14 Creative Tips to Make Your Moving Process a Breeze (+ Moving Guide)

You’re moving! I am so happy for you and hope that the move means you are making positive changes in your life that make you happy and create the life you desire. Moving is almost always a big change and can be a real challenge. But I want you to feel excited that this is an opportunity for a fresh start in a new space. It will take time to rediscover how you will want stuff organized once you are in the new place.

Take your time and enjoy that process. Your things are here to support you and help you live the life you dream of. It may be a big job, especially if you have never decluttered your items before, but there is no need to stress or feel overwhelmed. I have written several tips and processes to help guide you through moving your things and I am so happy to be helpful to you during this special time of change.

• Get Inspired

• Declutter

• Tips to Remember While Packing

  • Keep screws, bolts, and any small parts to furniture in a plastic bag taped to the item.

  • Organize cords in plastic bags with labels.

  • Made a code for labeling boxes.

  • Keep an inventory.

  • Write or place labels on the side of boxes instead of the top.

  • Create an “Open First” box.

  • Make a zone for keys!

  • Plan for food.

  • Get cash.

  • Do research on the parking requirements for your car(s), moving truck, and any helpers.

  • Use a suitcase to pack and move heavy items.

  • Use the soft towels, cloth, and clothing you already have to wrap breakable items.

  • Keep cleaning supplies together.

  • Download my free Utilities & Home Info Form to keep track of all the new information about your place and new accounts.

• Pack

• Clean

• Thank You Gifts

Let’s get started! Take a deep breath…

GET INSPIRED

Let’s think about the space you are moving into. Get very familiar with every closet, shelf, and room through tours, pictures, or videos.

Envision your furniture, art, kitchen appliances, and clothing in the new space. Begin to think about what you own now and where it will live in the new place. This can be helpful to start planning where things will go.

This will be important later as you pack. I hope you start to feel joyful picturing your life in the new space. This inspiration will create a positive and hopeful attitude as you work through decluttering, packing, and planning.

DECLUTTER

If you haven’t decluttered your items yet, now is the perfect time to go through everything you own and decide what you want to keep going forward. I highly recommend following the KonMari method by Marie Kondo to achieve this. If you have already completed this method or have gone through your items recently, I would ask you to do a walk-through of every room, drawer, basket, and shelf and confirm that there is nothing else you can part with before the move.

I do find it helpful to go through my items in KonMari Method order for a full item review, but if I have done this recently, a quick scan will suffice. It is helpful to complete a declutter before you begin packing.

Try to only work on one action step at a time. If you are decluttering, do not pack up items yet. Staying focused on one action step will help you keep momentum and be more effective with your time. Go through all your things and decide what to keep, then you will be ready to start packing.

TIPS AND THINGS TO REMEMBER WHILE PACKING

Now you are ready to get some boxes and start packing! But first, I want to let you know a few tips that may help with the process and for moving day. As you pack and clean, you may notice areas of your home that need repair. Keep track of those as you go so you have time to accomplish them by your moving day!

1.  Keep screws, bolts, and any small parts to furniture in a small plastic bag taped to the item. I like to write with a sharpie on the bag what the pieces go to. This can look like “vacuum accessory parts”, “dining table bolts” and “screws”. If I am not able to tape the bag to the item, I will put all the bags of parts and pieces in one box together.

2.  Similarly, I will organize my cords to move in this way. A plastic bag with a cord or similar cords inside with the label in Sharpie marker on the bag. This could be for cords like “extra extension cords,” “phone chargers,” or “cords for cameras.”

3.  Make a code for labeling boxes. I decide on a code for each main area of the new space I’m moving into and label my boxes with that code instead of labeling the box with the room they came from in the old place. This would look like deciding the new living room would be code “A” and the primary bedroom code “B”. You can use numbers, letters, or even colors to code.

