The time has come and we are starting to pack up our first home! Leaving our first California home will be a little sad I think since it was the first and where we brought Jett home for the first time. We’ve LOVED our condo, but we need a little bit more space and we 1000% need a GARAGE! We’re excited for the next chapter, but first we must pack. Skyler and I have moved six times in the past 7 years, so I’ve learned a thing or two along the way, but I wanted to share your tips as well! Thank you for submitting your tips on Instagram!
Use spacesaver bags for clothing instead of wardrobe boxes.
Leave clothing on hangers, just take off 10-15 pieces at a time, fold in half, and put them into a large box.
If you need a storage pod, I would HIGHLY recommend 1-800-PACK-RAT! We used them for our move to Seattle to California and they could not have been more helpful. The very first night our pod was dropped off in Capitol Hill, Seattle, it was tagged with spray paint. I almost had a heart attack the next morning as I rounded the corner walking the dog and saw someones name spray painted on our pod before we even started packing it! We simply called our Pack-Rat sales rep and he told us it was no big deal and that they would even paint the pod in their storage facility before it was dropped off at our new home in California. Amazing customer service!
If you do use a pod or packing container, put the largest items in the back and stack to the ceiling to maximize the space. We did not do this and we ended up having to leave a lot of larger items at our place in Seattle (like our bikes- yikes). It was a bummer and a waste of money.
If you’re trying to save money (and your sanity/back), hire movers for 1-2 hours to handle all of the large pieces. They can put them in the pod or truck first and organize them for you. Go through a professional moving company and not something you find on Craigslist. We’ve learned this the hard way! The first time we hired Craigslist movers, one of the guys couldn’t carry heavy furniture or read, so he had no idea where to put the boxes. It was a mess.
Pack alcohol and books in smaller boxes! If you fill up a large box with either one of these items, the likelihood of the box breaking is high and it will be impossible to pick up!
If you are hiring someone to pack for you, they might tell you that you cannot pack opened bottles of alcohol. Pack those before they get to your house so you don’t have to throw away your precious Bourbon- ha!
If you hired someone to pack for you and your move is long distance, have them build boxes for your TV’s. It’s worth the extra money especially if your TV is newer and really big! It’s extremely hard to get moving companies to replace items or refund you, so it’s worth the extra step to protect your items.
Instead of labeling the box with a marker, print out large “labels” on a sheet of paper and attach it to the box with packing tape. This is especially helpful if you’re using recycled boxes!
You can also use color coded box labels for each room in the house to make unloading your moving truck, U-Haul, or pod easier. Blue for boys room, green for master, etc. Use a large chalk pen to label boxes.
Pack everything you don’t use beforehand (weeks before if you can) to save time and stress.
Wrap your own pictures and mirrors because companies charge a lot of money to do it for you. I like to wrap them in bubble wrap first. Next, wrap it with thick kraft paper just like you would wrap a present but use packing tape! Use the kraft paper to fill in empty spots in the box too so the frames won’t move around.
Pack dishes in smaller boxes so the box doesn’t get too heavy. The heavier the box is, the more likely it is to be set down too quickly or dropped.
Use old towels to fill up the tops of boxes that are heavy. You don’t want items to have room to shake around in the box especially if the items are breakable. If you need to save your towels for cleaning, use packing paper to fill the space!
Get free boxes from work! I’m doing that for this move and it’s easily saved us $200 or more! I collected boxes every single day, broke them down, and stored them by my desk until the weekend we needed to move. It goes without saying, but ask your manager first!
If you have kids, hire a babysitter or take a day off of work while they’re at daycare. We tried to pack while Jett was awake and let me tell you, we got absolutely nothing done!
If you have a pet, hire a pet sitter or take them to doggy daycare. You don’t want them to get hurt or hurt anyone by being in the way on accident!
If you’re moving a short distance, just pack your clothes on the hangers in your suitcase. I’ve done this for this move and it’s saving the hassle of taping boxes. I’ve just taken a few trips to our temporary apartment and thrown everything in the closet and then brought back the empty suitcase for another load. You can do the same with shoes!
If you’re moving a short distance, utilize all of your reusable shopping bags! For this move, I put things like home decor, wine, etc. in them so I can just zip over to our new place and drop them off. It saves boxes and a lot of time!
Over buy supplies! You can always return it. It’s so annoying when you’re almost done packing and you run out of tape, am I right?!
Keep makeup/bathroom items in the organizers and saran wrap them to avoid them spilling out. This is SO SMART and I wish I would have done this!
Pack a box with paper plates, cups, plastic utensils, coffee cups, etc. so you don’t have to unpack dishes right away. Genius!
Get the plastic wrap for your furniture to avoid damaging it during the moving process.
Use towels, sheets, extra bedding to pack breakables instead of bubble wrap.
Label the front and the top of the box to make unpacking easier!
I hope this post was super helpful for your next move! If you have any packing tips that I missed, put them in the comments so everyone can see them! Have a great day, y’all!
Xo,
Haley