In May, my husband Ryan and I moved into our dream home. And let me tell you, moving is a mix of excitement, stress, fun, and being overwhelming all in one. The whole experience taught me a lot and I wanted to share a few tips that helped us along the way, plus things I wish we would have done differently!
Use Quality Packing Material
This may sound like common sense, but be sure you are using sturdy boxes, strong tape, and thick bags. I was lucky enough to get most of my boxes from work, however there are tons of places you can get good free boxes. That is right free! Reach out to stores like Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, and liquor stores. You can also check for boxes on Facebook Marketplace, Craigs List or from family and friends. I would stay away from restaurants since their boxes are more likely to get wet and misshapen. We invested in a tape gun with heavy duty tape, and this simple
tool made a world of difference. I used large garbage bags for some clothes and regretted not getting stronger ones. If you plan on using bags go for something hefty with little to no stretch. I was also able to get some bubble wrap from work that I used for my more fragile items. Old clothes and newspaper also worked out great for packing. There are some moving companies like Chicago Labor Movers, who will even provide packing materials for you!
Detailed Labels
We knew we needed to label everything, but I wish we would have been a little more specific! We still spent so much time looking through boxes for certain items, and some things are still unfound. You can write all the contents on the box; I recommend a thick dark marker and write big. Another way would be to label the box “Kitchen 1” or “Shelby’s Décor 3” and then write the contents in a notebook. Not a note taker, try snapping a photo of what’s in the box. Things always tend to get lost or misplaced but hopefully these tips help keep that from happening to you. Be sure you label boxes containing anything breakable as fragile, and in several spots. Luckily, we only had one casualty during the move!
Make a Check List
Before the big day I recommend making a check list of everything you will need. Again, this is something we should have done. Some items we are glad we had were tie down straps, bungee cords, old blankets, allen wrenches, screw drivers, a dolly, and box cutters. It is also a good idea to check with everyone that is helping that day. Make sure they remember what time, what to bring, etc. If you are set up right for success things will go much smoother.
Find a Good Moving Company or Plenty of Helpers
One of our biggest stressors was a moving company that kept making mistakes and offered no help or apology when they left us high and dry on moving day. If you plan on hiring a moving company do some research and find one that is right for you.
Licensed, bonded, and insured companies like JC Movers & Lumper Service Inc. are the way to go! Sometimes that is out of budget, so recruit as many friends and family as you can. If you would have had just one more person with a vehicle, we could have got everything is one trip.
Make It Fun and Don’t Stress Too Much
Towards the end of our move Ryan and I both started getting very stressed and taking it out on each other. There was a lot of issues that were out of our control which took some of the initial fun away. We decided to turn on some music, invite over some friends, order a pizza, and make it a party! Have young ones? Make packing into a game or time them next time they are packing their toys away and getting distracted.
I hope you find these tips helpful the next time you move!