Then, on moving day, tape up papers in each room with the codes so movers can figure out where to move the boxes into. A paper with “A” on the living room wall or a pink piece of paper taped to the kitchen wall. This can help keep the moving process organized a keep hired movers from being tempted to take anything labeled something important such as “office equipment,” “china,” or “electronics.”

For anything that doesn’t fit in a box or is oddly shaped or sized, label it with your code using a note card or sticky note and painter’s tape. Even writing on the painter’s tape will work for things like lamps. Keep a reference sheet in your phone or home binder with the code breakdown so you don’t forget.

4.  Keep an inventory. You certainly do not have to go this far with moving organization, but this may be a helpful tip for those with tons of stuff or for people feeling more anxious about their items. Use a secondary code with your box labeling. If a box is labeled “A” for the living room, you can mark it “A.1” and make a note on your phone or a spreadsheet listing the items in that box.

You can customize any code system that works for you. I personally enjoy knowing what is in each box by looking at my phone. This can help me to know which boxes to unbox first.

5.  Write or place your labels on the sides of boxes instead of the top. I’ve used this tip several times before it helps so much! I will write my code or label on a couple of sides to give everyone a better chance of seeing it without having to flip boxes all around and is easier to see while they are stacked up.

6.  Create an “Open First” box. This box (or boxes) are the ones I recommend you put items you will need for the actual moving day and for the first couple of days at the new home.

If you don’t need much, you may fit it all in a couple of reusable shopping bags and you may be able to keep the bag or box separated from the rest of your items. If you can’t have it with you, just label it “Open First” and write it on all sides.

Write down how many of these boxes you will have that day, for example, I may note that I will have four “open first” boxes. If they cannot be packed in your car, try to put them on the moving truck last so they are the first ones you grab.

Many of these things are items I will have packed in an overnight bag or suitcase to help me get through the first couple of days. See the list below for ideas of items that could be useful to have while moving in and during the first couple of days.

Open First Items:

• Hand soap

• Toilet paper

• Trash bags

• Scissors/box cutter

• Packing tape

• Dish soap

• Paper towels or hand towels

• Pet necessities for a couple of days

• Phone chargers

• Laptop and charger

• Basic cleaning sprays or wipes (you can keep cleaning supplies in a bucket or open box together)

• Toiletries for daily use

• Pajamas

• Additional outfit and shoes

• I would also pack bedding supplies in this category as open first or have it separated and clearly labeled so I could find and make the bed on moving day

7. Make a zone for keys! Use an empty leftovers container or any basket to put in one dedicated spot for all keys. With all the commotion that can happen on moving day, losing your keys can be the worst! You can keep this box in a drawer or on a counter in the house and not necessarily by the door, but if you aren’t keeping them on your person, put them in a dedicated space.

8. Plan for food. If the move will take most of the day or over lunch, plan ahead for where you can pick up food or have it delivered from. You can send someone out for pick up, get DoorDash/delivery, or bring a cooler with sandwiches.

Whatever plan works best for you, deciding ahead of time will help you with decision fatigue on the day of. You will probably be giving lots of instructions and receiving lots of information and the physical strain alone can be exhausting. Do future you a favor and pick lunch, snacks, and/or dinner ahead of time.

9. Get cash. If you think you will need tip money for movers or delivery people or if you need coins for street parking, you will need to get cash before moving day. I find it helpful to have some on hand, even if it’s to give to the person picking up pizzas instead of giving my card. It doesn’t hurt to have a few extra fives in your wallet in case something comes up.

10. Do research on the parking requirements for your car(s), the moving truck, and for any helpers if they are driving themselves. You may need to call your new apartment to find out where they prefer a moving truck to be parked. You might be moving to a house with plenty of driveway space or street parking and not need to plan, but for others, knowing if you will need to park several blocks away before you get your keys can be helpful.

11. Use a suitcase to pack and move heavy items. I love to pack all my books and photo albums in suitcases to move. I know they are safer if they get wet and it is easier to roll all that weight rather than carry them in boxes.

