You have just been approved for a new apartment or your bid for a house has just been accepted. This means that time has come to plan your move. When you plan of time, then you will be able to get everything you will need and have a planned budget. No more need to stuff your car at the last moment if you plan everything correctly.
Hiring a moving crew can end up costing you thousands of dollars. So, the question to ask yourself is, are you going to do the move yourself? What if we can tell you that you can move just like the professionals and save hundreds of dollars.
Here are some tips and tricks from professional moving companies and realtors from around the country. Listening to these tips from companies that have done thousands of transactions and been doing this for years. Get ready to learn the hacks of moving.
Start Preparing During Your Home Sale
Utilities
One of the first things to put on your to-do list is setup your utilities at the new address. This does not mean turn them on, but you will want to contact the water, electric, and gas companies to let them know you are moving and schedule a turn on day for them. You do not want to move into your new home or apartment and not have any water or electricity.
If Hiring Moving Help, Do sooner than later
Moving companies and moving help get booked months in advanced and can cause a lot of stress if not done soon. We recommend that if you are going to hire any type of moving help, then you will want to do it as soon as you know your closing date. This gives you ample time to get quotes from multiple companies. Never just go with the first one you talk to and receive a quote.
Do not Let Movers Give you the Squeeze
Some moving companies may be having a full schedule that day you are wanting to move. A lot of times they tell you they have do not have an opening, but they might be able to “squeeze you in”. If they tell you this make sure to ask for a different date. This “squeeze in” means they will either send you their least experienced movers or you will get a crew that has done multiple moves that day before you. They will be tired and will not be as focused on your move as you may want them.
Moving Help Time Slots
Another great tip about moving companies is to make sure you are the first move of the day and that you schedule your move for the beginning of the month. The moving crew will be energized and ready to move. Also say that you have them for so many hours and it turns out that you may need them for more, they will be able to most likely be able to work a couple hours longer.
Rent a Truck not a Mover’s Truck
When hiring movers, a lot of times you can rent one of their trucks as well. Try to rent a truck from places like U-Haul or Penske and do not use their trucks. You will save money renting one yourself.
You can also rent a moving container such as PODS or 1-800-PackRat. Then you will just need to hire the movers to load and unload the container. The container company will then pick up and drop off the containers at the needed locations.
Take Time-off from Work
This is not always as easy as it sounds, but it is smart to request time off or use some vacation time if you have it. This will help by not having to do everything on weekends and will give you more time and less stress. During these days off is when you can get a lot of your packing done. And you will be able to make sure that you pack all your moving boxes properly.
Stop Buying Groceries Two weeks before moving
We are not saying stop completely, but when you make your grocery runs only purchase items that you will be using within a couple of days. Also start making recipes that can use food and ingredients that are already in the house. The more you use, the less you will need to pack. This will also save you money, due to the less shopping.
Get all Your Moving Supplies at Once
Your moving supplies are just as important as your moving boxes. We are talking about packing paper, bubble wrap, tape, and more. There is nothing more inconvenient than running out of supplies while you are in a grove and needing to run out and get more. It is better to order more than needed than too little. You can always reuse supplies later.
Moving Boxes
When choosing your moving boxes, you will want to stay with small, medium, large, and specialty boxes. When you start purchasing larger boxes, customers tend to overpack these types of boxes. This can cause the boxes to be extremely heavy. Make sure to either use boxes that your electronics came with or use specialty boxes such as TV boxes to protect those valuable investments.
Create a Donate or sell area
This may be difficult to do, but it should be done. Everyone has items or furniture that they will not be using or will not fit in their new home or apartment. You can either donate these items to your local Goodwill or Salvation army, or you can post them on social media networks for sale. Remember if you do donate these items then you will be able to have a tax write-off at the end of the year. And is will always make you feel good inside knowing that you have helped someone else that may need that specific item.
Packing Hacks
Important Documents
Important documents such as tax documents, birth certificates, deeds, employment records, etc. should be placed in safe locations. Use a binder with clear sleeves or place them in a plastic bin. You can also use and label file boxes for these types of documents. We recommend placing the binder or bin directly in your car. This is so you do not forget them, and they will be safe.
