Planning to move soon? With all of the boxes, taping, organizing, disassembling and reassembling involved, we know moving can be a pain. So we rounded up the best tips and tricks that will make your move seamless!
1. Use your move as an opportunity to give away or toss things you don't actually want or need.
2. If you own items that you want to get rid of but are too valuable to just give away, start selling on eBay, Etsy, or Craigslist at least six weeks before moving.
3. Pack an overnight bag containing all the essentials.
4. In your new place, if you want to install a light above, say, a table, use a flashlight to help you center its position: Put the flashlight on the table so that it shines on the ceiling. Then, use a pencil to mark where the center of that light falls.
5. Pack the items you will need FIRST in a clear plastic bin.
6. Wrap your breakables (dishes, glasses, etc.) in clothing to save on bubble wrap.
7. Make your last grocery trip two weeks prior to moving.
9. If you can, show up to your new home before the move and pre-clean the bathroom and kitchen.
10. Place an extra cotton pad or ball into your powder cosmetics to keep them from breaking.
11. Cover the openings of your toiletries with saran wrap, then put the tops back on.
12. Pack plates vertically, like records. They'll be less likely to break.
13. Keep drawers intact by covering them with Press'n Seal.
14. Buy a roll of stretch wrap.
15. Keep sandwich bags handy for holding any small parts of things you have to take apart, like curtain rods or mounted flat-screen TVs.
16. Beer boxes are the best for books because they have handles on the sides.
17. Take a photo of how your electronics are connected so you can remember how and where all the wires go.
18. Cut down on boxes by making all of your baskets, laundry bins, hampers, and suitcases work for you.
19. Vacuum seal your out-of-season clothing.
20. To avoid a serious cable tangle, roll up your cords into empty toilet paper rolls and label them.
21. Make sure everything is completely packed before your friends show up to help you move.
22. Enlist the color-coding system.
23. If you have a lot of fragile valuables, hiring movers as opposed to asking friends can end up paying for itself.
24. Use a suitcase to carry books since they're heavy and it's sturdier than a cardboard box.
So I came across a packing hack for moving books... it says to put your books in a suitcase that way it doesn't tear easily AND has wheels!! I'm livid!! I've been moving my books the wrong way this whole time!!! And like 97% of my clothes fit in my book box.
25. Mix a little vanilla extract with paint before going to town on a room. It'll make things less fume-y, and also make your room smell amazing.
27. Fill the nail holes in your previous home with a bar of soap.
28. If you're doing a cross-country move and you don't need your stuff immediately, consider shipping via Greyhound.
29. In addition to labeling what's in your boxes, add what room they'll be going into, as well.
30. Make a moving caddy with supplies like rolls of tape, box cutters, labels, and markers so you have an easy place to find the things you need.
Moving tip! Put together all of the things you need for packing in a basket! This way you can carry it around with you and have everything at your fingertips. You might want to include: tape, labels, scissors, Sharpies, a screw driver, baggies, a utility knife. #TuesdayTips
31. Change your address at least two weeks prior to moving.
33. For same-city moves, hire a sitter for the children and pets.
34. Don't put your books into regular moving boxes — otherwise they will get waaay too heavy. Instead, use rolling suitcases.
35. The same goes for all of your heavy items, like canned foods. Rolling those out will always be infinitely easier than carrying them out in a box.
36. If you're renting, take photos of your cleaned-out old home and your new home before moving in.
37. When drilling, you can catch the dust with a Post-It note. Just affix the note a couple of inches underneath where the hole will go.
38. If you're looking for boxes, try your local grocery store. Banana boxes are good because they're used to carry heavy items.
Life hack: your local grocery will most likely be able to give you leftover banana boxes that you can use to move
39. Get rid of carpet dents by letting ice cubes melt on top of them. As soon as the ice is melted, you can use a spoon to easily raise the fibers back up.
40. Here's a pro tip: Pack your plates vertically into the moving boxes. That'll lower the chances of them breaking en route.
41. Toilet paper rolls are also perfect for getting your jewelry ready for the move, without all the headache of tangled pieces.
42. If you disassemble several pieces of furniture, color-coordinate the parts with stickers so that you don't get confused later.
43. And you can also use stickers, tape or Post-Its to color coordinate which boxes go in which room. If you have movers, make them a color code with the apartment floor plan to keep them in the loop.
44. While you're taking furniture apart, keep all those little screws and washers in a freezer bag, and tape that bag to one of the furniture parts.
45. For extra padding, pack your glasses and stemware in clean socks.
46. Sharp knives are best packed in an oven mitt.
47. If your tape is old and won't stick, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds.
48. Use a well-placed toothpick to find the starting point of your tape easily.
Moving Hack: Shipping tape is a sticky mess. Use a toothpick to mark where to peel will make taping boxes less of a chore. You're welcome.
49. Before you repaint a radiator, turn it on! The heat prevents the liquid color from running and drying in weird globs.
50. If you're having trouble removing old screws, put a wide rubber band between the screw and the screwdriver, to give yourself more grip.
51. It doesn't hurt to number your boxes.
52. Paint your new keys with nail polish to keep everything straight.
54. Color coordinate your boxes with packing tape.
Moving Tip #28: Give each room a different color tape so boxes are easier to identify. Tweet your tips @LetsMoveLLC.
56. Arrange for a charity organization to come pick up the items you don't want at least a week or two before moving.
57. If you do hire movers, be sure to read the fine print and find out if they have any weird rules.
58. Add some extra cushion to candles (and breakables) by wrapping them in scarves.
Moving tip: pack your candles in scarves instead of newspaper. Your candles will he protected and your scarves will smell amazing!
59. Use stuffed animals to cushion other items in boxes, so things don't shuffle, tangle, and break.
The majority of my library in boxes. Makes me a little weepy. Moving tip: use stuffed animals to minimize movement
60. Instead of constantly opening the door with your hands full, keep it open with a rubber band.
#College Move-In #Hack: Use a rubber band to keep doors from shutting (but not left wide open) when moving in.
62. Along with food and alcohol, give your friends who help you move first dibs on anything you originally planned to sell or donate.
63. Keep your jewelry from tangling with Press 'N Seal wrap!
Monday moving tip: Use Press ‘N Seal to keep your jewelry intact and untangled!
64. Remember to defrost your refrigerator at least a day before moving and wipe up any liquid.
65. Pack small items in larger ones like crockpots and large bowls to save space.
Moivng Tip #5: PACKING FOR THE BIG MOVE HACK: When packing small items, you'll find that they will quickly take up more space than you expect. Fill larger items like a crockpot with small things like spices or even medication to better utilize the space.
66. Finally, safely pack your sharp knives and scissors by wrapping them with a pad so you don't hurt yourself loading or unloading them!
Life hack!!! Best way to pack sharp kitchen knives? BEFORE & AFTER:
What are some moving tips that you live for? Feel free to tell us in the comments below!
This article contains content from Peggy Wang, Anna Aridzanjan, and Audrey Engvalson. It was compiled by Salimah McCullough