If you do not have enough suitcases for your books, remember to pack them in many smaller boxes to be carried in and not one or two large boxes that might be too heavy once packed. Save your back and roll heavy stuff! You can also rent or borrow a moving dolly or hand truck if you move yourself to help stack and roll heavy boxes.

12. Use the soft towels, cloth, and clothing you already have to wrap breakable items in. This will help reduce the amount of bubble wrap and newspaper you may need for packing these items.

13. Keep cleaning supplies together and in a bucket or box for when you are done packing so you can clean your old home and have easy access when you are ready to clean the new place.

14. Download my utilities & home info form so you can keep track of all the new information about your place and any new accounts or information like HOA contact, electricity services, or internet providers.

Finally, it’s time to pack!

PACK

Begin packing either by categories of items or rooms by least used to most used. It’s up to you. For example, you can pack the guest bedroom up before your kitchen or whatever areas are least essential to most the closer you get to your moving date.

Or, to pack by category, you can pack sentimental items first — as they are used the least. I recommend just going room-by-room in order of least used to most. You can see why below. When you are getting closer to the time you need most of your things packed (this will vary by person and timeframes), go through each area and set aside your most essential items that will be needed right up until the day before the move. Set aside any items that may also be needed for the “Open First” box (see tip #6).

Now that your essentials are selected, you can pack absolutely everything else. I recommend moving clockwise or counterclockwise and packing until every drawer, shelf, or cupboard is empty. This will help you stay focused on packing quickly and efficiently and not get sidetracked by items you may still need or items to donate because you have already completed those steps.

Moving through a room in one direction will keep your momentum as you can more easily see progress than jumping from one section to another all over the room. It will also keep you from forgetting about or missing items to pack.

If you have completed the KonMari process, your things will be organized into similar categories already in each area and should be packed with each other. It makes more sense to pack toiletries and bathroom items together than kitchen utensils with books, for example. It will make unpacking organized and less chaotic. Try to pack with the new place in mind and what room you will want those items to be in.

If your movers are planning to put everything in one area and not disperse boxes to different rooms, it may still be helpful to use the inventory code tip to know which boxes go where and what is in each one or at least in a few important ones for when you unpack them.

Pack the essential items last when you no longer need to use them and remember to pack an overnight bag and “open first” box with your essentials for the first couple days.

CLEAN

Now it’s time to scrub your old place from top to bottom! Keep in mind any repairs that may need to be done before the last few days of packing. Some repairs and cleaning take a lot of time so make a list of all of it and check them off as they can be done. See my checklist for daily and deep cleaning ideas to help you track all the areas to clean. You can use this to clean your new home, too!

 
THANK YOU GIFTS

Giving your movers and helpers a small gift can be a thoughtful way to thank them for their help. Paying for their lunch or snacks is always an acceptable way to thank people who have helped you move, but if you want to go a step further (and if you are like me and love giving gifts), you may enjoy putting together a small thank you gift with ideas of items below. You can wrap these in a mini-paper gift bag or use mini-cardboard boxes made to look like little moving boxes. You can even write “thank you” or their name in Sharpie marker on the sides!

Mini thank you gift ideas:

• Chapstick

• Small hand sanitizer or hand sanitizer sprays

• Cookies

• Chocolates

• $5 gift cards to fast food or coffee shops

• Cute hair ties or scrunchies

• Handkerchief

• Hand or feet mini lotion

• Key chain wristlet

• Color pencils, stickers, and coloring books for kids if they are coming to help.

• Polaroid pictures from moving day with friends or family

I know you will be successful in packing your things to move and I hope these tips and ideas will help you through this challenge. Congratulations on making a big change and I hope you find joy in your new home!

You can find more blogs and checklists about organizing, cleaning, decluttering, and minimalism on my website: nicolebruceconsulting.com.

Nicole Bruce

Utilities & Home Info Form