Pack an Overnight Bag
Plan and pack an overnight bag. This is one process that a lot of customers forget to do. Pack a bag like you are going on an overnight business trip. Only pack the essentials such as a change of clothes, toiletries, and snacks. You will be exhausted after a full day of moving and you will not always have everything organized to the point that you will be able to unpack these items.
Color Code and Label Your Boxes
This will help you stay organized. Your movers or friends will be happy you did this as well. They will not have to ask you where each box goes or must open them up to try to understand where the moving box is going. Color coding will be going the extra mile but is not a must.
Use Container and Suitcases
Not everything has to be packed in boxes. You can save money if you use your suitcases and any empty containers or baskets. You will need to still use boxes, not everyone has enough suitcases to pack up an entire house.
Use Stretch Wrap with Drawers
An especially important moving supply is stretch wrap. It can be used in so many ways from wrapping furniture, drawers, and other items. Wrap your kitchen utensils in their drawers or containers. This will ensure that during your move nothing will move and cause damage to other items. You can also take the drawers from dressers out and keep the clothing in the drawers by wrapping the stretch wrap around them.
Keep Clothes on Hangers
Why take the time to unhang all your clothes just to put them back on the hangers when you get your new home. You can purchase Wardrobe boxes that are basically moveable closets. They come with a metal bar that you can just transfer your hanging clothing from the closet to the box. This will save you a lot of time.
Get Vacuum Storage Bags
Want to be able to get the most room in your boxes and truck. Purchase vacuum seal bags for clothing, pillows, and linens. This will save to room and it will add a layer of protection. Protect linens and clothes from dust, dirt, and tearing. It is never fun to realize that your favorite article of clothing has a stain or ripped due to the move.
Soft Linens for Fragile Items
If you find yourself running low on supplies like bubble wrap and packing paper, you can use soft linens to help protect your fragile items. Wrap breakable items in hand and dish towels. You can also use clean socks to put drinking glasses in. We cannot stress enough, make sure those socks are clean. You do not want to pour a glass of water and when you bring it to your face it smells like dirty feet.
Use Plastic Wrap on containers that contain liquid
This is ideal for items such as condiments, shampoos, and body soaps. You are not going to want to open a box and realize that your shampoo bottle opened and leaked everywhere. Take the lid of and cover the opening with plastic wrap, then screw the lid back on. You will now prevent a leak.
Use cotton balls with makeup
Open your cosmetics and place cotton balls on top. This will ensure that it will not crumble or fall apart during transportation and packing.
Put small kitchen items in pots
There are a lot of small kitchen items such as spices and baking materials. Put these items in pots and pans with lids. This will help with packing and stop you from just throwing the items into random boxes. It will also help you save space for other items.
Use Rubber Bands with Pots and Lids
If you are going to be using the technique above once you pack that pot with items. Place the lid on top and secure it to the pot with a rubber band. This will make sure it will not spill out while moving.
Take Pictures of Your Electronics
When you start to pack up your electronics, make sure to take a picture of the back connections. It may look like a huge tangle of wires, but this is important. Not everyone knows how to connect electronics. You may not be the one that is reconnecting them in your new home. Therefore, we recommend taking a picture. It will also save you time on the setup.
Keep Screws and Bolts in Bags
If you must take any furniture apart or any appliances, it is important that you keep all the nuts and bolts together. Use a plastic bag like Ziploc to keep them in one place. Then tape it to the furniture. Make sure to label the bag as well in case the bag gets separated from the item it belongs to.
Finish packing before your move
You do not want to have to continue packing while you are trying to move. Separate these two tasks. This will also ensure that you do not forget to pack anything, or you notice that once everything is close to be done you have to do some last-minute packing. We understand that this might happen, it seems to always have some surprises.
This may seem like a lot of tips and tricks, but these are from the pros. If you follow and use these moving hacks, your move will go smooth and a lot less stressful.