Perfect Moving Hacks For You – The Complete Checklist

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Moving houses can be quite stressful because of all the things that are going on at the same time. You have several things that require your attention happening all at the same time. Talking to your landlord about the move, contacting your cable providers about the new location, and hiring a moving company to get the big stuff out of the way—all of it can add up to the stress you’re already feeling from just the idea of moving to a brand-new location.

Listing down everything you need to take care of in order of priority, complexity, or time limit can help you get things off your mind easily. By putting your thoughts on a piece of paper, you can relieve some of the stress building up and also help you feel more in control of yourself. 

This article will go over some moving and packing hacks to help you do just that. If you have never moved houses before and are overwhelmed just by the thought of it, use this guide as you take on the dreaded task of packing your belongings. By following these easy-to-follow hacks, you can organize and get everything in the boxes before you even knew it.

Some Tips Before You Start Packing

Always Start With Rooms You Are Not Actively Using

Before you start packing, always start with rooms that you are not actively using. For example, don’t start your packing from the kitchen. You’ll very likely be using the kitchenware until your very last day, so be sure to start somewhere else first. You can start by packing the guest room or perhaps the living room. The idea is to be efficient and pack from rooms you won’t be needing stuff from later on. 

Pack Non-Essential Items First

Items that you won’t be needing immediately should be stored away first. The tools in your garage, for example, should go in the boxes way before your toiletries. In fact, any non-essential items that you aren’t regularly using should be packed before you move on to packing essential ones. 

Packing Up Your Living Room 

Let’s take a look at some life-saving packing hacks for your living room. The living room is probably the best place to start right after the guest room (if you have one) because the living room is not going to be used as often as your bedroom or kitchen once you actually decide to move. However, the task can seem challenging because living rooms are usually designed to be large so that the entire family can spend time there easily. It’s a place where you hang out with family and friends. It’s also the place that houses the majority of the stuff you own, including a good portion of your furniture. Use the following packing hacks as you declutter and pack your living room:

1. Smoothing Out Your Carpet With Ice

You know those annoying little bumps that ruin your carpet’s texture and feel when you remove your furniture? Well, this packing hack will surely solve your problems. Ice cubes can smooth out your carpet by placing them on top of all bumps and dents you can find. Make sure you let the ice cubes melt properly before using a spoon to lift the carpet fibers and shape them back to how they looked before. 

2. Keep Your Cords Uncoiled With Toilet Paper Rolls

You probably have a lot of electronics in your living room. We also bet you have some toilet paper rolls lying around the house. Simply wrap all the wires and cords around the toilet paper rolls and you’ll be good to go. Use this packing hack to keep all the wires and cords uncoiled as you pack them away before your move.

3. Packs All Lamps Without The Bulbs 

If you have lamps in your living room, don’t pack them away with the bulbs still attached as these can easily break during the move. Make sure you remove the bulbs and pack both the lamp and the bulbs separately. 

4. Take Pictures Of The Wire Setup

Before you unplug your TV or your home entertainment setup, be sure to take some photographs of the wire arrangement before you unplug. This way, you’ll have an easier time setting it up again when you finally move into your new home. 

5. Remove Nails Without Causing Damage To The Wall

You’ve probably got pictures and paintings hanging on your living room walls. To remove the nails without causing damage to the wall, wrap the end of the hammer in a rubber band. You’ll successfully prevent scuffing this way when you remove the nails.

Packing Your Bedroom 

If there’s one thing that your bedroom has a lot of, it’s clothing. When you finally start packing your bedroom, be sure to dive into a purge mentality. You probably own a lot of clothing, and some of these clothes probably aren’t used regularly. Be sure to get rid of things you don’t need by setting aside a box for donation of the items that you think could be useful for others. Hold a garage sale if you have to, but shed all the weight you can before you start packing your belongings away. 

Let’s take a look at some insanely simple packing hacks that you can use to pack up your bedroom before you move. 

1. Roll, Don’t Fold

The key to packing clothing items while saving space is to roll them instead of folding them. This way, you’ll be able to store a lot of clothing items without using up a lot of storage space. 

2. Don’t Empty Your Storage Drawers

There is no need for you to empty your storage drawers before you move. You can wrap the storage drawers (with all the items still inside) in plastic wrap and secure the drawer in place. This way, you wouldn’t have to pack each item separately. In fact, the items will probably be more secure this way. 

3. Don’t Take Your Clothing Off The Hangers

Be sure to pack all your hanging clothes away as they are without taking them off the hanger. Simply use a large garbage bag and pull it over the hanging clothes to keep them safe. 

4. Secure Your Mattress 

Your mattress can be easily damaged during the move, especially around the corners. Be sure to secure the opposite sides of the mattress in a fitted sheet. This way, the mattress wouldn’t get damaged even if it scrapes along some surfaces during the move. This is a solid furniture moving hack you should practice whenever you relocate. 

5. Put Away Small Items In Shoes

Efficient packing is all about using your storage space smartly. Before you pack away your shoes, tuck away all the small items inside. This way, you’ll save yourself the trouble of packing away these tiny individual items separately. In fact, they’ll probably be a lot more secure once you’ve fitted them neatly inside your footwear. 

