10 Moving Tips That Will Save Your Sanity

This post about moving tips has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WorryFreeMessFree #CollectiveBias

I’ve got about 6 weeks to thoroughly clean and empty my home.  Clean it top to bottom, front to back, in every little crevice that I’ve forgotton about after living here for over 6 years. To say I am looking forward to this task is the understatement of the year. But it’s because we’ve bought a new house and will be moving into our forever home in the middle of July.  It’s been a while since we have moved so I knew I needed to buckle down and pull together some moving tips to make sure that everything runs smoothly.  In between cleaning, packing boxes, and donation runs, I came up with 10 moving tips to save my sanity.  Hopefully they will save yours too.

1.   Create a master checklist
Moving is stressful. In order for the process to run smoothly, you need to lay out everything that needs to get done in advance in the form of a checklist. Write down everything that you can think of that needs to occur between now and the day you move. Then, hang that checklist up and cross off your tasks as they get done. 

2.   Plan out your move
There is nothing worse than moving during a torrential downpour. If possible, check the weather forecast ahead of time and schedule your move for a sunny day. If you are moving a long distance, plan out your trip ahead of time and book hotels along the route if needed. If it does happen to pour on moving day, Scotchgard™ Fabric & Upholstery Protector can help.  More on that later but be sure to get your coupon for $1.00 off. You can purchase it at Lowe’s

3.  Purge like a boss  
Purging is probably the single most helpful thing you can do to relieve stress on moving day. DO NOT take anything with you that you do not use or love.  There is no need to lug extra stuff from house to house. The last time we moved was over 6 years ago and I thought we did a good job purging.  Turns out, we did not. There is stuff in our attic and under our beds that we brought with us and have not touched in the past 6 years. I’ve gotten rid of gobs of things and wondered why I didn’t purge them earlier.  

4. Organize 
After you purge, you will feel a renewed sense of calm.  Or maybe I’m the only one who feels that way? Now that you’ve rid yourself of the clutter, make sure to organize things into the appropriate boxes and bins.  Don’t just dump every random thing into a box and close it up. Kitchen items in one box, bathroom items in another box. And make sure to LABEL THE BOXES so your moving company (or your friends that you are paying with pizza) will know which room to put them in.  

These boxes that are shown below are filled with my kids’ baby clothes and items that I am saving. I do not plan to pack all my clothes like this. I read a great tip recently about moving clothes on hangers… just cut a hole in the top of a garbage bag and thread the hangers through the hole.  No need to pack clothes into boxes!

5. Use small boxes for heavy items
Ever tried to carry a huge box packed with heavy books?  It never ends well. An easy way to pack for moving is to pack heavy items in small boxes and save the big boxes for lighter items.

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6. Use the correct supplies
Packing tape is meant for packing.  Use it.  Don’t try to use something like masking tape to hold your boxes together. It just won’t work and you’ll end up frustrated with a huge pile of your belongings broken on the sidewalk. Use supplies meant for packing and moving.

7. Pack a box with items that you will need right away
This may be one of the best packing tips that I have learned. After you are finished moving into your new home, you’re going to be pretty tired. You don’t want to be digging through random boxes just to find the toilet paper, towels and bedsheets.  Pack everything that you’ll need for your first night in your home in one clear bin so it’s easy to find.

8. Stop buying groceries one week before your move
I hate throwing away perfectly good food when we move.  If you are only moving across town, this may not be an issue since you can pack a cooler to transport things.  However, for longer moves like cross-country, you’ll want to make sure that you are able to eat almost everything in your fridge before the move.

9. Deep clean
Moving is the perfect time to deep clean everything that you have neglected.  Hello throw pillows…I’m talking to you. Deep cleaning will get rid of all the gross encrusted gunk from who knows how many beverage spills.  If you’re like me, when something spills on the couch, I just get a paper towel and a little water and sop it up.  But who are we fooling, right?  That couch isn’t clean.  Take some time to deep clean your upholstery, pillows, area rugs and mattresses.  You don’t want to track all the disgusting grime into your  new home.

10. Protect
Once you have deep cleaned your items, you’re going to want to protect them so they don’t get gross again. You never know when that random car will speed by just as you are unloading your freshly cleaned couch and splash dirty water all over it. Or when your kids will bury their heads into your newly cleaned throw pillows to wipe their bloody noses. True story. You can avoid these mishaps by using Scotchgard™ Fabric & Upholstery Protector to protect your fabric from stains. Use it on pillows, upholstery, chair cushions, table linens, curtains and much more.  You can purchase it at your local Lowe’s home improvement store.

Scotchgard Fabric Protector repels liquid, blocks stains and won’t change the look, feel or breathability of your upholstery.  When using, make sure to protect other items from overspray. If you get any Scotchgard Fabric Protector on items other than your fabric, just wipe up with a clean cloth. Make sure to always test for colorfastness on an inconspicuous area.  Hold the can upright about 6 inches away from your fabric and apply a thin coat with a sweeping motion to your fabric. After one coat dries, apply a second coat. Reapply  Scotchgard Fabric Protector every 6 months for optimum protection.

I’m so glad that my furniture and pillows will now be protected.  I’m Type A and like things neat, clean and organized. If I can prevent something from getting stained in the first place, that’s so much better than stressing every time the kids dangle their movie night pizza from their mouths, with the sauce just itching to drop onto the couch.

I hope these moving tips will help you during your big move. Be sure to pick up a few cans of Scotchgard today and save your sanity!

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Here are some posts that will help you get organized once you move in:

How to Organize A Closet

10 Ways to Organize That Won’t Break the Bank

 Organize your Entire Life and Home