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Posted in Moving Tips&Tricks on September 9, 2021
Madison Rogers

Born and raised in Houston Madison is a content writer who loves traveling. She has lived in different states and is always eager to share her knowledge with others.

Moving Tips, Tricks, and Hacks to Make Your Move Easier

No matter if you’re relocating down the street or you’re uprooting yourself to a different part of the country, it’s the moving tips that make it less terrifying. They turn all the chaos into a sense of control, make hard work less overwhelming, and the entire relocation process a bit more familiar.

As such, we are here to cover you with a handful of tips and tricks, so you could break down the job into bites that you can chew and move like a pro and avoid some of the common pitfalls

Create a Proper Relocation Plan

If you don’t want to be just one more person to tell their tale of woe when it comes to long-distance moving, then you better start planning the upcoming venture. Sure, your relocating checklist will probably be a challenging one, but with a proper to-do list, it can turn into a pleasant experience. A strategic approach to your move will make even the most tiresome and most stressful tasks far more manageable. It doesn’t matter if you’ll scribble it down on a piece of paper or you’ll do it neatly – to move efficiently, it’s only important to have a plan on hand and stick to it.

What is the Most Efficient Way to Move? Create a Moving Binder

Do yourself a favor and stop everything you’re doing because here comes one of the smartest relocation hacks out there. In fact, creating a moving binder will serve you as an essential tool to stay organized during the relocation process and stay on top of the tasks.

Let’s be honest, transitioning to a new home is a chaotic process unless you figure out how to simplify it. And creating a moving binder is just the right way to set things right at the beginning of it all, so you don’t lose time and energy much-needed for other aspects of the move.

You don’t have to worry about the things you forget to do, such as how to transfer utilities and when to do it or organize important documents. Still, it’s vital not to leave anything out because this will be your guiding star down the road.

Create a Budget

Now that you have a place to elaborate on all the crucial aspects of the journey, reserve a few first pages for your budget. If you’re relocating without a job, for example, you should think of a special saving plan, too. Keep in mind that professional packing and other long-distance moving services you might need are not cheap. However, there are ways to save on relocation costs, so be sure you prepare for the movers properly before the big day comes.

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Think Carefully What Are the Items You Need in Your New Home

Whatever your reasons to move – whether you’re relocating for love or maybe getting a job in a new city, it is challenging enough to relocate to an entirely different place – hauling too much of your stuff can’t do any good. So, before you jump into packing all your precious belongings, it’s a good idea to sort through them first. For starters, it will make this story much more bearable and, not to mention, affordable.

Always have a new apartment checklist in mind because it’s the only way to bring what you need with you. Keep in mind that many of your possessions are rarely used, and this is precisely why it would be best to go one room at a time and separate everything into a “keep” pile and “don’t keep” pile. Even if you’re preparing your home for sale, getting rid of unnecessary stuff and neutralizing the place is a must.

This goes for both small and bulky items. Of course, you need some of your dishes, but certainly not all of them. Also, think about your furniture, for example, since it’s the one that takes up a lot of space (and money.) Is there something you’d rather leave behind? Maybe this is the best moment to consider storage services for the stuff you’d love to keep.

Donate or Sell the Rest of Your Belongings

What to keep when relocating might be the most emotional part of the entire process. Still, the truth is you don’t need another trip down a memory lane with all these empty perfume bottles you’re collecting once you’re finally reached your new home. Sure, it must be hard to let go of things you’re firmly attached to. However, staying rational and steady while going through your stuff is vital. At least if you don’t have two new houses waiting for you there where you headed to.

An excellent way to get rid of unnecessary things is to sell them. One successful yard sale could solve the problem, but if you have some extra time, don’t forget to list them online, as well. With sites like eBay, you will save enough money to cover some of your relocation expenses.

If there are things you’d love to donate, for example, some of your clothes or pieces of furniture, there are many organizations similar to The Salvation Army and many people in need who will be happy to accept it.

To learn more about how to declutter your place properly, check out the video below.

YouTube video

Disassemble Everything to Pack Easier

Yes, we know. Fighting your bed frame or bedroom cabinets seems like fighting Hercules himself. Then again, when you just think about it, disassembling these scary pieces of furniture could be easy to handle – or easier, at least. Although you may think that handling assembled pieces would be time-efficient, trust our word – it wouldn’t. If you remember the story of a tortoise and a hare, then you know exactly what we are talking about. Slow and steady sometimes give better results and win the game.

