Moving house can feel overwhelming, but this guide is here to help! A veteran mother shares her top strategies for relocating, covering everything from packing and labeling to cleaning your former home and managing moving day while keeping your composure. Discover practical advice on protecting delicate belongings and assembling that essential "first night" kit. Bookmark this for your upcoming relocation!
Our moving background and know-how
My spouse and I were discussing relocation recently. As the chat progressed, I recognized I have strong feelings about this subject.
No need to boast, but I have considerable experience with moving. Since I departed my rural Montana childhood residence to follow my husband to the untamed wilderness of Canada more than three decades past, I have relocated and established myself in ten distinct dwellings.
Beyond the sentimental aspect of moving (and bidding farewell to homes and individuals I’ve grown fond of), I genuinely enjoy the process. I view it as a thrilling endeavor akin to settling onto the couch and tackling the daily Wordle challenge.
I’ve noticed enough startled reactions when I mention this detail, leading me to understand that not everyone feels the same enthusiasm for the transition from one residence to another.;)
Not only have I gone through the moving process personally, but I’ve also been involved from the other perspective, as well.
For a quarter of a century, my partner and I resided and worked at a seasonal camp and getaway facility. Throughout that period, we watched countless participants and employees arrive and depart.
Some managed to depart with all their belongings. Many departed leaving a shocking amount of refuse behind that we as employees had to handle. (It’s far from enjoyable…)
However, before we proceed, I feel it necessary to discuss the financial aspect of relocation. If your finances permit, there are moving firms that focus on packing and transport. I’ve heard they will handle everything for a fee! I have no personal experience with such services, but if you decide to use one, be careful to select a trustworthy company to steer clear of relocation scams.
Alternative choices include renting a moving van and operating it yourself, or utilizing trucks and trailers borrowed from friends and family to shift items from point A to point B. Or, if you are a student heading to university, your "moving van" might be your parents' automobile!
Now, let’s get this relocation underway. Retrieve a writing instrument and jot down notes. It’s time for the fundamentals of moving!
1. Ask yourself what an ideal moving day entails for you.
There are countless components involved in relocating from one residence to another. Therefore, to avoid feeling overwhelmed, it may be beneficial to begin at the conclusion, and articulate what your perfect moving day scenario looks like.
Do you prefer a seamless process with ample organization, or do you desire it to be a tumultuous event where disorder is everywhere?
Be detailed. Pose yourself these inquiries:
- Who will be available to assist you on moving day? What will their roles be?
- What type of transport will be moving your possessions? Is it a friend’s truck and trailer, a rented moving van, or something else? Have you selected something you trust will accommodate your belongings?
- When you rise on moving day, what will your current residence resemble? Will everything except your breakfast items be neatly packed and marked, or is nothing boxed up yet? (Heaven help us if you haven’t even begun packing…Mom Note: It is impolite to invite friends to assist you on moving day if they arrive to find you haven’t packed anything. This should have been finished beforehand!)
- How do you plan to clean the residence you are vacating? Will you handle it yourself (and when will you do so) or will you outsource this task?
And, just to ensure there is no confusion, here is your objective: Depart your home with not a single item remaining and spotless! You aim to retrieve your full security deposit because you’ve left your apartment in excellent condition – or you wish to leave the subsequent occupants with a lovely home ready for moving in.
Take it from someone who has encountered every possible situation. It is incredibly exasperating to put in so much effort to leave a house that is empty and tidy, only to find a filthy dwelling at the other end with previous tenants’ belongings left behind! Even if you believe your valuable items you’re leaving behind are "worth something and they can sell it", heed this Motherly advice: Items left behind are a burden to landlords and they truly prefer not to deal with them!
Once you have determined how you want moving day to appear, begin working backwards with your task lists to formulate a step-by-step strategy to make it a reality.
2. Be precise about functions and obligations
If you are reading this on your own, it is evident you lack a companion to relocate alongside, so some sections may not be relevant, but for the others… relocation will likely pressure your bond, and you’ll need to communicate your way through it.
As in any situation, don’t think you can interpret your companion’s thoughts! Talk about every single detail, and split up the duties required to finish the job.
If acquaintances volunteer to assist in the moving operation, keep specific assignments in mind that they can aid with and guide them thoroughly.
In my situation, I adore packing and arranging boxes, so that was my natural inclination. Additionally, the majority of domestic items fall under my duty, so I could arrange them all in a way that made sense to me.
My spouse handled the numerous logistical choices – like moving vans, moving dates, rental contracts, friends with robust stamina, appliance upkeep and departure, etc… He also went through and cleared out his personal belongings.
