11 Tips For Moving That I Wish I'd Known About Sooner

The books box? It's your worst enemy.

1. Making several trips is better than making one trip to the ER.

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Moving is SO annoying, and there comes a time when you'll get so desperate to finish that you end up carrying too much. Do not do that, or else you will be regretting it for the rest of the day (if you are lucky) or for the rest of the week (if you're not 20 years old). It is better to be mindful during each trip and to plan carefully than to be forced to stop everything because you hurt your back.

2. That's not to say you can't take advantage of every trip.

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Get creative about carrying things like coats, hats, and fitting bulky but light items together. If If you have access to the place before the move-in date, take advantage of every visit you make (for example, when you come to take measurements) to start bringing over boxes — just make sure they don't contain valuables!

3. If you can, rent a van or a truck.

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Even if you can't afford to pay movers, see if you can afford to rent a van or truck for a few hours. This will cut down your moving time exponentially.

4. On the day before the move, take all your furniture apart.

Ikea

Almost any piece of furniture can be disassembled — especially IKEA stuff. It's way easier to move heavy items this way, and as long as you mark all the parts ahead of time (and take photos of how they're supposed to look when assembled), you'll be making things way easier on yourself. Keep all the important screws and stuff in a baggie.

5. Use good boxes.

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When it comes to moving, there is no better investment than good cardboard boxes. Seriously! Depending on the quality, they can even be used for several moves. Pay attention to the sizes and how they relate to your needs (the largest boxes are great for clothes but not for heavy items). Another thing to keep in mind is that it is much better to have boxes left over than to run out.

6. Actually use packing tape (and if you can get the kind with the dispenser, even better).

Kalamazoo

No matter how great the boxes are, trying to close them by bending the flaps is not good enough. Reinforcing the bottom with this tape always achieves better results. It is also a better way of sealing the boxes to prevent dust from getting inside.

7. Label boxes so you know where they go!

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This may sound trivial, but labeling the boxes is going to help you a lot, especially so that you know where to unload each box once you arrive at the new place. You'll save yourself lots of time and effort from lugging things around.

8. Don't pack book boxes to capacity.

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Your lower back will thank you.

9. Clean your new place before you start moving stuff in.

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Because it'll be the last thing on your mind while you're moving, and after your stuff is moved in, it'll be much harder to do.

10. And, while you're at it, clean your furniture before you take it apart.

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If you clean your furniture before taking it to your new home, it will look as if it's fresh from the store. Besides, you will be breathing in less dust as you move.

11. Once you've gotten everything settled in the new place, take the rest of the day off!

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Pack an overnight bag before you move so that you can properly veg out after the big haul. The last thing you want to be doing after a full day of moving is looking for your toothbrush and unpacking every single box to find it!

This post was translated from Spanish.