
8). Stuff gets lost in moves.Â
Don’t think that’s a good thing? What about the 14,000 stuffed animals your thirteen year old doesn’t think she can live without. Save a few special ones and “mislabel” the rest. A needy child desperate for a lovey to hug will thank you.
9). Stuff also gets broken
Remember that heirloom China you got when your grandmother passed? It’s as ugly as oven-ripe turds. Granny won’t haunt you. She probably didn’t like it either, or you for that matter. Who wills their ugly-ass dishes to someone they like? Now’s your chance. Use it wisely.
10). It’s okay to feed your kids fast food every. single. night. when you’re moving.
Potential buyers don’t want to smell last night’s chicken curry or burnt asparagus in your kitchen and you don’t have time to cook anyway. Â Their arteries and yours will survive. When it’s all over, eat better, but for now suck it up and forgive yourself. You’re contributing to your local economy.
Moving is no doubt stressful no matter the times you have moved. There are some hacks though that can make the move a lot easier than it appears to, these hacks have stood me in great stead and these hacks are taking photographs of the back of printers and computers to see where which wire goes and using vacuum bags to store blankets.
Whether you want to shift locally within the city or want to shift from city to somewhere else; the process of shifting can be stressful and tensed one. It can gives you lots of tensions because you will have to pack, load, unload, and unpacking your possessions. You’ve shared great tips which is very useful for us while moving.
While it’s good to consider that there is a chance something will be broken in the move, it’s good to take the proper steps to protect the things you really want to keep safe. When you’re hiring a moving company, check to see if they offer other services like specialty packing. That’s a good way to ensure that what really matters to you is protected.
These packing and moving tips are really amazing. I love every bit of it in this post. These may useful for many. Thanks for sharing these wonderful tips.
I like that you mentioned breaking down the job into smaller jobs, and taking one room at a time. My family is preparing to move next month, and it’s our first time. We’re going to move into a bigger home now that we’re expecting another child! Having some realistic expectations has made me feel a lot more prepared and excited for the move-thanks for the tips!
I really like that you mention to just leave hauling to the professionals. My sister looking to move and is really stressed. I’ll be sure to talk to her about finding a local moving service that can help her out.
I’ll be moving out of my apartment soon and I need to bring my piano with me. It’s good to know that professional moving services are reasonably priced and they can haul my piano down the stairs. Thanks for the information!
Thanks for your tip to have professional movers transport your heavy boxes so that you don’t accidentally break anything. I also like how you mentioned that you should provide drinks or even a snack for your movers since they will be doing herd work for you. My husband and I are moving our family to a new town, and we are looking into residential moving companies who can professionally and safely transport our belongings for us.
Thanks for these great tips! I’m moving to NYC next year for my new job and I wanted to be sure that I prepare as best as I can for the move. I recommend buying a storage space would be a good idea. Don’t try to take everything with you, sell what you really don’t need or even donate them to charity. If you think that you have a lot of trash, it’s a no-brainer to rent a dumpster for quick disposal. Thanks for the great read!
Are you a home or business owner that needs to move your possessions quickly and safely without breaking the bank? Look no further than Red Raider Moving. We are based in Amarillo, TX, and we provide nationwide moving services. Please call (806)322-1152 for all the details involved in moving services.
Your tips are useful I think moving with helps movers is better than our self. I appreciate the efforts you people put in to share moving tips and tricks blogs on such kind of topics; it was helpful. Keep Posting!
these are some exceptional tips for getting stress free before relocation. many people try to relocate all the stuff at one time which is next to impossible.thanks for sharing such an informative post on it.
The most thoughtful and helpful tips I’ve found so far. This post is golden and by sharing it you help a lot of people. When I moved the first time I wish I had this article as my guide. This is why I’m bookmarking it now and sharing it on my fb wall. Thanks for existing and being awesome!
Great guide! I definitely love the idea of a packing party – moving is stressful, but if you can make some fun out of it, the process will be a lot less taxing. Thanks for sharing!
The most thoughtful and helpful tips I’ve found so far. This post is golden and by sharing it you help a lot of people. When I moved the first time I wish I had this article as my guide. This is why I’m bookmarking it now and sharing it on my fb wall. Thanks for existing and being awesome!
Always prep for something in a box to be broken. It never fails, no matter how well packed it is.
As long as you have paper plates and plastic silverware, I’d think it’s still okay to cook for your kids. Fast food may make them howl at the moon and act like crazy kids.
If someone is going to move a new place, then his first duty is to make an efficient planning in order to make whole process stress free. It is just because moving to a new place with all the belongings is not only stressful but also a tedious task. So, hiring a local over is the best way to remain stress free during the process of relocation. Your blog is provided with some tips related to smooth moving. Apart form these I want to tell that choose the right local moving company among various available in the market. Because they not only make the transition smooth but also they understand the moving needs and requirement of the area. They also provide safe and secure moving by minimizing the level of risk. Thank you.
Hello Tracy! Thanks for these tips. Applying a little brilliant ideas can make the move easier. Decluttering is the first thing to do in the whole moving process. I follow the six months rule when decluttering; means if I have not used anything for the last six months, either I make arrangement to donate them or sell in the local market. It makes me really happy. Selling on craiglist gives you the best value of your old rarely used product. When you eliminate the unnecessary, you can easily pack the important possessions. If you fear about breaking the fragile materials while packing, give the job to the expert moving staffs. Apart from that, you should always go with the in-home binding quote.
My wife and her friends gather together for a packing party! They were like kids giggling and teasing each other and one of them recalled their common crush. It is such a wonderful experience since I still have photos of them having a really good time!
I like the idea to plan on moving one room at a time. My wife and I have been planning on moving this upcoming month. I only hope that we can get a moving truck that can carry all of our possessions and keep them safe.
Well, this is my first visit to your blog! Your moving information blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a excellent job!
I agree that it is best to leave the heavy hauling to the professionals that that you do not have strained relationships with your friends and family because they break something of yours on accident. My husband and I are about to move and he has been very stubborn about letting the men from our church do all the heavy lifting even though some of them are borderline elderly. It could be a good reason to bring up to him that it would be very hard for me to get over it if any of our church friends broke my stuff.
I really like your tip about making sure that you take it one room at a time when it comes to moving. My husband recently got a new job in another state so we are going to be moving in the next few weeks. We will have to keep these tips in mind while we are getting ready to start packing things up, thank you for sharing!
My family is moving in a month and we want to make sure that the move goes perfectly and that we are ready when the movers come over. I like the idea to pack one room at a time rather than have everyone packing at the same time. I have young children and they will definitely be needing help to pack all of their stuff. I also think that trying to make it fun and like a game for them will make the whole process go much more smoothly.