Moving and Grooving
Hey friends,
I think I could be considered a professional packer at this point. I have packed up 7 times in the past 5 years. I moved from place to place in college, then to San Antonio, and back to the Houston area in January. My most recent move was the biggest as it was an accumulation of both my husband's and my stuff. We will be doing it again at the end of September when Shea finishes his academy training as well. So basically... I've learned a few things while packing and figured I'd share!
1. Use Trash Bags for Your Hanging Clothes
This might sound funny, but one of my biggest loads while moving is always my clothes. Buy large trash can bags and wrap them around your clothes. This keeps your close organized and the hangers don't tangle as easily. You can also put rubber bands on the metal parts of your hangers to keep them from moving. This has been a saving grace for me as I have an unhealthy amount of clothes.
Pro Tip: Before moving, go through your clothes. If you haven't worn it in a year, chances are you never will again. If you hate the picture of yourself wearing it from 2 years ago, get rid of it! You won't wear it! If you have some nicer clothes, you can try taking them to Plato's Closet and selling them. It can at least pay for the trash bags you buy to carry the rest of your clothes - hah!
2. Use Your Towels, Sheets, etc to Wrap Breakables
Girl, I am going for cheap! If I don't have to pay for bubble wrap, I'm not going to! Plus, your towels and bed wear has to have a place to be packed anyways. This saves space and money! Even if you plan to chunk the towels in your new place, don't do it yet! Wrap your breakables (plates, decor, etc) using your towels and use tape to keep it bundled up. I'm not interested in spending money when I don't have to!
Also, if your grandparents are like mine, they will have stacks of old newspapers that could be used to wrap breakables as well!
3. Cover Couches and Mattresses During Move
When Shea and I moved from our previous house, we used mattress covers and couch covers to ensure that they did not get dirty/scratched from the move. If they are going into storage, it is really important that you cover them. We bought a couple off of Amazon. Once we fit the furniture in the coverings, we tapped it up good so that it would stay clean and dry. This will for sure be a 2-3 person job as it can be difficult lifting the couch/mattress and putting the cover on. Here are the ones we ended up using:
4. Pack a box/bag of First Day Move in Essentials
Make sure to have a box of things you are going to need for the first day of move in. It would not be fun to have to go through all of your boxes looking for the things you need. A few good things to pack in this box would be:
- Clorox wipes
- Paper Towels
- Trash Bags
- Box Cutter
-Scissors
- Toilet Paper
-Plates for the first picnic meal in your home! -Dish Soap
-Coffee
-Bandaids - blisters are bound to happen for someone
-Extra cleaning rags
You could store all of this in a clear, plastic bin like so:
5. Hire Movers You Can Trust
Hiring movers who care abut you and your stuff can make a real difference on your moving day. Everything will go a lot faster and easier! It also takes a lot of the burden from your shoulders. If you are in Texas, look into using Gameday Moving Services Houston. They are reputable and able to help with short and long-distance moves in Houston. Even if it seems costly to hire movers, you have to consider the convenience factor and the fact that doing it yourself might end up costing you more money. I say this because even if you get all of your stuff moved yourself, there's a good chance that some damage has been done (scratches, nicks, tears, etc). Click here to learn more about the services that Gameday Moving Services offers!
There are so many tips and tricks when it comes to moving! Do your research and make sure you only keep the things you need, use, and love. Shea and I have our things currenty stored in an air conditioned storage unit. It is so worth the money because I am not having to worry about all of things going bad or getting moldy. I'll continue to keep you all updated as we get closer to buying a home. Today we were preapproved for a loan at a great rate - so exciting!
Happy packing!
xxChan
Two Piece Outfit: Medium