It looks like a big chaotic zoo in my house right now with boxes piled everywhere. To help me I called in an expert to share some professional moving tips with us today. Please welcome Kirstie Berzanski, President and Founder of Moving Box Delivery.
When moving you are truly in a state of mayhem and chaos.
The reason being is every item you own is placed inside of moving boxes and no longer resides where it used to be. Therefore, it is a common and natural feeling while planning a move, to feel as though you are totally disorganized while moving.
But the reality is….all of your belongings are just in a temporary state of transition from one home to the next, which is why moving feels like such an unorganized event.
‘By realizing this alone, you will feel better. You can stop putting pressure on yourself to be perfectly organized while moving.”
The good news are, there are some simple tips that can help take stress away and help make you feel more organized while moving.
#1: Buy a bunch of brand new, high quality moving boxes…for several reasons.
a) New boxes are easier to pack and seal, and they don’t smell like Bologna or some other item from the grocery store.
b) New boxes are easier to stack and they won’t topple over, which cuts down the chances of breakage and of injury.
c) New boxes can be completely sealed and labeled, and maybe when you get to the new home, they will be stored away for a long period of time. You don’t want to store clothing or books in a box that might have the lingering fragrance of soap or food smells.
d) If you hire movers, they can work faster by stacking and carrying boxes that are uniform in shape and size.
#2: Label every single box, so that when you get to the new home, you don’t have to “guess” what’s inside each one! This helps decrease the time you need to unpack your home and makes packing easier too.
#3: Seal the boxes well, with good tape to make sure that they don’t pop open in the moving truck, or worse…when someone is carrying the box. You wouldn’t want a man from the moving company to have a moving box pop open, and some of your nice clothing falls on the sidewalk.
#4: Make an inventory list of what you are moving, not just because you may need it for insurance purposes, but also because it can be a “checklist” to make sure that you leave nothing behind.
#5: Also make a “checklist” of things that need to be done, such as disconnecting phone and electric at one home, and reconnecting at the new home. Also a list of companies and people who need your new address, as well as many magazine subscriptions. By the way, the mail order catalogs that you receive always say: John Doe OR Current Resident, because they are NOT first class mail, and they do not forward automatically, so your L.L Bean and other catalogs will start going to the new occupant at your old address. When you know you will be moving, start saving those catalogs, then you can notify each company, either by mail, phone, fax, or e-mail, about your new address!
#6: Don’t get stressed, be calm, and take your time, both planning as well as packing. Try to listen to nice, uplifting, instrumental music while packing and making preparations for the move! To have the local or national news blaring on the television while you are packing can be a distraction, it is more enjoyable to listen to Mozart or even Movie Themes and Show Tunes!
So, it is completely possible to plan and carefully make a move without being stressed and disorganized. Think of it as an adventure, and don’t let anything get you upset…you are moving into a new chapter in the book of your life.
Even though it may not feel like you are not being organized while moving, you can feel better knowing that this state of flux is a natural part of moving and does not mean that you are disorganized. Relax, follow these tips, and everything will turn out great.
Kirstie Berzanski is President and Founder of Moving Box Delivery, a company dedicated to providing the same high quality moving boxes and moving supplies that professional movers use. Kirstie is also co-owner of Discount Movers; a moving company in Southern California that is proud to have experienced San Diego movers, top ratings in the BBB, lowest rates and an esteemed reputation of excellence for over 14 years.
Kara says
I think labeling the boxes is the best tip. The last time we moved we had very short notice, we had to move to another state within 2 weeks. That gave me a little over a week to pack and clean everything so we would have time to get settled in before DH started his new job, while taking care of 3 kids under age 4. I took a lesson from a friend I had helped move on how to easily label the boxes. If you ever need to use the box again you don’t want it covered with scribbled out words from previous moves like clothes, kitchen utensils, etc, then it just gets confusing figuring out what is really in there and where it goes. Instead label each box A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, etc. And assign each room a letter. So maybe the A boxes will be the kitchen so when you move into your new place all the A boxes go there. Then in a notebook keep track of what is in each box, like A: 1- kitchen utensils, silverware, dish cloths. 2- skillets and pots. That way anything you need to find is easy to look up and get the right box. This came in very handy as we had to live with my parents for 2 months and had a room full of boxes we couldn’t unpack but needed to occasionally find something in.
Allison Erhardt says
Labeling is so important. I even started writing the “little” things that are in the box, or instead of just “books” I’d list a title if it were important to me so that I could find that item again fast after. Same with clothing, I labeled each box and added “special” items like Favorite Sweaters or listed my daughters favorite dress on the box it was in. That helped when the move was done and you can’t get everything unpacked in 15 minutes, but your 18 month old was screaming because we hadn’t hung up her pink Winnie the Pooh sun dress yet.
I also labeled which box was going in which room at the new house, so it was easy for my friends to drop each box in the appropriate room.
