Moving Tips Part 3 - Actually Moving

Okay, so you’ve packed your boxes, you’ve cleaned you new house (or apartment), and it’s time for the big day – actually moving.

You have a few options…

• Hire movers. This is the easiest, the most expensive, and I’ve never done it, so have no further comments
• Rent a moving truck – bigger trucks are more expensive. You usually pay a flat rental fee + mileage/gas. This is kind of a pain because you have to return the truck to the store, but it allows you to move more stuff in one trip so is you only real option for long distance moving
• Use your own vehicle – this requires multiple trips, which takes more time…but costs less money. This only works if you have a pick-up truck or SUV big enough to fit your stuff (of if you can borrow a car like this). This works BEST if you have help – and multiple cars to fill up at once – but it can work if you only have one vehicle, it’s just a pain
• Use your own vehicle for most of your stuff and rent a small truck for your sofa, bed, and other large items. This can be a good compromise between cost and convenience.
• Carry all of your stuff on your back – this may take about a year. And you might die.

Hint: I used my parents small SUV for my whole move, and had a friend borrow his mom’s pickup truck to my couch and bed. It was a pain. But it cost me nothing. Since I was moving a limited amount of large furniture, it was definitely worth it.

Since there are so many options I’ll make TWO lists – one with general moving tips, and one for how to move without a moving truck.

List #1 – Moving Day for Everyone

1. Bring toilet paper in your first load! Also beverages and/or cups for water. I also like to bring a few lawn chairs and set them up in the living room so that people have somewhere to sit and have lunch or take a break.
2. If possible, make sure everybody puts the correct boxes in the correct room. Your boxes should all be clearly labeled, so this won’t even be that bad – kitchen stuff should get dropped in the kitchen, clothes in the bedroom, etc. This will make unpacking way easier.
3. If it’s rainy/snowy, bring some mats or rugs to put down to avoid tracking in tons of mud. If it’s really bad, one person could take off their shoes and deliver the boxes to their appropriate rooms, while another person brings the boxes from the car/truck to the house. My boyfriend and I did this for a lot of the boxes when I moved, because it was snowy.
4. Don’t move in snow. Just…don’t.
5. Allow more time than you expect to need – it takes a stupid amount of time to move stuff. Always allow extra time to account for issues like boxes breaking open, getting stuck in traffic, and taking a break for lunch.
6. Pack an overnight bag with basic toiletries, sheets, and a set of clothes and make sure you know where it is – you can put it in a weird spot, like in the bathroom, if necessary. This way, no matter how not-unpacked you might be, you’ll be OK the next day.
7. Be gentle when you unload. Not only do you want to avoid damaging your stuff, but you also want to avoid damaging your new walls. The last thing you want is to move into a new house and then discover all the extra patching and painting you need to do (especially if you just painted your new home!)
8. Take breakables last. Even if you hire movers, I would feel uncomfortable letting them handle fragile decorations and pictures. Take these yourself, and take them last, to prevent breakage. Additionally, store them gently in a box or carton somewhere safe, like a basement or corner of a bedroom. Although you probably don’t want to decorate until you’ve unpacked fully – and made a final determination on where your furniture will go – if you can hang up pictures immediately, you should. If you buy a house, there should be hooks and nails all over, so just take advantage of those (if you aren’t planning to patch/paint right away). My pictures are still hung up in odd places.
9. Thank your helpers – whether it’s family, friends, or coworkers who are helping you move…buy them pizza and beer (or something else) for lunch, and thank them profusely. Moving kills a weekend day, and it’s awesome of them to give up a weekend day (rare and to be treasured) to help you lug boxes and furniture around.

List #2 – Moving Without a Moving Truck

This method is also helpful if you are moving slowly, over the course of a few weeks – you may rent a small truck for your large items, but want to move a lot of the stuff in your own vehicle as you go back and forth between residences doing the necessary cleaning and maintenance prior to move-in.

1. Always fill your car. Going over to get the keys? Bring a car full of stuff. Going to clean? Bring a car full of stuff.
2. By ‘fill your car’, I mean fill your car. You can fit an insane amount of stuff in a car, even if a little car like my Buick Century. Stuff the trunk, pile large items (like end tables, file cabinets, big boxes, or chairs) in the backseat, then put small things on the floor of the backseat (lamps, small boxes, totes, large pots, etc). And don’t forget the front seat if there are no passengers!  
3. Take advantage of soft items. After your car looks full, you can also usually stuff pillows, blankets, jackets, and dresses on top of all of your stuff or in cracks. Just make sure that any linen you put in your car has a garment bag or other plastic covering to protect it from dirt, and remove these items first when you unload your car to avoid damaging stuff.
4. Always measure large items. You don’t want to finagle your armchair around the corner, through the door, and down the stairs of your apartment complex only to discover that it doesn’t fit in your car, and now you need to drag it back into your apartment. Measuring will only take a few seconds – just keep a small tape measure in your pocket, and it’ll be the easiest step ever.
5. Caravan multiple cars. If you have people to help you, you should all drive separately, at least for the first few trips. With this method of moving, the drive-time is awful, and a huge waste of time, so minimizing that is always a good idea – even if some of the cars are small. Once you run out of small stuff, then you (obviously) only use the larger vehicles. If you get enough of your friends to help, this method of moving can actually be very easy!
6. Put down old blankets to protect furniture – and to protect your vehicle! You can drape cloth over table tops and furniture corners to prevent scratching, and you can also lay tarps or thick blankets over tailgates to prevent your stuff from damaging the car. Be extra careful if you are borrowing someone’s car.

Moving is a giant pain…but once you ACTUALLY move your stuff, the fun part (unpacking!) can begin. 😊