Moving is often considered one of life’s most stressful events, but so much of that stress is actually unnecessary. Often, we don’t take steps, or we just aren’t as organized as we should be when it comes to moving. Fortunately, Storage on Wheels is here to help. We’ve got tips and tools that you can use to make your move go smoothly. Our portable storage units are available for rent and can be delivered to your home, making your move convenient and easy.
You can take a number of steps to make your move less stressful for yourself, your friends, and family. However, it will require you to take some time to plan and choose the best moving options for your needs. Storage on Wheels has got you covered with a few tips that will help make your move as stress-free as possible.
How to Prepare for the Move
Host a yard sale
Before you begin packing up your belongings for the move, hold a yard sale or donate items to a local thrift store. This initial step will help you organize and go through all of the stuff you already have, so you can become familiar with what you’re actually bringing with you on your move. Getting rid of excess junk will give you less to worry about when it comes to packing up and transporting your belongings.
Stay organized
Organization is one of the keys to a stress-free move. Once you’ve already purged your closets of unnecessary items, it should be easier to collect and categorize your things once you start packing. Label each box with clear writing on multiple sides. You can also use different color tape to help stay organized by associating each room or category of items with a specific color of packing tape.
Remove obstacles
Before you start moving, make sure items such as rugs, potted plants, and low hanging fixtures are out of the way. Having clear pathways to doors will help you avoid accidents during the move and can go a long way to significantly alleviating moving related stress.
Keep essential items handy
Since you may not be able to unpack all of your items upon arriving at your new home, it’s a good idea to keep things you know you will need handy. This includes:
- Toiletries and skin care
- Extra clothing
- Electronics such as laptops
- Important paperwork/documents
Utilize storage units
Some objects are essential, but may not fit with you during the transitional period between moves. Many people live in short-term housing situations during moves before they can settle into their permanent home. In this case, it’s smart to utilize storage units and containers so that you can keep all your possessions safe and neatly packed away.
If you have larger objects such as furniture, you can arrange to have portable storage containers brought to you while you move out so you don’t have to worry about transporting large items to a storage facility.
How to Pack Your Items Efficiently
Once you’ve prepared and organized everything for your move, it’s time to finally start packing! For many, this is actually the most stressful and exhausting part. Here are some easy tips to make sure you don’t get overwhelmed.
Don’t procrastinate
Packing doesn’t have to wait until the last minute before it’s time to move. It’s a good idea to get started on this well in advance. You can start by packing up all the things you don’t need to use every day. If your move is scheduled within the next couple of months in the middle of summer, go ahead and pack up all your winter clothes. This will make your closet much more manageable to pack closer to your move date with those bulky winter clothes already packed up and ready to go.
Stock up on packing supplies
Always make sure you have enough boxes, packing tape, and wrapping materials on hand for everyone helping you to pack. The last thing you want to do is have your friends over helping you pack and run out of supplies. When it comes to choosing the right packing boxes, size does matter. It’s a good idea to have a variety of different size boxes on hand so that you can avoid putting heavy items in large, bulky boxes.
Keep track of tiny parts
If you’re going to need to disassemble a piece of furniture before your move, a good tip is to place all the parts, such as screws, hinges, or other pieces in a clearly labeled plastic bag. You can keep all of these extra parts in their own box, or simply tape the bag of parts to the furniture it belongs to.
Pack strategically
Don’t pack randomly! An excellent moving strategy is trying to pack each room together. This will make unpacking your room after the move go much more smoothly. It will also be a lot easier to find something if you need it after it has been packed. Packing things into random boxes the same day you move will elongate the process and cause unnecessary stress.
Don’t Move All by Yourself
Moving everything by yourself can be very difficult, strenuous, and time-consuming. It should never be attempted with large, heavy furniture. It’s a good idea to ask friends to help you move or hire a professional moving company.
Storage on Wheels offers portable storage units for rent that can be delivered to you and once it’s full, we’ll transport it to your new location.
