Moving Secrets From the Pros

The average American packs up and relocates 11 times during their lifetime — which is way above the international average and increasing every year. Call it dissatisfaction with current décor; call it relocating for work or to be closer (or farther) from family; the reasons for moving are myriad, and they usually aren’t easy to avoid.

If you are about to embark on a move, you might not be looking forward to the packing, transferring services and heavy lifting. However, because you have only moved a handful of times, you are probably moving terribly inefficiently, which could be the cause of your distaste for the chore. Meanwhile, professional movers pack up and move several times per week, so they have all sorts of tips and tricks for doing it safer and quicker than you could dream.

Moving companies in big cities like Dallas are more than willing to help struggling laypeople with their moving woes. Without further ado, here are the things you never thought about doing during your move — but you should try this time around.

Take Pictures of Your Rooms

Oftentimes, movers will take quick pics of their client’s rooms to help them put the furniture in the right place when the unload the truck. You can expand on this idea by taking pictures of the insides of your cupboards and drawers. This will make unpacking and organizing much smoother because you won’t have to devise a new system or struggle to recall the old one.

Take Pictures of Your Tech

Additionally, you should take pictures of all the wires connected to all your tech devices. Though more things are wireless these days, you’ll want the few wires you do need to hook up to go incorrectly the first time.

Invest Heavily in Plastic Wrap

Cling film, plastic wrap — whatever you want to call it, you need a bunch of it to move. Movers prefer to wrap cling film around bins of toys, trays of silverware and other small, fiddly items instead of packing everything individually. This saves you time packing (and unpacking) and allows you to see what’s inside each bundle.

Wrap the Big Things, Too

You can also wrap up armoires, dressers and other large pieces of furniture that that drawers and doors that could swing open and shed their contents. Then, you don’t have to shove all that stuff in boxes just to shove it back in the furniture later. It’s also a good idea to wrap up delicate furniture legs with cling film, newspaper or bubble wrap to prevent them from scrapes and chips. Finally, movers advocate wrapping your mattress in something, either a couple fitted sheets or a mattress bag, to keep it from gathering dirt during the trip.

Pack a Vacation Suitcase

Moving is stressful, but it’s much worse when you have to spend a few days living in the same clothes without any toiletries. Thus, at the beginning of your move, you should assemble a suitcase full of necessities — all the stuff you would need if you went on vacation for a few days. Then, when the rest of your life is in boxes, you can rely on the stuff in your suitcase to survive.

Get All Sizes of Boxes

You might think that bigger boxes are always better — because they cut down on the packages you need to move — but you’d be wrong. You simply can’t carry a 28-inch-cubed box full of books; it will be way too heavy. As a result, you’ll need boxes of all sizes to suit different needs. Heavier and more delicate items should go in smaller boxes, while lighter and more bulky items should go in something bigger.

Make Handles Where There Are None

Only the more expensive boxes come with handles pre-cut. If you want to cut costs but enjoy the convenience of box handles, you can simply cut your own. Movers often slice a triangle out of boxes to give themselves something to grip, and you can do the same with a box cutter.

Devise a Color Code

It’s one thing to write “BEDROOM” in block letters on your boxes; it’s another level to color-code your boxes so you (and your movers) know exactly where the contents need to go. You can use stickers, washi tape or colored markers to tell you what category of item is contained in each box, so unpacking will be a snap.

Keep Tools Handy

Unless you are paying for a top-tier moving service (replete with furniture assembly and tech installation) you’ll need your tools when you first move into your new place. You should keep essential equipment, like hammers and screwdrivers, with your vacation suitcase, so you know where to reach for tools as you need them.

Using movers is a smart (and not totally unaffordable) way to make life easier during a move. However, regardless of whether you use movers or not, you should use their best tips to take the stress out of moving.

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