We also couldn’t afford movers (and we were only moving across the city) and I also found it very helpful to put someone in charge of just standing in the doorway directing where each piece of furnature goes as it comes in.
I think, because of this post, I’m going to go buy some proper boxes this weekend. I have to start packing my house ASAP. We have to move in the next four weeks and I’d like to be ready!!!
Thanks for this wonderful and timely post!
Merri Ann says
I consider myself an “expert” mover. We typically move about every 2 years with new job assignments for my husband. Our last two moves, one in Dec 2007 and the current one about a week ago, were done with children. All of our previous moves were before we had our kids. So I can add a “Tip #7” … Have someone available to watch and play with the kiddos while your trying to get everything done.
Also, I wanted to say that Craigslist and the newspaper are great places to find folks like myself looking to pass on all of their boxes and packing paper … most of the supplies are only used once.
heather @ what's blooming this week says
Having moved over 20 times as an adult and 10 times as a child, the whole moving process has become second nature to me. So it’s all about the labelling thing – each room has a different coloured label, each box has an overview of what’s in it and each box is marked with IMPORTANT if it’s got something that we need quickly (coffee maker, etc.). Then the day of the move, I take all the remotes, phones and connectors, phone numbers of the lawyer/bank/realtor, couple of mugs, coffee pot and fixins all in a laundry basket and take them with me in the car. That way I have ALL the essentials at my finger tips.
Somehow I never really feel MORE organized than just before move because for once I know where everything is and where everything is going.
DemMom says
The music tip is a good one… I packed up an apartment to move the weekend after Sept. 11, 2001. My husband had already left to start his new job, and I stayed to get everything packed and ready. Of course the only thing on TV was 9/11 info. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore, so I turned it off and put a book on tape on. I was so much more productive and was able to focus on packing, instead of reality, for a few hours at least.
Bedroom Closet Systems says
Those boxes look like a closet in a cube! They’d be great for keeping things organized in a move…his and hers, dress vs casual clothes. Great item!
Kathy says
I’d add this one: pack an vital supplies box that you will take with you in the car. Load it with a few rolls of toilet paper, paper towels and an all purpose cleaner, paper plates, cups and forks, a couple bath towels and sheets for your bed. If you get done late at night and need to fall into bed without unpacking a single box, at least you have a few essentials. Good luck!
Ashli Welsh says
Great post, and as someone who just finished a move across state lines (our 7th in 10 years) I can honestly say that I used most of these tips and they do work. I would like to add one things though. I am one of the most organized people out there, and as such I had set aside $300 dollars worth of gift cards in a separate pile to pack into my purse on moving day so that they wouldn’t get lost. My tip? Movers aren’t always honest. Don’t leave things worth a lot of money lying in plain sight or they might walk off. My movers got a large tip from me, and then after they left and I went to pick up my things I realized that their tip wasn’t all they took from the house.
Leighann Marquiss says
I just finished three moves in three weeks b/c we were without a house while waiting to settle on our new one.
One thing I did this move which really helped was to wash all the bedding and then put it folded in the drawers of one of the dressers. I knew exactly where to find it after a tiring day. I only wish I would’ve included the bedskirts in the pile!
Also, to help the movers, I place signs all the bedroom doorframes, #1 – whatever, and then when I’m labeling my boxes, I put the corresponding number. Since they don’t know my children’ names it helps cut down on the confusion.
Thanks for the other great tips.
Heather says
Nah on the new boxes. We have used many of the same boxes for multiple moves. It is more frugal to simply store your moving boxes in the attic or storage shed. We move, on average, every 2-3 years, so we would go broke buying new boxes for each move.
Labeling is an A+ tip. For us, it helps to use index cards instead of writing directly on the box. Then, when we reuse the box, we can just put a new card over the old one and it is less confusing.
Elli D. says
My opinion exactly. This is what I advise to all the people moving to a new place. Label the boxes and do a checklist! True, moving is not organized but with these two steps, it becomes much more bearable.
Movers Lemon Grove says
I agree with those tips especially in #6 cos I experienced that before while im arranging my room and it is very effective. You should stay in the mood always and avoid getting stressed cos it can ruin your plans.
Luv2bemommy says
If you know you move often, invest in Rubbermaid storage boxes to pack in.. Different colors for different rooms. They all stack nicely in the garage and friends like to use them too. I also clean drawers, shelves, cabinets as I pack them so all I have left is the floors.
Jessie says
I’ve moved 9 times in the last 15 years. Several weeks before moving, I start to collect egg boxes from the local grocery stores. They’re about over 24″ long, about 15″ high, and they have punch-outs on each end to grab them and carry. They are just the right size that they can not get too heavy to carry no matter what you put in them. There’s a few items too big for the boxes but 90% of items, fit. They’re easy to stack since they are all one size. After moving, I just flatten them and store.
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