The easiest moves to me are the long distance across the country moves. If it doesn't fit in the truck then it doesn't go. Boom, easy.
Over these last 25 years we have moved 15 times. I know it's a lot. See why here.
So, needless to say, I basically have moving down to a science now.
Here's my process and my best tips:
1. Go to usps.com and put in your change of address request there. You can fill in the day you want your mail to start forwarding. They will forward your mail for a year. When you are at your new place any mail that has been forwarded will have a yellow forwarding label on it, use that as your guide to call and update those businesses.
2. Next, I take everything off the walls. De-personalizing your space makes it not feel like your home any more and motivates you to start packing.
3. Make "zones" in your house, whether it be a hallway or a part of a living room, designate parts of your house for --items to give away and then boxes that are going and have been packed.
4. Start with one room or closet. Declutter- put aside in one of your zones all the things you don't want to take or move. Then pack it in boxes. Smaller boxes are better because they don't become as heavy. When packing breakables, use towels, washcloths, sheets, blankets, --all these things you will be packing anyway..you might as well use them for packing material! Then tape up and label the box! Label which room it should go in at the NEW place. No need to label all the items in the box--that just gets too tedious and you will be unpacking it soon anyway (hopefully!)
5. Set aside items you will need to live with for the next [however] many weeks until the move. Set aside toiletries, clothes, toys for kids (just a few), and a very few kitchen items. Even though we hardly ever use paper goods in the kitchen, now is the time to use them before, during and shortly after the move.
6. Set aside a box for important stuff you don't want to lose. All the paperwork, laptops, etc that you need accessible keep that stuff separated. That can go in the car on moving day.
7. When packing the kitchen, buy a huge batch of paper towels. Paper towels make great--and cheap--packing material.
8. On moving day, keep all the closet doors and kitchen cabinets open. That way you won't keep opening them to see if you've gotten everything.
9. Keep cleaning supplies set aside for moving day as well. You'll want to clean everything up after everything's been packed up.
10. Take this time to purge, re-organize, and clean out. Don't pack anything you don't want to unpack at the new place. If it's time to have a big garage sale, or take things to the thrift store, do it now!
11. Tape all screws to the bottom anything you take apart. Use a baggie and put all pieces inside for anything that comes apart and needs to get put back together. This will save you so much time at the new place hunting for the parts that go to those things!
12. Get twice as many boxes as you think you will need. There's always a lot of little things that need to be packed last minute.
Hope these few tips help if you are planning on moving anytime soon! Give yourself time to pack! It takes longer than you think!
If you have any tips, please comment below! Would love to hear how you all do your moving!
