Best Advice: Moving

Changing houses, apartments or setting up a new home after extended travel is an ordeal. I’ve moved on average of every two years for my entire adult life which means that I’ve turned moving house practically into an art form. Every time I moved I always say, “never again!” But we all know that’s false because I know I will be moving again. In fact, I have an impending move next spring in 2023. However, when prepared well, you can move without too much stress. Moving is a stressful experience no matter how you cut it, but with a few helpful tips you can move without too much more trouble than is absolutely necessary.

Get organized

I can’t recommend this enough: start packing early. One time when I moved I literally was packing up the night before my parents were coming to help me move. I’m talking like, I was packing at 5 a.m. and my parents were arriving at 8. It’s not a good thing. Once you’ve planned your move and not renewed your lease or put your home on the market, that’s the time to start packing.

You can start by cleaning out the closets. Anything that is in storage should come out and get packed first. Things that you don’t use that often in the kitchen can come out as well and get staged and ready to pack. If you spend 1-2 hours a night after work on packing, you’ll have less stress when the moving day actually arrives.

It is also important at this stage to throw things out or donate them. Not everything in your apartment or house needs to come with you. I’ve done three cross-country moves and each time it seems like I find something, hold it up, and say, “Why did I move this across the country?” Take it from me and scrutinize everything as you’re packing. If you aren’t using it regularly and it isn’t an heirloom, consider if you really want to move it.

While you’re packing, it’s a good idea to get things in place for the new space. This is important when it comes to packing boxes/bins. Anything you’re going to need right away should be packed in boxes/bins marked for the purpose. That way, you can attack unpacking on the other end. It’s also a good idea to rent your trailer from Big Loads or book your moving company ASAP at this point, if you have not already

Personally, I always try to use plastic bins. I like them for their stickability and their ability to stand up to the rigors of moving, especially if I’m moving far. If I’m staying closer to home then boxes can be alright. But in my last move, I put everything in plastic bins and it was way easier than I could have imagined.

Moving Day

You’ll want to arrange any transitional housing you might need in between places. Sometimes you’re left with some days in between your old place and your new place: book that as soon as you have your dates arranged. Extended stay hotels are convenient but friends and family will do in a pinch. You’ll want to plan and schedule your moving day activities. Make sure not to pack anything you’ll need on the day or during your transitional housing.

On Moving Day, make sure to have a route mapped out and keep some kind of schedule. If you’re going to hire movers (see more on that in a minute), then you’ll want to be ready for them. Have everything packed up and ready to go. Even if you sleep on your bed the night before, have the mattress bag at the ready so you can slide in your mattress the moment you get up.

Here’s a pro-tip: if you’re renting make sure to take your move-in pictures as soon as you get the keys. Don’t move a single box until those pictures are taken. They are the most important record you’ll need on the other end to get any of your deposit back.

Storage units

For bigger moves or downsizing moves, you may need to get storage unit. I recently had to rent a storage unit for the first time. I decided to go for a small climate controlled unit because I had things that should stay at a proper temperature. It would be a good idea to evaluate your goods and see if they can take the up and down temps of a storage unit facility. This is especially important if you live in a climate where extremes are common. Anything delicate might be temperature sensitive.

As for packing for a storage unit, I can’t recommend plastic bins enough. In the first, they are stackable and more stable than plain boxes. In the second, in the event of water or flood your goods will be somewhat protected from water. If you must use boxes, try to stack them on top of the plastic bins. It will make for more stability and if there is flooding on the floor, the plastic bins will deal with that much better than cardboard. If you are putting a car away in storage, placing things you care about inside the car, as a protective measure can be a good idea as well.  You can check out a self-storage blog to look for tips about what you can store, what you can’t, and how you can leverage the use of a storage unit during your move. 

Hire movers

I can’t recommend hiring movers enough. If you’re over 35, the days of bribing your friends and family with pizza and beer to move are over. No one has a good enough back and joints for that anymore. Invest in decent movers. That’s the advice on that front. The first time I hired movers it was $800 and the move went so smooth. They even had time to put the furniture where it belonged. All I had to do was unpack. I was practically back up and running before work on Monday. It was a huge relief. I didn’t have to get friends together and their truck was perfect for taking everything, no matter the size. They even wrapped up everything in plastic to protect it. It went so well. When I left the east coast and came back west, I had them unload my storage unit and bring everything here. It was a bit of logistics mess due to the pandemic but they brought everything right up and I was able to unpack it and put it away within a few hours. The next time I move, I will be calling them again. It’s the best piece of advice I can give. However, just make sure the company has great feedback from previous customers (similar to the ones for Deheini.com), to ensure there weren’t any complaints about the company in the process.

Final Thoughts

Moving is already stressful enough. Don’t make it anymore stressful then it absolutely has to be. Staying organized, hiring some decent movers, and using some smart packing tools will save you time and money. With these helpful ideas hopefully you can make your next move easier than it has been in the past.