Moving tips: 5 tricks to move faster, cheaper and with less stress

It is not the first time that in all around moving we offer moving advice. There are a series of basic general premises that must be taken into account before, during and after a home transfer that will make this momentous change a little more bearable, and which we discuss, for example, in this post . However, there are many other perhaps more overlooked tricks that are likely to make the difference between a successful move and a cumbersome (and expensive) trance.

We’ve collected 10 of these tricks that we often wish we knew sooner rather than when it’s too late. It may not be for you.

1. Get rid of everything you don’t need

Yes, it is advice that may seem obvious, but it is essential to repeat to ourselves that we really need very few things that we have and especially if we are going to use a moving company to facilitate the transfer, how many the more things we move, the more expensive the move will be.

In fact, a move can be exciting a priori, especially if we move for the better, but as we see how many things we have to pack and move, we get demoralized. So let’s take it with philosophy: who has not ever thought that if I moved or did cleaning I would be left with just this? Now is the time to put it into practice. Let’s take the opportunity to throw away, return to their owners, sell and / or donate everything that we do not use and keep only what will make our lives comfortable and happy in the new address .

2. Pack your belongings wisely

Take inventory of all the belongings to be transferred

It is one of those things that can be terribly lazy, but look at it this way: an inventory is the only way to quickly find things that once you have moved will make you even more lazy to search box by box. In addition, if a box is lost, you will know exactly what it was and what it contained, and if you hire a international moving company in New York, you will be able to better specify your claim.

Number and label the boxes according to inventory

Each box must have a number (which must appear in the inventory with all the things that we put inside) that we will put on an adhesive label on all sides of the box, so that we can see it as it is placed.

Use different colors for the boxes in each room

One way to enhance good sorting for more efficient transfer and unpacking is to use labels and / or duct tape of different colors depending on the room they come from.

It is better to have as reference in the labeling the room of origin instead of the room of destination, since perhaps at the last moment we decide that things from one place, after the transfer, will go to another, and where we mentally place our things always It is where they have been until now.

Don’t overload each box

A very common mistake in moving is trying to reduce the number of boxes by filling them more. Not only will it not save us money if we contract the move to an external company, since they not only value based on the number of boxes but also on their volumetric weight (weight distributed in measures), but it will make the transfer more difficult, by requiring more effort and there is the danger that the box will break.

Take advantage of large containers that you have

If you have suitcases, baskets, storage boxes, etc., that are part of the belongings to be transferred, take advantage of them to fill them with things (and include them in the inventory).

For the rest, there is no better investment than to make good specific cardboard boxes for removals, the right size for each content (the largest are ideal for clothes – there are even boxes with a wardrobe bar to be able to transport the clothes). clothes without having to fold and store and unfold them again, which is what requires us more time and which is an extra cost if we contract the removal to third parties-, and the smaller ones for heavier objects, since they allow us to handle them better). As we have said, if we opt for boxes that are not suitable or that are not of sufficient quality, they can break or make the transfer more complicated.

Use your ingenuity to pack delicate things

We can use cotton inside our cosmetic powders and close them with adhesive tape so that they do not break, place plastic wrap on the nose of bottles that can leak, put glasses and glasses inside socks and dishes inside clothes such as sweaters to complement the action of the Bubble wrap (or save it) and make the foam filling of the boxes even more padding, put the clothes that are transported from a closet rack in a garbage bag to the hanger to keep them together and unpack them better, etc.

3. Clean the new address before moving in

It is another of the things that can give infinite laziness, but there is nothing worse when arriving at the new address after a move than to start cleaning, knowing that then we must unpack and assemble everything again. The ideal is to go to the new address days before the transfer and clean everything, especially the bathroom and kitchen, which is what we will need first. If we have everything impeccable when we arrive with our belongings and we do not have to start cleaning when we arrive, it is a good idea to give ourselves the rest of the day (or the next day) free, since we will have reached a good amount of stress for a day, even if we have used a moving company.

4. Leave the little ones and / or your pets with someone on moving day

One of the tips for moving that we have insisted on other occasions is to try not to subject children and pets to more stress than necessary . We must try to avoid them being present during the hustle and bustle of the previous days and on the same day. If we can, the ideal is to leave them with someone we trust or a babysitter / caregiver. If not, we may be able to assign someone in the family to watch out for them during that time. We must have the veterinarian’s phone number at hand in case of pets, since we cannot rule out that he is unwell during the transfer, and of course, he should never go in the moving truck, not even in a carrier , we must be at his side, as we explain in this post. In the case of children, one of the keys to helping them cope with a move (which we discuss in this post ) is to maintain good communication with them.

5. Separate and have the necessary belongings ready for the first day

It is important to insist that on the day of the transfer we will rarely be in the mood to clean or to start looking through the boxes for what we need on the first day. That is why it is very useful to have a handbag ready with a change of clothes, hygiene items, a computer and other essential elements of our day to day life. In addition, it will be very practical to have on hand in a transparent box to easily locate other objects that you will need immediately, such as a cutter to cut packing tape when unpacking boxes, paper towels and toilet paper, garbage bags, dishes and basic cutlery to eat, basic kitchen utensils (a frying pan, tongs, a kitchen knife, etc.), sockets, mobile chargers, basic tools (screwdriver, hammer …) etc.

You should also think about consuming what you have in the fridge weeks before the move, and not making a large purchase after 15 days before, so you will not have to transport food (milk cartons, coffee cans, oil bottles, etc. , that we can have stored) or throw anything away. In addition, the refrigerator must be defrosted so that it can be transported one or two days before the transfer, as well as properly sealed and protected as explained in this post.

Facilitate the transfer

In general, the more we make life easier for ourselves, the less stressful moving will become. Hiring a specialized company will help us in this, since our friends and family cannot always adapt to the hours that a move requires and then we know that one day we will have to reciprocate, and there are transfers that are complex (no elevator, long distance , etc.). We can drastically reduce the cost of professional moving companiesif we follow the advice in this post and other previous ones and collaborate in the disassembly, packaging and unpacking, and only contract the transfer. It is an investment that will allow us to focus on the positives of such a change.

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