16 moving hacks to make your life easier

If you have ever moved from your home before, you know how much work it can be. But, it doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. With these simple tips, you can move into your home with less stress and more joyful anticipation of these new adventure in your life. Check it out!

Our family recently moved from our beloved home of 12 years to another home 30 minutes away. I was unprepared for how much work it would actually take and how much stuff we had accumulated. Here’s what I learned:

#1: Enlist help

You can’t move your entire house on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask family members, friends and neighbors to help you pack, load and unload. In most cases, people are willing and happy to help.

#2: Give yourself plenty of time to pack

I only had about five days to pack my entire house. I wish I had had a few extra days. From sunrise to sunset, I was packing and it was exhausting. Granted, I was able to do it but it wasn’t fun.

#3: Boxes, boxes, boxes

You are going to need way more boxes than you think. Ask your neighbors, check out dumpsters behind businesses and search Facebook Marketplace. I thought I had more than enough boxes and we actually ran out. You can also buy them online but they’re not super cheap.

#4: Invest in good tape and dispenser

You are going to be taping a lot of boxes. That’s why a good tape dispenser is pretty essential. We went through five rolls of packing tape to pack our house.

#5: Start packing the non-essentials first

Begin packing with your storage room and other items in your home that you don’t use that often. As it gets closer to your moving date, you can start packing items you use on a daily basis such as the kitchen and bathroom.

#6: De-clutter months before

If you know that you are going to moving way in advance, I would start going from room to room in your house and getting rid of junk. This will make packing so much easier when the time comes.

#7: Label every box

Buy a big permanent black marker and write down which room in your new house each box belongs to. Everyone who helps you unload will know exactly where your boxes are supposed to go. Also, close as many boxes as you can so they are easier to stack.

#8: Put your kids to work

If you have kids, don’t do all the work. My kids helped load boxes to the garage, organize their rooms and clean.

#9: Rent or borrow a dump trailer

We parked my brother-in-law’s dump trailer in front of our house. Then, as we were packing, we would throw any junk that we had in the trailer. By the time we were finished moving, we had filled and dump the trailer two times (see the video below). That is a lot of junk.

#10: Donuts for the masses

Make sure you have some kind of refreshments or food for the people who help you on moving day. I ordered 68 donuts and chocolate milk. All of them were devoured. It’s just a nice way to say thanks to the people who take the time to help you move.

#11: Leave clothes on hangers and in drawers

You don’t need to take the hangers off each of your shirts. Just load all your shirts, dresses, etc (hangers and all) in a large box. Same goes for clothes in dressers. Just tape the dresser drawers so they don’t slide open and haul out the entire dresser.

#12: Keep valuables close

Find a special place to put your important documents, money, phone, purse, keys and basically anything else that you absolutely don’t want to lose. You would hate to lose your driver’s license in some random box somewhere in your new house.

#13: Reserve moving van in advance

Sometimes the really big moving vans get reserved first. Also, dollies and other accessories might not be available if you wait until the day before. It cost us to rent a 26-foot Uhaul about $200 for one day.

#14: Borrow trailers from friends

It seems like your giant Uhaul will be enough, but think again. We used four trailers plus our Uhaul in order to get all of our crap loaded. Unless you are moving close and don’t mind making multiple trips, make sure you have enough trailers.

#15: Be ready on moving day

The day that we moved, I did not have any loose items or anything left to pack in our house. EVERYTHING was already in boxes. Because I was so organized, everything in our entire house was packed in moving vans with 45 minutes. People don’t like it when they show up to help you move and you’re not done packing. Do everyone a favor and be prepared or they might not help you next time.

#16: Direct movers as you unload

When we started to unload everything in our new house, I stood at the doorway and told everyone where each box and item was supposed to go. This will make your life soooo much easier when you’re unpacking all the boxes. Everything should be in the right room.

I hope these moving hacks will help as you’re preparing for your own move. Although moving is a lot of work, hopefully this list will make the process a little bit smoother and easier. Let me know if you have any other tips in the comments below.

More from My Silly Squirts: Spice up your front porch with these no soliciting signs