Be Prepared for Moving Day

April showers bring…May movers?!



Ahhh….Spring! The time of year when many people are selling their homes and taking up residence in a new space. Moving seems to be one of the most stressful experiences known to man and can easily reduce one to crying in a corner on a cardboard box. Let me help you. I can transport your boxes with my mind! Ok, not really. But after moving quite a bit (two times across country) I do have some great tips for you!

  1. Boxes. If you don’t want to buy them, head over to your local produce store or section of the grocery store. Apple boxes are my favorite, but banana boxes are equally tough. Some people are skeptical when they see them, but just think about how heavy produce is! These also usually have handles which makes them awesome. Scout out picture boxes, wardrobes, and paper wrapping on Craigslist. Many times people pass them on for free.
  2. Tape gun. These things make a noise that might eventually drive you up the wall if you can’t tune it out, but they make the job so much easier.
  3. This nifty plastic wrap stuff. Trust me. You need this. Use in place of tape to keep drawers from sliding out from a chest. To wrap foam around your flat screen tv. To keep your children still and out of danger while you’re busy. There’s no limit to the excitement this will bring!
  4. Color coded dot stickers. Use one color for each room. Then have guides posted all over the new house showing which color stands for which room. Also stick a dot of the appropriate color to the door frame of each new room. This will help your helpers know where to put things without too much direction.
  5. The “Master List of Madness”. I adopted this during my last long move, but it may not be practical for a shorter one. Give every box a letter-number combo on the top and sides. For instance, boxes from the living room would start with L1 and so on. Then in a notebook leave a whole page for living room, put a sticker of the appropriate color on top, and list all the main items in each box (in numerical order). Do this for every room. It’s a life saver when you still have sever boxes packed and need just that “one item”.
  6. Put some red duct tape on any box that will be needed immediately. The plan is to put these in an accessible place on the truck and make sure they get into a noticeable place in your new home. Examples might include paper products, eating utensils, etc.
  7. Bed linens in your trunk! Who wants to go digging for bed sheets when they’re exhausted from moving? No thanks!
  8. Hire a professional organizer! If you’re local and need even more help than this list offers you, give me a call!