Tag: moving

The day has come. Time to pack up one house and move everything in it to another place. Here’s a few things to keep in mind.

Choose a system. There are a variety of options, but you will be happier with one.

• You can use detailed labels for each box, listing the contents.
• Numbers written on the box (or on big labels) can match a detailed list. You can easily scan the list to find something you need, and then you will be able to find boxes quickly just by the number.
• Different colors of duct tape or index cards can be used to divide locations. Pink tape goes in Bedroom 2; brown tape goes in the den. Make a poster for reference on moving day, and you are good to go.

Start as soon as you can. Every house has a bunch of things that aren’t used every day (or every week even). Pull out a few boxes and start on those. Now you are on a roll! Stack the boxes to the side, and enjoy watching them add up. It is that much less to do at the last minute.

Clean and cull as you go. Now is the time, believe me. The dust doesn’t benefit from a trip.

• Keep a damp rag or box of wet wipes nearby as you pack. You won’t want to clean that figurine any more when you unpack it than you do now. Just go ahead and get it done.
• If you touch that book and wonder why it’s still around, put it aside to donate — not in the box you are packing. The broken toy or dish needs to go in the trash now — not later.

Pack a suitcase. Moving day is crazy. Stuff goes everywhere. Some things will fall through the cracks, even with a solid system. If you pack a small suitcase for yourself, you will have what you need at hand for a few days. You will have something to wear the next morning without a treasure hunt!

Accept help. You need it. Others need to give it. We are all in this life together, so welcome the company on this moving project. It will make your life brighter and the work load lighter.

This is the second in a series. For the first part, click here.

Sketch a floor plan. This will be helpful when you actually move the furniture, of course, and it also helps with decisions about what will fit where and what may need to be let go. The fewer decisions you have to make on the spot on moving day, the easier it will be.

The rooms in your new location will probably have a different layout than the old location. A rough layout of the new place will allow you to think through and map out where each big piece of furniture will probably go. When you are standing in front of the truck, it’s much easier to know you know. You can even hand off the plan to someone else to direct traffic, as long as you have better descriptions than I do on my sketch (pictured).

As you work through your floor plan, you will probably see some things that need to go on your to-do list (i.e., buy a TV mount or install outlet on a certain wall or sell the enormous entertainment center that won’t fit anymore). Add them to the list right away!

Start using stuff up. Once you know you are moving, avoid the big grocery shopping trips or the warehouse store foray to stock up on paper supplies (except paperware for those in-between meals). The less you have to move, the better. A few creative meals won’t hurt anyone, so use up what you have as much as you can. It’s easier to move the kitchen when your refrigerator and freezer and cupboards are not slam full.