10 Expert Moving Tips and Tricks for Success

Moving house can be scary. In fact, 45% of Americans say it’s even more stressful than marriage, having kids, or divorce!

Packing up your belongings, changing your address, finding a new school for your kids, all while juggling your day-to-day life can quickly become overwhelming. 

If you’re dreading that moving day chaos, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve created a list of handy moving tips and tricks to help you relocate with ease. 

1. Pack Smart

Packing is no fun, but it has to get done. To get a head start on your packing, set a timer and pack for an hour each day.

Throw out, donate or sell any items you haven’t used in a while. This will bring in some extra cash and leave you with less to pack.

When you arrive at your new home, all your knives and scissors will be packed away. So how do you open sealed boxes without a blade? Get ready for one of the coolest moving and packing tips and tricks.

When sealing your boxes, run a piece of wool string along the top, where the flaps join. Tape over the string, leaving the end piece loose. Use this end piece as a pull tab when you are ready to unpack.

2. Color-code Your Boxes

When you unload the moving truck at your new house, there will be mountains of boxes inside. Color-coded boxes will make unpacking as easy as pie. 

Buy different colored tape or labels and assign each room in your house its own color. Mark any boxes packed in that room with the corresponding color.

In your new house, color-code the doorways to each room. This way, the movers know which room each box belongs in.

3. Pack Boxes Full

It’s important to pack moving boxes properly. You don’t want to make them too heavy as this will put a strain on your back and may cause the boxes to break open.

If your box is getting heavy, but there is still empty space inside, fill the gaps with packaging material. If your boxes aren’t tightly packed, items can shift around inside, bumping against each other and causing damage. Save money on bubble wrap by using towels and blankets instead. 

Clearly label boxes with fragile items inside, and indicate which way up the box should be held.

4. Pack Chemicals Separately

No matter how carefully you pack your boxes, accidents happen. To avoid disaster, place dangerous cleaning chemicals like bleach in a sealed plastic bag before packing them in a box.

Batteries, paint, fire extinguishers, heating agents, and pool chemicals should also be packed separately.

5. Banned Items

Professional movers can’t transport certain items due to legal or safety reasons. When hiring movers, ask for a list of these items so that you can prepare in advance.

Federal law prohibits moving companies from transporting flammable, corrosive, or explosive goods. This includes firearms. Some state laws also forbid movers from transporting alcohol.

Be sure to drain all the fuel out of lawnmowers, chainsaws, etc before your movers arrive. 

Moving companies are not allowed to move plants more than 150 miles unless they have a special license to do so. Keep this in mind when choosing a moving company.

6. Move in the Morning

One of the best moving day tips and tricks is to book your movers’ first thing in the morning. If they arrive in the afternoon, they’ll be tired from a long day of heavy lifting. This will slow your move down and may result in careless accidents.

Your movers might also be late if there are delays with their earlier jobs. If they arrive in the morning, they will be full of energy and you will have time to cater for any unexpected events.

7. Take Reference Photos

Do you remember when you first bought your flat-pack furniture and sat for hours trying to assemble it? You don’t want to suffer through that again.

Take reference photos when taking your furniture apart. Label all the pieces, and tape screws next to their corresponding holes to avoid confusion.

Use this same method with your electronics. With so many cables protruding from the back of our TVs and entertainment systems, it can be hard to remember which cables to plug in where. Take photos of these cables before you unplug them so that you can refer to the pictures when you unpack.

8. Prep Your Pet

Odds are, your furry friend is going to be a little on edge in the lead-up to the move. They will likely pick up on your heightened stress levels and will be unnerved by all the packing and activity in the house.

If you have a cat that likes to roam, make sure you lock it indoors the day before the move. You don’t want to be running around the neighborhood looking for your cat when it’s time to leave.

You will also need to prepare transportation for your pet. Check out these handy tips for transporting dogs across country.

9. Pack an Essentials Box

The last box you pack will likely be the first box you open. This is the box that contains the items you can’t live without. These items include your toothbrush, toiletries, chronic medication, phone chargers, etc.

After a long, stressful day of traveling and carrying heavy boxes, you’ll be dying for a hot shower and a nap. Do yourself a favor and pack your bed linen, a shower curtain, and a towel into your essentials box.

10. Watch the Weather

Keep an eye on the weather in the lead-up to the move. If there is heavy snow or rain on moving day, you’ll need to prepare for these conditions in advance.

Your belongings will need to be kept dry as they wait to be loaded into the truck. A gazebo or large umbrella should do the trick.

Before you move out, you will likely spend some time cleaning and making your house presentable for the new occupants. The last thing you want is movers tracking mud and dirt all over your clean floors. If the weather is nasty, place newspapers or old towels on the floors.

Follow These Moving Tips and Tricks to Make Relocating a Breeze

No matter how many schedules or checklists you make, moving will always be exhausting. While we can’t help you sleep better, or make your boxes lighter, we can help you steer clear of some common moving mistakes.

The moving tips and tricks above will help you avoid disaster and prepare for the unexpected so that you can move into your new house with a smile on your face. 

If you enjoyed this article, browse through the rest of our site to discover more helpful hacks!