I’m committed to stop chasing my tail and start packing.
Less than a week to go. Fear is a great motivator.
This weekend was a really product weekend for packing. The kitchen, bathroom, and dresser are all 95% packed; I’m just keeping out the necessities. Last week I collected some great packing advice from you and I have a few tips of my own to share.
1. Pack a suitcase of essentials – change of clothes, make up, toothbrush, contacts, etc. When you get to your new place, you’re likely going to be too tired to unpack everything. Keep your essential items in one bag for easy access!
2. Label the tops and sides of boxes. I know you’re thinking “duh,” but it has to be said.
3. Use laundry hampers, gym bags, and suitcases to cut down on boxes.
4. Wrap your breakables in towels and clothing to save on bubble wrap. Two birds, one stone: you’re packing your clothes and kitchenware at the same time. Blankets and leftover boxes also make great pads to protect your furniture from dents and scratches.
5. Use socks to pad your glasses and stemware. Make sure to use CLEAN socks.
6. Pack smaller items inside of containers, bowls, and pots. You’ll save space and secure the smaller stuff.
7. The fastest way to pack a closet? Use garbage bags to cover your clothes and keep them clean. Poke a hole in the bottom of the bag and pull the hangers through. Then tie a knot on the bottom. This keeps your clothes on their hangers and makes unpacking much faster.
8. Use Press ‘n Seal to secure the top of your jewelry boxes, silverware holders, and other “organizers” with the wrap so things don’t slide around. Cover toiletries with it, then put the tops back on to keep them toiletries from leaking all over your stuff during the move.
9. Take a photo of how your electronics are connected so you can remember how and where all the wires go. You’ll hate yourself less when you have to reassemble the rat’s nest.
10. Pack plates vertically, like records. Between the plates, place a styrofoam plate. Line the box with bubble wrap for extra protection.
11. Change your address BEFORE you actually move. AMEX doesn’t consider “I’m sorry, I was moving” a valid excuse for late payments.
12. Sell your stuff on eBay or Craigslist. If you toss it, you’re throwing away money. People will buy anything! Start this process at least a month before moving (do as I say, not as I do).
13. Ply your friends to help you move with all your leftover food and booze. And those CDs from 1995. You won’t listen to Ace of Base ever again. Donate it to a friend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNPjeIamsck
14. Purge. Purge as much as you can. If you didn’t use it in your current place, you won’t use it in the new one.
15. Donate anything that’s left to charity organization. Get a receipt – it’s a tax write off!
***
My closet is next. I’m sure that will be marvelous…
What other tips do you have?
Do you still have CDs from high school? Cassettes? My packrat ways are embarrassing.
I hope I never have to move again! Great tips, but I think that in my case, if I do ever move, purging will have to be #1 on the list. So. Much. Junk!
After this, I never hope to move again either!
Brilliant idea about taking photos of electronics- must remember that in future. And I didn’t realise that donating could be used towards tax write-offs..great tip!
Don’t forget that a shower curtain and possibly Coffeemaker should be in the “essentials” box. #LearnedTheHardWay.
The shower curtain is serious! I thought of that while showering this weekend actually. Then I thought how weird it was to have the thought. Necessities!!
and then purge AGAGAGAGAGAAIN after the move at yer destination!
Great tip about the socks! I used kitchen towels and dish rags for my glasses. Worked great! Last time we moved, my husband kept ALL of his tapes from high school. We don’t even have a tape player anymore!
I wish I saw these a few months ago before we moved! Great tips, love the taking photos of your electronics idea. The thing I found best was writing a list of what was in the boxes and numbering them, so I could find what I needed before unpacking. Good luck!
I may wish I’d been better about thorough lists… doh.
I wish I had these when I moved from Tucson to Phoenix last year. I wish I had donated/purged more before moving. Why I packed everything only to do it after I moved made no sense. I also wished I’d dealt with the food earlier and got rid of it. The day of the move I eas scrambling for ice to pack it. Good luck with the closet!
There are endless uses for press and seal. It’s like one of the best things ever invented!! And, I’m pretty sure we still have three boxes filled with CDs in our basement. Any chance they’re going to make a comeback??