So, gather all the tools required and be sure to approach your furniture systematically. Not all of it has to be transformed and minimized; for some of it, sure, it’s better to stay assembled, such as chairs, for example. Don’t be surprised if you get creative storage ideas along the way because many cabinet-like parts could be perfectly safe during cross-country moving.

Preparing furniture for cross-country moving
If wondering how to pack bulky pieces of furniture, disassembling is the answer

Moving Tips Checklist When Packing Your Household

Since packing is the most intimidating part of the relocation process, it will undoubtedly take most of your time and energy. On the other hand, to prevent your belongings from getting damaged, you have to take all the packing and moving tips and tricks you can find, as well. Here are just a few:

  • Start with padding,
  • Put heavier things on the bottom of the boxes,
  • Don’t leave any space and use paper or other soft materials as a filler,
  • Purchase special crating for your highly-valuable goods,
  • Be generous with tape.

Resources – Free Cardboard Boxes and Other Packing Materials

Let’s face it. Your relocation expenses will add up in a blink of an eye. Although some of them are unarguably inevitable, there is an opportunity to avoid the others. And boxes and packing supplies are a place to start.

Getting your hands on free supplies appears like a tall task, but if you just think about it, you’ll quickly understand that the solution is quite simple. Maybe the folks next door can help, or you can talk to your friends who moved recently. Also, take a walk around your neighborhood. There are probably many local stores around, maybe even some recycling spots, that could give their stored boxes away.

Still, remember that reusing means dealing with not-so-perfect cardboard conditions, so be sure to check it thoroughly before placing your household inside. You could even strengthen them if you don’t want to deal with collapsing packages on the relocation day.

Trash Bags Can Be Useful With Hanging Clothes

This may be one of the best tips for moving ever because it’s super easy and cheap, too. Before you start grouping your hanging clothes, punch a hole on the bottom of every garbage bag you plan to use for this task. Then take four three to four hangers with similar clothes and pull the prepared bag over. When you cover them completely, get all the hooks through the hole. When you’re all set, remember to secure the bottom of the bag with tape. If you have some expensive garments ready to pack, it might be wiser to use wardrobe boxes.

How Can I Make Moving Out Easier? Create Labeling System

Yes, indeed, keeping track of all of your stuff is not the easiest thing in the world. However, it doesn’t have to be that daunting, either. Going without a labeling system would be one of the biggest relocation mistakes you can make. No matter how good your memory is, there’s no way you can remember the content of the dozens of packages, particularly not once you scatter them all over your new place. So, be smart and help yourself. With a selection of color markers on hand, labeling will be a kid’s play. Not to mention you can also purchase, download or create labels and make it fun.

A woman boxing up belongings for long-distance moving
With a few tricks up your sleeve, boxing up your house will be a piece of cake

Wrap Your Household Items With Utmost Care

Whether it’s the furniture you’re worried about, artwork, kitchenware, electronics, or smart home devices, it only takes one missed safety tip to turn boxing up your belongings into a nightmare. To make it easier for you, we rounded up the safety rules to keep in mind when safeguarding your belongings:

  • Find a clean and stable packing station that’s up to a task,
  • Never stow too many items into the box,
  • Have padding on the bottom of the box, but put cover material on top of it before closing the lids,
  • Avoid using newspapers if you don’t want to ink your dishes and other breakables.

Give Some Extra Loving to Your Most Delicate Items

When packing your kitchen, especially when it comes to boxing up plates or some other fragile items, taking special precautions and double or triple-wrapping them, one by one, might be necessary if you want to see them without scratches and nicks. Write “fragile” or “handle with care” to avoid any chance of damaging your highly breakable items.

Breakables wrapped for cross-country moving
Protect your breakables the best you can if you want them intact

Choosing a Reliable Cross-Country Moving Company Is the Safest Way to Move Your Belongings

Even though doing everything by yourself can appear more affordable, the truth is hiring professional cross-country movers often results not only in a much safer process but also more cost-effectively. Trained professionals will provide you with skill, knowledge, and muscle, which eliminates any potential damage, saves your time, and reduces the amount of stress involved in the process. Add moving insurance to it, and all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your relocation experience.

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