My 10 Tips to Simplify Moving
My 10 Tips to Simplify Moving
Having recently moved myself, and having heard such stressful stories from others about how challenging and draining the whole process is, I wanted to share some lessons I’ve learned about moving to hopefully make your next transition easier!
Move one load at a time instead of all at once, if possible. If you’re moving across the country, that’s probably not feasible. But if you’re moving to the next town, and if you have access to both your new place and your old place for a while, it’s so much easier to move things more slowly. It gives you time and takes the pressure off the desire to get everything all packed up and out.
Pack things logically. I know it can be easy to just throw things in a box, especially toward the end. And I’d be lying if I said I didn't do that with our recent move at all. But you can do better than I did and pack more logically! It’s so much easier and faster to find things when they’re not scattered throughout several boxes. If you’re looking in five different boxes for all your t-shirts, it’s going to be more time-consuming than looking in the one dedicated t-shirt box.
Again, I am not great at taking this advice when I’m in a hurry, throwing items in whatever box is closest. But that proved to be more challenging when it came time to unpack and I was running all over the house to put things away because the contents of one box might have items for the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, and the garage. Uffda!
Label the boxes. I can’t say that enough. If you’ve talked to me or read anything I’ve written about meal prep or home organization, you’ll know I love labeling. It just makes life better and searching for things simpler when you know what’s in every container! And if you’ve packed like things together (tip number 2), then labeling should be easy.
Think outside the box and use things you already have for packing material to save your precious bubble wrap stash for the most important things. I have been known to use Christmas stockings, kitchen towels, sweaters, and socks to wrap and pad items to keep them safe in transit. I needed to transport those items, too, so it didn’t even waste any space in the boxes, a win-win!
Recruit family and friends to help! Especially when it comes to the big and heavy things like furniture, it really helps to have more hands to lighten the load and shorten the amount of time it will take to move everything. If you’re moving in shifts like I did, you might take several car loads of stuff yourself, but chances are you’ll have to make a bigger trip for your bed or your table or whatever larger items you’re taking with you.
Work backwards, making a list of things that need to stay longer and things you can move sooner so you can know what to pack earlier and what can wait. That way, you also can rest knowing you’re not forgetting things. This was crucial for me, as I took loads a couple times a week, and especially as the final move-out day.
Unpack as you go, if possible, to avoid having boxes pile up. It’s so hard to motivate yourself to dig into a whole mountain of boxes after moving (I’m speaking from experience here). Moving has its challenges regardless, but if you are able, do yourself the favor and unpack some of the boxes as you go. This helps you keep up your momentum, see how things are fitting, and even declutter things as you discover you packed things you no longer need or find duplicates (been there!). If you can’t unpack as you go, consider unpacking the boxes into the appropriate rooms instead of piling them all up in one place, like the garage. Small piles are more manageable than large mountains.
Unpack your things in their new places before you jump at the chance to buy new containers or organizational tools. I fell victim to this a bit at my new place, and it was a good reminder that decluttering and getting rid of stuff should come before organizing. So should taking stock of the space you’re working with. For instance, I bought dresser drawer organizers I loved in my old dresser, but I knew I wasn’t going to keep it when I moved, and I still bought more, only to find out they don’t fit super well in my new dresser. I’ve made them work because I do really like them, but it would have been better to wait until I moved and measure the new dresser before buying anything for it.
Prioritize your tasks so you don’t feel overwhelmed with all the changes or fixes you want to make right away. If you start making a “honey do” or “to do” list as soon as you get to a new place, it might ruin your enjoyment and excitement over the adventure of starting somewhere new.
Yes, of course, some legitimate concerns do need to be addressed quickly, like anything that could be a safety or health hazard. But lots of other things can wait or be chipped away at slowly. Go ahead and make your list (I have! I’m a huge advocate for lists.), but give yourself the grace to spread the work out and not conquer all of it in the first couple weekends.
Enjoy every step of the process, practicing presence along the way. This one was hard for me, which is part of why I’m sharing it with you. I tried to slow down, to pause, to make the most of the time I had left in my last house, and it was challenging.
We live in a fast-paced world constantly pushing for the next big thing, and it’s easy to get so caught up in the excitement of something new (or wrapped up in the stress of all the work involved), that we don’t enjoy where we’re at right now or feel later like we got any kind of closure.
It’s okay to feel both excited and sad. It’s okay to take time to say goodbye. Do whatever you need to do-- invite friends over for a last hurrah, journal, take a walk, take some pictures or take time to look back on old ones, or leave a sweet note for the next owner or renter to share how much you enjoyed your time there and hope they will as well. And don’t forget to celebrate, too! The acceptance of the offer, the closing, the first night, the first full box unpacked. It’s all cause for a happy dance, so bust a move!
Have you had to move recently? Did you learn anything from the experience? I’d love to hear from you!
