Moving is known for being a tumultuous time in people’s lives. Although the prospect of making a home somewhere new is exciting and alluring, there is no doubt about the fact that it can also feel stressful, overwhelming, and scary. Understandably, moving involves a lot of time, energy, and consideration to go smoothly, and without the right steps, an anxiety-filled move may be in the cards. However, moving doesn’t need to be a negative experience. In fact, with the right tips and tricks, you can have a stress-free move. Want to find out the best ways to simplify your move? Keep reading for our easy-moving tips!
First and foremost, it is crucial to declutter your space before you begin packing for your move. Decluttering is a great way to clear out your home by ridding yourself of the items you no longer want, need, or even use anymore. By doing this, you start off on the right foot in your new home, preventing clutter in your new space. Plus, you make packing (and unpacking) a lot easier. This is an effective method to save time and energy during your move.
To properly declutter, you will want to separate your belongings into four categories. These categories should be as follows: donate, sell, trash, and keep. If you’re having trouble discerning which items you’re willing to let go of, it’s typically helpful to have a trusted loved one help you sort through your items. The process can be overwhelming, especially if you have sentimental attachments to certain items, so having someone to give you a more objective opinion can reduce your stress during the process. Try to give yourself plenty of time for sorting, as this will make the task feel much easier. For any aspect of the move, you will want to prevent yourself from rushing as much as possible, so allotting plenty of time for each item on your to-do list is ideal.
There are countless ways to repurpose the items you already own to suit your needs while moving. First, one effective way to reuse your belongings is to utilize them as vessels to hold smaller items. For instance, your pots can be used to hold smaller things. To keep your kitchen items together, it’s a great idea to store your spices in a large pot or slow cooker. Any items that can be used in this way to fill empty space, rather than leaving that space open, is the best way to make the most of the space you’re working with.
Another method is to use what you already have as a protective material for your more fragile belongings. Blankets and towels are excellent for wrapping around items or using them as cushioning. This prevents your items from jostling around too much in transit and adds some extra padding to minimize damage and movement. You can then save money on extra resources like bubble wrap and packing paper, which is a great way to be financially smart.
Clothing is typically a big consideration in the packing process. After all, it can be a big undertaking depending on how big your wardrobe is. Rather than going through the trouble of folding and packing each article of clothing one by one, it can be a lot quicker and easier to innovate the way you approach packing clothing. For clothes on hangers, you actually have the option of leaving them on the hangers. Using a trash bag to hold the clothing, put a hole in the bottom of the bag to have the hangers sticking out of it, then wrap around the clothes and tie it off at the bottom. You can hold the hangers with a rubber band to make them more secure. Alternatively, for clothes in drawers, you can leave the clothes inside. Then, you can decide if you’d rather leave the drawers in the dresser and tape them shut or if you want to take the individual drawers out to make everything easier to carry.
When packing, it’s important to stay organized to make the process less hectic and to make unpacking much easier. At the very least, you will want to clearly label your boxes. The labels should be somewhat detailed, rather than just writing “Kitchen” or “Bathroom” on the side of the box. Try to be more specific about what’s inside each box so you can easily find what you’re looking for as you unpack. If you want to take some extra time to boost your organizational levels, you can create an inventory for your boxes. In this case, you would number each box and list what number corresponds to what items.
Rather than spending money buying boxes, you can easily source boxes from various places for free. Most stores have a surplus of boxes, and they can’t possibly use all of them. When you’re seeking these supplies, it’s certainly worth going to a local store and asking if they have extra inventory that you can make use of. More often than not, they’ll be able to provide you with what you’re looking for.
As you’re getting your furniture ready to move to your new home, you may just be disassembling it as quickly as possible to get the job done. This is another instance where it’s important to take your time and stop yourself from the urge to rush through the task. Although you may think that you can easily figure out how to put everything back together, sometimes things are more complicated than they seem. Especially if you no longer have the instruction manual for assembly, it’s in your best interest to take photos or videos or write notes while you take everything apart. This way, you can refer back to them in the future when you’re in your new place and more easily reassemble your furniture items.
When you pack your boxes, it’s best not to fill them up to the brim with items if they’re getting too heavy. However, it’s important not to leave any empty space as is because it will allow for too much movement if there’s room for the contents to move around. Whenever possible, you will want to fill that space with lightweight items. The perfect candidate for this is hangers. Using your hangers to fill empty space allows for a lightweight solution to the issue of excess movement within the boxes.
Finally, you’ll want to have a bag or a box of essentials for moving day. This will hold the items that you need for your first night in the new place. You will want to bring things like toiletries, a change of clothes, pajamas, toilet paper, and other essentials you think you will need right away in your new home. This prevents you from needing to unpack loads of boxes just to get what you need for the first day or two when you will already be so busy with everything else going on.
With these steps, your move can be simple and stress-free. If you’re looking for a local moving company in Columbus, Ohio, enlist the help of E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Co. Offering professional moving services since 1881, E.E. Ward is committed to offering high-quality moving solutions to our customers. Interested in finding out how we can assist you during your move? Request a free quote today!
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