You've heard it said before. Quite a few times on this very blog. Moving sucks. I'm sure at the moment you are reading this I am elbows deep in boxes and trash bags but before I taped up that last box I made a list of tips for anyone who cares to read on. And trust me. I've got nothing. Wait till Friday when a real moving professional graces these pages.
1 - Go through your house prior to listing. Why not right? You've heard the rules before. Declutter. Depersonalize. Make your closets and cabinets look larger by emptying them of most of their contents. Do this all before you list. It will save you the hassle of pitching/donating/selling later when it's actually time to move and it will be good for the photos. This is also a good time to check expiration dates. On medicines. Lotions. Salad dressings. Spices. Throw that nonsense out. If you're anything like me you have quite a collection of lotions. Start using them! Why move them if you don't have to?
2 - Since you already got rid of all the stuff you don't need you have confidence that everything in your home is coming with you. So it must be packed. Just gather your gear and go. No need to put off the inevitable.
- Packing tape.
- Boxes (hit up the liquor store for some free ones).
- Sharpie.
- Trash bags.
Use what you have around to wrap breakables. Hand towels, they are key. Label every box. With the contents and destination. If you are really crazy you could color code boxes and furniture with what room they are to go to but....yeah.
3 - Go room by room. Pack up decor and things you won't need in the next six weeks or what have you till settlement. Do it in small steps. If you're anything like me you feel overwhelmed by a project but somewhere you know deep down in your neurotic brain that you'll have plenty of time. For example, one day I simply boxed up all my books. That was it. Done. One day I cleaned and packed all decor from above my kitchen cabinets.
4 - As it gets closer to moving time start organizing the chaos. We are lucky enough to be able to move slowly over a few days. I made an area on each floor of the house with boxes that the movers are forbidden to touch. Very breakable things or awkwardly packed boxes that we will just handle ourselves. Everything else is free reign to be put in the truck.
5 - Keep a box handy with everything you'll need right away at your destination. Toilet paper. Box cutter. Trash bags. Wine. Paper plates and napkins. Because you really should be nice to your movers and feed them.
6 - Clean things as you go. When I empty a cabinet I wipe it out for the next homeowner. One day I emptied all the closets of anything stored on the floor. I vacuumed each corner and wiped down the base moldings. It helps me mentally to shut the door on a space and know it's done. Finito.
I hope to never move again. Or at least for a long long long time. Have any additional tips? Besides hiring someone to do it for you and drinking a lot?
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