10+1 Tips for Moving

This is the first blog post from my new house in my new office looking out my new window at my new neighbors! I am so excited to finally be here!

Quick side note---next week (Friday, July 12) I will be hosting my first GIVEAWAY! Be sure to come back and check it out!

Back to my new house and tips for a successful move!

On one hand, 89 days to build a house is super crazy fast and there is so many details to take care of...on the other hand it seemed like the day we got the keys would never come!

BUT IT DID! HERE THEY ARE!

Although we weren't scheduled to move in for two more days, we grabbed an air mattress, laptop, movie, and our PJ's and had a slumber party in the new house! (all 6 of these items actually came as a date-night gift package from one of my bridal showers last year. This was the perfect time for it!)

 

Having a sleepover is not necessarily a moving tip, but a fun recommendation. It was exciting to spend the first night in our new house and also turn it into a creative date. Grabbing the wrong air pump also helped make this night memorable.

We took turns to keep from passing out.

We spent the next day working on our final packing and arranging some details to help have a successful moving day! And now, here are the tips I give to you:

Moving Tip #1--check the weather

Depending on schedules, you may not be able to change your moving day if the weather is looking disagreeable. Don't worry about it, just be prepared. If there is a chance of rain, make sure you have some tarps to cover stuff that will be in a trailer or bed of a pickup truck. Provide beverages for your helpers to either cool them off or warm them up depending on your weather.

Moving Tip #2--recruit family and friends, vehicles

If you are moving across the state or country, this tip may not apply to you. If you are moving within the same city/county this is very helpful and can save money. My family lives close by and we have several wonderful and willing friends who all volunteered to come help! And bonus that most of them own a truck and some, a trailer. With 1 car, 4 trucks and 2 trailers, we made the move in 2 trips. It was a fun day with laughs and we got so much accomplished.

Moving Tip #3--have helpful equipment
Most people think to have a dolly, which is a good start. If you can, it's helpful to have furniture dollies (they are a little more substantial) and furniture rollers (small platform on 4 wheels). My dad brought these awesome furniture straps! You can find them at Home Depot.

 

The guys were very glad to have these because without them there is no way  a very small chance the pool table would have made it into the basement.

The straps in action.

Moving Tip #4--give a tour
For your friends and family, this may be the first time they see your new house. They are excited for you and want to see it. Giving a tour is also very helpful because then everyone knows which room to put labeled boxes in and when they ask where a piece of furniture goes and you say "2nd bedroom" they know exactly which one you mean.

Moving Tip #5--go over any important information that your movers/friends should know
I wouldn't necessarily call these "rules", but more-so "guidelines. Anything that is important to you, you should convey before anything starts. This will help with a smooth move because everyone will be on the page and you won't have to repeat yourself all day and sound like control freak. We just gathered everyone real quick to tell them some things. For example, while we have decided to not wear shoes in our new house, we knew that was unrealistic for today so we let everyone know they could keep their shoes on. Following that, we asked them to please not walk in the yard because a) they would then track dirt in the house and b) the baby grass and soil are really soft and they would leave a  2 inch deep footprint. We also let them know that our aggregate rock front porch had not been sealed yet so to be careful on edges so that no rocks popped out. Finally we let them know there was food and water but just asked they not go on the carpet to eat.

Moving Tip #6--have soap, towels, and toilet paper ready at new house
When you are packing, keep some of these items out. Take them over the first time you get your keys so that people can use the bathroom when they need to.

Moving Tip #7--delegate specific tasks
I had my mom work on unpacking/organizing the kitchen. She and I think very much alike (probably because I learned how to do my best thinking from her) so I knew she would put things where I would put things.

(picture taken with my iPhone, so not as sharp as others, sorry)

 Moving Tip #8--provide food
If you are having family and friends help you move, you are obviously saving money on renting a truck or hiring movers. Use (just a small portion) of that money to feed your helpers as a way to say "Thank You". We went to Costco and got pepperoni pizzas (on sale for $5.99 each). 2 pizzas fed our crew of 9 people.

 We also bought a veggie tray ($9.99), pita chips (on sale for $3.27/bag), and strawberries (4lb flat for $6.49). My mom was very kind and made some hummus and cookies as well. Add a pack of bottled water and you are good to go for less than $50.
 
Moving Tip #9--use a large garbage bag to move clothes in your closet
I saw this idea on Pinterest and it worked so well! Definitely a time saver and kept clothes and hangars neat and together.

Leave your clothes on the closet rack. Take a large trash bag (with ties) and put it around about 15-20 hangars of clothes (it depends on the bulkiness of those items to how many will fit). It is best to have clothes about the same length in a bag together. I did have to do some shuffling so that long things and short things were all hanging together on the rack first. Once the bag is around the clothes, cinch the ties and tie them together. If your bundle is too big for the ties to come together and tie then simply knot each tie to keep the bag cinched tight at the top.

Then sort of 'hug' the bag of clothes and lift so that the hangars come off the rod. Now the bag can lay flat on the seat of a car. I was able to stack about 5 of these on the back seat of my car.

 When you arrive at the new house, hug the bag again, and align the hangars so that they all hang on the new rod. Untie the bag (or rip since those ties are pretty much impossible to untie) and ta-da! Your clothes are moved!

Moving Tip #10--Make your bed as soon as you can during the day so that it is all ready for you when you have no energy left and just want to fall into it and sleep.

Bonus Moving Tip #11--have a good attitude
Things may not go completely according to plan but keep the big picture in mind--you have a new house! Be excited, enjoy the day, because as crazy as it may be, you won't get that day again.

Overwhelmed by all the stuff that is piled in the garage and has to be dealt with, but he can't help from smiling because he now has his very own shop!

   

After a long day of work, we are tired but so happy and blessed by all the special people who helped us move in to our new home :)

Be sure to come back next week for my first GIVEAWAY and also check back soon for a photo tour of our new home! (I have to get all the boxes gone before I am willing to post pictures on the internet).

Which tip do you find most helpful? Any others you want to add?

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