Monday, April 18, 2011

So. Any Packing/Moving Advice? I'll Take It!

So, Blogger was weird this morning and wouldn't let me write a post. It would, however, allow me to type a title. Sweet! Hence, all title and no post.

There really isn't any point to this, seeing as the original purpose of the post was to ask for packing advice anyway (which I truly appreciate). I guess I just wanted to explain my post-less post.

I'm going to drink some more coffee.

Have a lovely day!

7 comments:

  1. only in exchange for photos of the new house ;)

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  2. Here's just what worked for us:

    1. Label boxes by what room they are moving into in the new house. That way you guys (and any random helpers) won't have to riffle through each box to figure out where it was intended to go.

    2. Pack an overnight bag for each of you as if you were traveling for a few days. That way, your toothbrush, shampoo, diapers, curling iron, make up, jammies, etc. will be accesible right away...even if your unpacking isn't complete by the time you need to hit the hay after a loooong day of closing/moving.

    3. If you really do want to paint before settling into certain rooms, you might just pack one box or two per room to actually bring inside (with just the necessary items inside to last you a week or so), and then leave the rest of the stuff from that room in the garage until you are done painting. Cancels out extra shuffling of stuff, plus you'll have lots more room to maneuver while painting.

    4. This was a bit anal, but worked: I would label the top and one side of each box. That way, no matter how it was stacked, the label would be visible to anyone. Took a tiny bit of extra time upfront, but it helped LOADS when every single bit of our belongings was boxed and tossed into our new garage to be sorted. :)

    Okay, that's all I've got! Again, this is just what ended up working for us the two times we've moved. My only other suggestion: hire movers to do it all for you. ;) Oh, if only the budget were unlimited, right?!?!

    ;)

    Good luck, friend!

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  3. Ha ha, Julia!! I'll post pictures, I promise. :) I'm not trying to be weird and secretive-- I just don't want to be unethical by posting pics before both homes have officially closed. After that, I will take pics! (And thank you, Erin!)

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  4. I color coded the boxes with stickers, then I put the stickers on sheets of paper for both entry ways into the house...then I put the color of sticker in the room I wanted the boxes taken to...Neighbors came over to my house while we were moving in and said they were going to use that method if they ever moved. (PLUS labeling for my own benefit...) But I wanted everything kitchen IN the kitchen...lots of family helped us move both times, so the colors were mainly for them to get boxes into rooms that I wanted them in.
    Yellow = Kitchen
    Orange = Living Room
    Red = etc. etc. etc.

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  5. Do everything that Erin said. She hit the nail on the head.

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  6. Pack things you'll use immediately (soap, toilet paper, toys for the kids, etc.) in a separate bag that you'll know the location of without a problem! :)

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  7. New reader, but thought I might have some helpful advice- I've moved 16 times!

    1. Definitely paint and clean before moving all of your stuff in- so much easier.

    2. When you move, go through the kitchen and put sticky notes where you want various things to go (plates, glasses, etc), then have a couple of people just go to work in that one room unpacking. The kitchen tends to be tedious, and this way you have a say in where things go, but don't have to spend all of your time doing it!

    3. Eat off paper plates/ utensils the last day out/ first day in new house- saves a lot of time. Also, you can get those huge hoagie sandwiches from Walmart and a bag of chips and they last through the move.

    4. When you label, I agree with Erin on labeling more than one side, but also possibly list a few of the things in the box. It tends to jog your memory about what else is in there and you'll know in what order to unpack.

    5. Leave clothes in drawers (cover undies with a shirt), and on hangers- hanger clothes can be transported in the back of a vehicle and is so much faster to just hang them back up!

    6. Don't just pack blankets, towels, etc- use them as padding for breakables.

    7. If you're using a U-haul, go one size bigger than you think you'll need, you always have more stuff than you think (we had to take one back to get a bigger size and were fortunate they had a larger size available).

    8. Ditto on the overnight bags!

    9. Make sure you put toilet paper, soap, paper towels and a trash bag out first thing in the new place- and leave them at the old place until everything is moved- everyone helping you move will appreciate it!

    10. As you pack, sort out what you need to get rid of and do it before the move. No sense in packing donatable items or trash.

    Hope these help!

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