I don’t think so… but I’m struggling with giving up the hope myself! LOL!
Great tips! I purged a TON the last time I moved!
Uuuuh closet! You know mine….that was a nightmare
OMG – I still don’t know how you acquired all those clothes! I can’t wait to see the size of your suitcase to come to the US.
All good ones! Also–try grocery stores and offices for boxes–they get tons of deliveries and produce boxes.
Pack your non-perishables, but leave out a few snacks. We all know why.
Girl, you KNOW I have a massive snack box! 😉
garbage bags, purge, donate… YES!!! and i love your tip about taking a pic of your electronics. such brilliance here it’s blowing my mind to bits. love this, i’m actually going to refer to your list in the next few weeks once we sell our house and find a new place to shack up in for a while. love shack! i’m all about the purging and donating – i was raised by hoarders and pack rats so as a result, i love to give all my stuff away. it’s awesome 🙂 however i happen to like shopping in thrift stores and prefer vintage… so i give my old shit to buy more old shit. eh, it works for me. aight? x
Thank you so much! Good luck with the sale of your house – that’s so exciting! And I’m with you on the vintage. 🙂
#6, #12, #13, and #15 are my absolute favorite…i hope moving goes wellf or you.
no one’s gonna drag you up. to get into the light where you belong.
No, oh oh ohhhh…
Label….essential! Even just packing for college….I’m still finding thing I forgot I brought! (I did NOT label) Haha!
I cringe thinking about moving. 4 people and all our crap, it makes me want to become a tiny house type who have nothing. In fact every time I clean my house I say I’m going to become that. Good luck to you!
Moving was such a pain & i didn’t even do much. But the feeling when you’re finally settled in your new place will more than make up for the headache, i bet 😉
That’s what I keep telling myself…
MOVING is such a pain! It’s always awesome to have a plan so no one ends up being strangled!
I still can’t believe this is real……I’m going to miss you sooooo much! But I’m also very happy for you and Evie.
I’m also saying (secretively) shhhhhh! I know you will miss Atl so much….you’ll be back!
I have to say that I am amazingly proud of all of your accomplishments! You take on a challenge and you meet it head on and you just Do It!!! Great job Kiddo!!! Think I’ve heard that somewhere 🙂 Keep up the good work. It’s so great to see things going your way! You always wanted to be a “Rock Star” ….well you Rock in my book! I love you!
And since I’m commenting on your Blog, another Huge accomplishment and something you should be very proud of because you took this on and blew it out of the water! Way to go!
I’m totally impressed with your packing skills and very happy to know who will be helping me pack! Lol
Love the Press and Seal idea and the styrofoam plate idea for dishes!
Don’t forget, Mom’s always have bragging rights!
I’m extemely proud of you and love you very much!
Mom 🙂
At first I thought you meant your commenting on my blog was a huge accomplishment. LOL! I love you… and I’ll miss you SO much! xox
I saw the sign. It opened up my eyes and I am happy now.
Love the clean socks over the glassware idea. Genius.
Clean is the key word.
All the times I’ve moved an I NEVER thought of the Styrofoam plates. I Love You!
Awwww… thanks Fran. I really appreciate all of your support and encouragement. xo
I seriously did EVERY single one of these in my recent move. Good stuff. 🙂 You’re getting closer!! Hang in there!
That’s good to hear… maybe I am on the right track! 🙂
These are great. I actually used a lot of these tips and now I think I should’ve written them down to share like you did!
#7 is a must. That’s the best way to move hanging clothes. Poke a hole in the bottom of the bag for hangers, tie the hanger handles with a rubber band or a wire tie, and knot the bottom of the bag if possible. It’s easy to toss bagged hanging clothes in the trunk or back seat of the car.
#9 I took photos of my bookshelves. I’m OCD. My books were arranged by size and color…but funny story. I actually set up my bookshelves almost identical to the original setup without looking at my photo. I am crazy.
#14 Best time ever to dump crap you never use. I saved so much junk after college. Stuff I thought I might use again. Nope. This last move was the best cleanse ever. It can be scary to toss stuff, but I really don’t think I’ve ever regretted a purge…
Except for my Nintendo. But….since I’m a super dork, I found an online emulator and can play all original Nintendo games (free) if I feel inclined to do so. Nothing is impossible. I can also play Super Nintendo and Sega on my desktop. But never at work. Nope. I never play Super Mario Brothers 3 or Sonic the Hedgehog while color correcting photography. Never happened once.
