Ten Packing + Moving Tips
Will and I have moved our family 16 times over the last 4 years. You could say we’re semi-professionals at this point. Each move has been a little different, sometimes we have a lot of time other times we’ve had to be completely moved in one day. A few times we moved solo, other times with dogs + babies. Honestly, we have moved so many times that it’s no longer a stressful ordeal.
Will and I made our first huge move in 2016, when we moved from Houston to Denver. Then in 2019, we loaded up a storage unit with everything from our home and moved into a furnished condo. After that most of the moves were between furnished places so we only moved the necessities. I am hopeful that this will be our last move for many years. We are finally in a comfortable + size appropriate home for our growing family.
This move has been a very unique experience compared to the last 15. We are finally unboxing things that we packed away back in 2019. It’s mind boggling how many things I completely forgot that we owned. It feels like a house warming party, opening all these boxes full of surprise gifts!
These are the best tips + tricks I learned through my many moving experiences:
Pack everything up like it’s the most fragile art you own. You will not regret a well packed box when nothing is broken!
Use towels, blankets, socks, sheets, etc. instead of bubble wrap or packing paper. It saves money and the planet.
If an item is broken/expired or you haven’t used it for over a year, consider donating or selling it. This is the general rule I use when purging our house but I also find it helpful to do before moving. Obviously there are exceptions to this; pregnancy, children’s toys/clothes, family heirlooms, etc.
Ask friends, check your local thrift store, or ask local businesses for boxes, quilts and large blankets before buying new ones. It’s important to have good moving supplies - but they don’t have to break the bank. I found so many cheap but good quality moving blankets at the thrift store! Most businesses will have extra boxes after restock days. Also make sure you tape the bottom of your boxes, not just fold them in!
When moving furniture + electronics: put all of the screws, wires, and accessories in a baggie taped to the item. I also label the baggie in case it gets riped off during the move.
Label, label, label. Instead of just putting a room name on the box, annoyingly label every single thing that is inside the box. This trick came in handy when we needed to access specific things before we were ready to fully unpack.
Pack boxes by room/cabinet/closet, keeping items together that live together. I love filling every box to the brim, but it’s easier to unpack when there aren’t miscellaneous items tossed in the same box.
When moving with older toddlers/kids: let them help! Giving our toddler little tasks kept him busy + out of our hair.
When moving with a baby: bring baby gates + toys in the first load to keep them safe and entertained while unpacking.
I am a big fan of the air tight / vacuum sealed bags. They compress clothes and other fabric items, reducing tons of space. They can also be reused after the move! Be careful how much you stuff into one bag, I’ve accidentally ripped so many by overfilling them.