6. Always Label Hardware

This packing hack is a real life-saver. When you remove hardware equipment in your home, be sure to label individual pieces before you pack them away. It also pays to pack away small hardware pieces together in a single plastic zipper. Setting up in your new home would be hassle-free this way. 

7. Wine Boxes But For Shoes

Okay, we get it. This one’s a little out there but it’s super effective. Use wine boxes to neatly store your shoes, and you’ll have a much easier time finding pairs when you reach your new home and start unpacking. Wine boxes come with dividers that are designed to keep the bottles safe and secure while preventing them from scratching each other during transportation. Be sure to store all your pairs inside and pack them away safely. 

Packing Your Bathroom 

Relocating to a new home is a great opportunity for you to properly review the stuff you own. It’s also a chance to get rid of any unnecessary stuff you may have been keeping for years without realizing it. When packing your bathroom, get rid of any medications or unused products that you may have bought a long time ago. Here are some bathroom packing hacks you can follow to get your bathroom all wrapped up in no time. 

1. Use Plastics To Secure Liquid Items

All your toiletries that are in liquid form should be packed properly so that the liquid doesn’t spill during transportation. For this purpose, uncap the bottles containing the liquid, use a small piece of plastic and put it over the lid, then put the cap back on and secure it tightly in place. Your items will be secure and won’t make a mess while moving. 

2. Use Egg Cartons For Storing Jewelry 

Do you know those small compartments that come with egg cartons to store eggs? Well, this hack is all about them but you simply replace the eggs with your jewelry. It’s a great way to secure any delicate jewelry items you may own. The egg carton will guarantee safe transportation. 

3. Use Binder Clips For Your Razor

Binder clips are the perfect size for securing your razors. Simply clip the binder over the sharp edge of the razor and you’ll be good to go. 

4. Bathroom Mirror Tape Hack 

This one’s our favorite. To prevent your bathroom mirror from breaking or being damaged during transportation, put two pieces of tape over the mirror such that they create the letter X on the surface. This way, your mirror will be more secure during transportation. 

5. Plastic Bag First, Box Second

For a large number of small items, be sure to pack them in a plastic bag first before placing them into the box. This way, you’ll be making sure that they’re neatly packed away instead of taking up all the space and getting lost amongst all the other items in the box. 

6. Make An Essential Items Bag

For your toiletries, secure a separate bag where you store all the absolutely essential items that you’ll likely need as soon as you shift into your new home. This way, you’ll save time by quickly grabbing the items you need without having to open all the boxes first. 

Packing Your Kitchen

If you’ve reached the kitchen, then most of your packing is already done for the other rooms. The moving day is nearing and your kitchen needs to be wrapped up soon. With the appliances, utensils of different sizes, and plenty of small unusually shaped objects lying around, wrapping up the kitchen can be a challenge in itself. Here are some simple kitchen packing hacks that can make your life easier: 

1. Pack Your Toaster In A Bag

Ikea bags are great for this sort of small appliance. Pack away your toaster in a bag. This way, you’ll avoid all the crumbs from falling everywhere and making a mess. 

2. Clean Socks Can Wrap Up Glassware

This hack works like a charm. A lot of you will be worried about the safety of your glassware as you move. Dishes and any utensils made out of glass are more prone to breaking easily. Find all the clean free socks you have lying around and wrap them over any glassware you own. This will provide extra padding to your fragile items and ensure safe transportation. 

3. Plastic Wrap For Drawers With Utensils

If you’ve got a drawer full of spoons, knives, and forks, be sure to wrap plastic over it tightly. Instead of packing each item individually, you can simply secure the drawer in plastic wrapping and move easily. When you finally arrange your kitchen at your new place, you’ll have an easier time setting it up. 

4. Clothing For Extra Padding

Wrapping your dishware in clothing is a great way to provide extra padding during transportation. This is a great packing hack for all fragile items, in fact. By wrapping them in clothes, you reduce the chances of shock causing any damage to your plates. 

5. Sharp Items Should Go In Oven Mits

Sharp objects like knives can be safely packed inside oven mitts. This way you will ensure that these items don’t scratch other objects while being moved or cause any damage along the way. Your mitts are built tough, so you don’t have to worry over these objects boring holes into them. 

6. Defrost Your Fridge A Day Before The Big Move

The last one on our kitchen packing hacks list is defrosting your fridge. Start eating items a week before you do this and get rid of items you no longer need. A day before the move, unplug your fridge and let it defrost so that you can move it easily the next day. 

Congrats, You’ve Made It! Throw A Housewarming Party!

After you have used all the genius moving hacks and unpacked all the cardboard boxes, throw a house-warming party for your friends, relatives, and neighbors. This will give you an opportunity to say goodbye to your old neighbors and invite the people in your new area to get to bond with them. This will also help you get comfortable in your new neighborhood easier.   

Also, setting up a house-warming party gives you a deadline to unpack everything and clean up the mess before people come over. But most importantly, it gives you something to look forward to after the long process of moving houses.