Re: #9: Do you know Meghan who write Clean Eats? You should. You rival each other in the OCD category. (I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.)
I still wish I had my Nintendo. What is this emulator you speak of?!
You can download an emulator (for basically any system) and play on your computer using the keyboard as your controller. The arrows and buttons like space bar and return are your jump keys. I don’t remember where I downloaded my emulators, but here’s a site: http://coolrom.com/
And you can download games (ROMs) from associated sites too. Just search NES ROMs, or ROMs for whatever emulator you choose.
I embrace my dorkiness. When you get moved in and settled, get your game on! =)
Woah, never did I ever think about taking a picture of how electronics are plugged in to remember what goes where…I could see how that would come in handy. Thank you for the tips! I’ll need them this Summer when I move with my fiance. I wish you the best for your own move! Hey, at least you’re moving for love! The best kind of move. 🙂
It is the best kind of move! I hope these tips help – I bet you are so excited you can hardly stand it. 🙂
I am proud to say I do all these things, although considering I am closing in on my 30th move, I should like to think I’d be an expert by now! When I leave for my holiday to Australia, I’m moving out of my apartment at the same time. Thankfully, given my expert moving status, I don’t have that much stuff to keep in storage when I’m gone, but I will sadly need to be packing all my essentials into my suitcase for Oz.
30th?! Please tell me your exaggerating…
Nope, this will be move #29. And I’m only moving in to temporary accommodation so within the next 4-5 months I will have moved 30 times. See, moving extraordinaire!
Damn. I should have hired you to move me!
I packed my dishes and other breakables using my towels. Would have never thought to pack the plates vertically.
Oh yeah – the towel thing is saving me a small fortune in bubble wrap!
My moving tip= Get Garbage Bags… Throw everything in the bags… Move.
If it breaks… It wasn’t worth keeping anyways! 😉
16. Drink heavily
How did I forget this? I’m rectifying the situation as we speak. Brilliant.
I can’t believe you brought me back to Ace of Base girl lol. Such great memories. And I love your packing tips. Wonderful and helpful for anyone who is moving. Is it bad to say that I’m glad my move is done 🙂
Not bad at all – I’ll be immensely relieved.
Yep – and pack a room at a time. My sister used to try and go around and gather all like objects:)
However, I have to say, I still love Ace of Base – maybe because I’m old and don’t like all of the new music!!
If I had a cassette player, I’d totally be listening right now. They were good! 😉
I really needed this. My situation is a little different since i’m moving overseas to a shoebox sized apartment, BUT I am with you on purging, labeling, and the address changing bit — I’ve gone totally paperless (when possible) for bills and such! I also did a post on breaking up with stuff and I am with you, I’m not going to listen to Ace of Base (or wear my Spice Girls boots) ever again lol
OMG – those boots were the hardest to purge!!!
I am a bit behind on my reading, but you had good tips. We finally shed all our CDs and DVDs over Christmas. We had nothing to read them. Then while learning scuba diving, we had to watch a DVD and Rob had to get a computer with a DVD player from work. Ha!
I need to do it… just need to convert all the CDs to MP3s… so daunting!
We didn’t even bother… we had lots of more current MP3s… although we did keep Dance Mix 96 for the car. We actually had 2 copies (one from me and one from Rob!). And PS: Rob loves Ace of Base.. he had so many CDs!
Sorry Dance Mix 95!
It’s an important distinction. LOL!
Love your tips! Wish I had them last time I moved. It was terrifying, all that chaos and I found I have too much stuff I don’t use and don’t even need. Happily my best friend helped me with selling and donating all unnecessary items. Like your idea about suitcase of essentials, I never thought of that of course, and I had to unpack in search of my pajamas and toothbrush at 3:00 a.m. I had lists with each room’s items and labels on the boxes, but in my new place all of them were in the wrong room by some magic. I’m not planning a new move next few years, but will recommend your tips to a friend of mine who moves in two months. Greets!