Moving/packing up a house tips??

catycate · January 2014

So since DH has a job, we are going to finally move! We need more space and his commute sucks so it's a win win. Our neighborhood (despite the crime)is hot right now and we want to take advantage of that. But his hours are insane so it will be primarily me packing up, hiring people to paint, landscapers to clean up etc. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, especially with a 3 yr old and a 4 month old. Any pro packing tips?

dmartin726 · January 2014

My stepsister just moved to NY. She pinned a ton of stuff on Pinterest, so I would search around there.

She did say that she bought all colored packing tape, so that when she packed different rooms, they got different color tape.

Bathroom was blue.

Kitchen was red.

So when they got to the new place, she new exactly where every single thing went.

When we moved we had a professional moving company pack, move and unpack us. (Huge pro of being moved by a large corporation). They numbered each box and had a master list of numbers and what was in each one.

That is a little more time consuming but it made it so easy to find exactly what you were looking for.

JeffandLeslie · January 2014

I didn't have a kid the last time we moved but I was working FT and DH travels so I had to do most of the packing. Some things that helped me... -make a schedule or a rough order in which to pack things so you pack the stuff you use daily last. Pack the rarely used or off season stuff first. -have a staging area where you put packed things so that your house doesn't turn into box land. - label each box with the contents but also the room where it will go when you move. Makes moving day and unpacking a little less stressful. - as you are packing consider whether you really need the things you are packing and have a place to put toss and donate stuff. Helps cut down on clutter in the new place. Good luck!

Cherryblossoms07 · January 2014

We moved last year. If you have time go through the house and purge all the unused stuff and reorganize closets and storage areas. This will make packing a lot easier - less junk moved and organized better in boxes! Then, start with the currenrlt unused stuff - holiday storage, out of season stuff, etc. Then move on to packing closets and extra bedrooms(rarely used stuff).

Other things that helped..
- before you pack anything take inventory of your belongings, especially if using a company to move you. I took a video of our house. It will help if something goes missing, gets lost, or broken.
- make a schedule that you can stick to. There are a bunch of moving schedules on Pinterest. I made one from the lists I found.
- start using up food in pantry and freezer.
- use up liquids (soaps, cleaners, etc) and the grill's propane tank if you have one because they will more than likely not move those.
- I like to clean as I pack that way everything is clean and ready to be set out at the new house.
- Keep important documents in a file that will be taken with you - medical records, pet records, house inventory list/video.

mandymack · January 2014

That's so great, congratulations!!

Everyone has already contributed some great ideas, I just wanted to echo the need for a "first night" box/boxes. We've moved several times (8 months pregnant, with an 18month old, and again with a 6yr old and a 1yr old) and it never fails: I can't open the boxes fast enough to gather up everything we need for that first night.

What helped me was to:
1. have the beds set up as fast as possible and pack ALL bed linens in one box/boxes
2. have ALL toiletries, wipes, bathing supplies for baby, towels, band-aids, pain medication, hairbrushes, etc. for that first night in one box/boxes
3. don't plan on cooking that first night - either have a casserole made to move to take right over to the new house (our last two moves were within a mile), order take out, etc.
4. have a box with all the bed/crib hardware and tools needed to reassemble it

These were really crucial to making that first day of the move smooth.

I love the idea of the colored packing tape - quicker than writing on every box! Very clever

Good luck!

catycate · January 2014

I love the color coding idea! I have already packed maybe 10% of the house but I'm totally going to try that going forward. Ug. I can't wait to be in a new space but I fucking hate the actual process.

bhuffman · January 2014

I'm not sure if you live near family or have friends who can help, but we have always made sure our kiddos were being cared for by someone besides us when moving. I seriously cannot entertain kids and direct the movers where things go at the same time. My parents, husband's parents, and a babysitter have helped us out in the past. We've moved a few times due to DH's work. Good luck!

likeanoldtimemovie · January 2014

Everyone gave great tips! One more: put a shower curtain in your bag of essentials for the first night. Nothing sucks more than wanting a hot shower and not being able to find the curtain.

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Moving/packing up a house tips??

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