I know, we’ve posted moving tips before. But here are some that are either super-important (and worth repeating), or new ones I’ve never seen before.

  1. If possible, go to your new home before the move and clean the bathroom and kitchen. Put up a new shower curtain liner and stock some new bath towels and toilet paper, as well. This allows you to take a hot shower after a long day of moving.
  2. Pack a suitcase with all your essentials, including a change of clothes, your toiletries and your laptop.
  3. Use a clear plastic bin for the things you’ll need first. A clear bin allows you to see inside and separates itself from all those cardboard boxes. Included here would be a box cutter, paper towels, trash bags, eating utensils, select cookware, power strips, phone chargers, toilet paper, tools, etc.
  4. Wrap your breakables (dishes, glasses, etc.) in clothes to save on bubble wrap. Pack your clothes and kitchenware at the same time.
  5. Besides labeling what’s in your boxes, note what room they go to. When you arrive at your new home, unpack BY ROOM. The unpacking process will feel more manageable. Label the sides of the boxes, not the tops. Then you’ll be able to find them even if they’re stacked.
  6. Pick a color code for each room and label that room’s boxes accordingly. Label the door of each room with the correct color of tape so that movers know where to place the boxes.
  7. The fastest way to pack a closet – Slip a large plastic garbage bag under a section of clothes hanging in your closet, and bring it up to the top, leaving just the hanger hooks exposed. This also keeps your clothes on their hangers, for much faster unpacking.
  8. Remove the cover of your toiletries and cover the openings with saran wrap, then put the tops back on. This will keep your toiletries from leaking all over your stuff during the move.
  9. Dresser drawers can be pulled out of the dresser, each covered with Siran Wrap, and stacked for easy moving. This makes moving the dresser far easier too.
  10. Keep sandwich bags handy for holding any small parts of things you have to take apart, like curtain rods or mounted flat-screen TVs. Tape the sandwich bags to the back of the item they correspond to. Use this same trick with the cords for your electronics.
  11. Take a photo of how your electronics are connected so you can remember where all the wires go.
  12. Use less boxes by making all of your baskets, bins, hampers, and suitcases work for you. Pack them with stuff! Don’t forget to label them, however, with your color code system. Use the wheeled suitcases for heavy things like books.
  13. If you have a lot of fragile valuables, hiring movers as opposed to asking friends can end up paying for itself. Many movers come with insurance, which means if something breaks, they have to compensate you. Be sure to book them weeks in advance to insure you have that covered.
  15. Fill the nail holes in your previous home with Spackle on your finger tip. You can pickup a small jar of this at most home improvement stores for a few dollars. Even if your walls are not white (the color of Spackle), it shows your landlord that this task is done, and that should help you get your deposit back.