Let’s face it, moving sucks. Having to pack up all your things and put them into a new place is so tedious and most of us wish we could do without, am I right? WRONG! I have some tips that will make moving feel like a breeze and you’ll never go back to your old ways.

1. Purge everything first!!
Don’t pack it if you don’t want it. Go through all your things and genuinely ask yourself if it’s an item you love and/or use. If you haven’t used it in a while, toss or donate. If you’re only keeping it because you feel guilty, toss or donate. The less stuff you have the better! Think about it, the more possessions you have, the less time you have to enjoy them. Simplify things for yourself because simplicity is key!

2. Tape Screws, Bolts, Remotes, etc. to the back of the furniture/TV
Crazy, right? If you tape the screws for your favorite painting to the back, you won’t be searching for the screws when you go to hang it up at the new place. It saves you a step when taking it down AND putting it back up. Same thing with your TV remote! Imagine you get your TV all set up at the new house and then all of a sudden you realize you have no idea where the remote is. A tragedy! Avoid all of that by keeping them together.

3. Color Coordinate your boxes with your rooms the new house
This may seem silly, but chances are you have help when moving. Color coordinating your boxes easily lets your movers / helpers know where to put things when bringing them into your new house. For example, blue goes in the kitchen, green goes in the main bathroom, etc. You can take it one step further and put colored tape or a sticky note of that room’s color on the walls in the new house. This way, boxes aren’t being dumped in the wrong places, leaving you having to sort through all your boxes after they are dropped off. People will be moving your boxes anyway, why not bring them to the correct room? This is a major time saver for you.

4. Schedule groceries to be delivered on your first day in the new house/apartment.
You can use Amazon Prime, Instacart, door dash, etc. to order groceries. If you plan to have them delivered to your new house for the day you move in, you won’t be stressed about having food to fuel that first day of unpacking.

5. Keep the boxes small
Yes, big boxes can fit more, but they get HEAVY and harder to move. Chances are, the hulk will not be helping you move, so sticking to smaller boxes is more beneficial. Even if you do have the hulk helping you move, he probably won’t be helping you unpack, so make sure you have your bases covered when you go to pick that box up and put it on your counter to unpack.

6. Use clothing, scarves, towels, etc. to protect fragile items
This really kills 2 birds with 1 stone. It allows you to pack more efficiently by replacing a lot of bubble wrap with your own towels / belongings instead.

7. Uhaul gives free boxes
Get free boxes where you can! While you can’t exactly walk into a store to get free boxes, UHaul does offer ways to get free boxes. Click here to learn more about it!

8. Label boxes on the side, not the top
This is super helpful for you and everyone helping you move because boxes get stacked on top of each other. If you label the sides of the boxes, you’ll still know what’s inside after they’re stacked.

9. Make an “open first” box
This should be something that doesn’t leave your side throughout the move because these are things you’ll need for the first day/night. This will be the last box sealed and the first box opened. I also recommend this box to stand out so whether you get a colorful plastic bin, or decorate it in fun duct tape, etc. make sure its recognizable! Here are some ideas for the open first box:

• pajamas
• a change of clothes for the next day
• toiletries
• bedding (because one of the first things you should do is make your bed!)
• scissors
• phone/laptop chargers
• pet essentials
• important documents
• hand towel(s)
• toilet paper
• non-perishable food for snacks
• anything else you know you’ll need!

10. Keep your clothes on the hangers & use the trash bag trick
When packing your clothing that’s already hanging in your closet, keep them on the hangers! Group together about 10-15 items and use an elastic or rubber band to tie them together where the hook meets the hanger. Then, take a trash bag and pull it up from under the clothing. The hooks of the hangers should be sticking out the top of the trash bag. The trash bag keeps your clothes protected and this method saves you so much time and space. If the clothing will be transferred to a different closet, why waste time taking them off the hangers, only to put them back on later? If you want to go a step further, get a clothing rod that can hang across your back seat on the grab handles, and you can transport your clothes like that.

I hope these 10 tips were helpful for those you who move a lot OR are just moving for the first time! I am all about making things more organized (therefore EASIER) for myself. For more tips and tricks follow my instagram @Nama_kay_ and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. Happy Moving!!

Namaste

-Kayla