Here’s a major piece of advice: Never discard anyone else’s possessions without their consent. I might have erred in that area, my sons remind me.;)
3. Comence packing sooner than you believe you ought to
If you desire moving day to proceed smoothly and not feel hurried and stressed into making choices, then begin the process immediately! You’ll probably need to acquire some containers as a first move. Supermarkets and alcohol retailers are ideal for that. Alternatively, you can visit UHaul and even purchase containers if you opt for that path.
Relocation will make you understand you possess far more items than you imagined, and ideally you’ll utilize it as a chance to reduce your possessions to the absolute finest articles that you require, adore, and take pleasure in using. (This piece on how to declutter your home has advice on discarding items.)
If moving day is still far off, begin with the storage items you haven’t inspected for a long time. Systematically go through the shelves, containers, and bins and divide things into 4 groups:
- Discard
- Sell (If you intend to host a garage sale, include that in the scheme!)
- Contribute
- Pack
As you go through your possessions, it’s useful to actually handle the discards and contributions immediately. Not only will it create more room, it will demonstrate you are achieving wonderful things, too!
I’ve made a free printable decluttering planner to assist with the task of going through your belongings. Obtain yours below to begin today!
4. Diligently mark moving containers intelligently to aid on the other end
Marking boxes is yet another activity I absolutely adore, but you do what works optimally and makes sense for you. Here are a few suggestions:
- Mark items in containers based on which room they will need to go into in your new residence. Some individuals place a different colored sticker on for each distinct zone. This way, the individuals aiding you move will know where to place things without having to query you each time.
- Maintain a ledger with an itemized list to correspond with each container. That way, if you need to locate something specific, you can check the list and find the corresponding container it will be in. (I adored this notion and attempted it for the initial part of one of our relocations. However, it just became too time-consuming eventually. You can read more details on container labelling for moving here.)
5. Extra caution should be given when packing containers
To prevent breakage during transport, pack delicate items such as glasses and dishware with care; utilize soft belongings like aprons and dishtowels for cushioning and space efficiency. Ensure boxes are packed tightly so no rattling occurs when shaken; newspaper, tissue paper, or bubble wrap are also effective fillers.
It is vital to place books in smaller boxes because their considerable weight can strain the backs of those transporting them.
Heavier articles should always occupy the base of the container, while lighter and more fragile goods belong nearer the top.
A smart way to conserve space is to ensure boxes are completely packed; avoid half-empty or unclosable containers, as these complicate truck loading and waste space.
6. Find an effective solution for the post-relocation house cleaning
After relocating every single possession from your residence, you have completed a very significant achievement (give yourself credit!).
However, the cleaning phase remains unfinished until the house is spotless (it helps if you cleaned deeply while packing each room). I personally find cleaning the most challenging aspect; leaving a new space with stacked boxes versus cleaning an empty one is tough. You will likely be exhausted, making deep cleaning feel overwhelming.
Handle this task in the way that suits you best. The most economical choice is usually doing it yourself. If friends assist with moving, perhaps ask them to help clean, but do not become upset if their cleaning level doesn't meet your standards; the cleaning responsibility rests with you.
When we moved from our pleasant rental to our current townhouse, we cleaned the rental ourselves (aiming to leave it cleaner than we found it!), but our contract stipulated that the townhouse would receive professional cleaning before our move-in.
That experience was wonderful; the home was immaculate and smelled fresh upon entry. We also arranged for a professional carpet cleaner before moving in, which proved to be a highly beneficial time saver.
Additional moving insights and helpful tricks
- Prepare a 'first night essentials box' and transport it with you. This should hold bedding, pajamas, toiletries, toilet paper, morning breakfast needs (like coffee, coffee maker, and mugs), and any other crucial items for your family on the first night and morning in the new home.
- Consider boxing up your 'living room' so you can quickly establish one fully functional area immediately. Having a familiar, homey space promptly can offer great comfort.
- Expect that not everything will proceed exactly as planned, even with meticulous planning; that is simply life. Roll and pivot.
- If you are significantly reducing your possessions (like in our last move), look into a storage unit if decluttering is difficult. We were overwhelmed by boxes while sorting what to discard!! (Note: moving to a larger home is simpler than downsizing.)
- Maintain a binder or digital folder on your phone containing vital documents and information—and always know its location! This will reduce stress by allowing quick access to necessary details.
Our Relocation Narratives
As I wrote this, I noticed I had documented two of our ten moves on the blog, so I created a moving category. Some prior posts are linked above, and here are others:
- You can discover successful methods, as well as those that did not work, on this moving tips article.
- Ten Lessons Learned on Moving Day.
- Here is a brief piece about the moving in day when we settled into our current townhouse. I found it amusing looking back. Be aware that despite how neat that photo appears, the rest of the house was chaotic… This was the actual scene!! (But, by the way…it improved!)
Feel free to share these helpful suggestions with a friend who is in the process of relocating.
