5 Tips to Help Make Your Move Go Smoothly

Last week, we moved for the 8th time.... 

In case you're wondering, we've been married for 8 years.

Yeah.  You'd think by the pattern we've established that we love moving or something.  In reality, I LOATHE it.  While we don't plan on moving again for a very long time, my husband and I have become somewhat expert when it comes to packing, moving, and unpacking a house by ourselves.  I've tried everything!  I've read tons of interesting ideas about color coding boxes for certain rooms, but to be honest, that was way too intense for my style and didn't really work for me.  Here are 5 simple, yet fail proof moving tips that have worked wonders for me, and will for you too!...

1. Get Rid of Your Crap!  
The last thing you want is to spend time, energy & resources hauling your trash and junking up your new place right away.  If you have the luxury of starting a month or so before your move, you can methodically go through every room, closet and cupboard.  If not, simply trash stuff as you are packing! If you haven't used something in over a year, toss it or donate it.  You'll be SO glad you did this when you start with a clean slate in your new home.

2. Wrap Dishes in T-shirts, Dish Towels, and Blankets.
Packing paper is so expensive.  Don't waste your money on it!  I didn't learn this until a couple moves ago, and wish I would have figured it out sooner.  Instead of wrapping dishes and fragile items in packing paper, simply wrap them in t-shirts, dish towels, and even blankets!  They are just as protected (maybe even more so) and you kill two birds with one stone!

3. Keep Your Clothes on Hangers 
This is a game changer, guys.  Don't mess with taking every item of clothing off of it's hanger and wasting precious moving boxes, because you'll just have to spend time hanging them all up again!  Instead, look no further than a trusty garbage bag. Stuff your clothes into a garbage bag while they're still hanging in your closet, leaving the hooks out, and then you're good to go.  This makes it super easy to transport everything (you can literally lay them all on top of each other in the back seat of your car), and even easier to hang your clothes up in your new closet in 5 seconds flat.  

via pinterest

4. Fill Up Your Suitcases! 
Don't you dare move empty suitcases to your new place!  Use everything you have to hold your things before you turn to traditional moving boxes.  Fill up all of your suitcases with linens, clothes, towels and clothing.  Best part?  It's super easy to transport because suitcases are on wheels!

5. Rent a Moving Truck, and Hire a Couple of Movers by the Hour
Again, we've learned through time and many experiences how to move on the cheap.  In the beginning, we always forked out a ton of money to hire moving companies.  (I really hated asking friends and family throw out their backs moving our stuff, and I also wanted to make sure my furniture was protected properly!) . The problem is, moving companies are crazy expensive.  By the end of the move, you typically pay at least $400 more than you thought you would.  So, listen carefully- here's the solution.  Instead of hiring a professional moving company, rent a U-Haul.  It's cheap.  About $80 for an entire day.  But, don't stop there!  Hire a couple of guys to help you move by the hour. (We went through U-Haul, but I'm sure other truck companies have this option.)  We paid $60 for two movers per hour.  A steal!  My husband had a co-worker that recently paid $8,000 for a local move, and he felt a little sheepish when she asked how much our move was and he told her that we paid less than $300!  Shop around, and don't get taken advantage of!  

via pinterest

What shortcuts have you found that make moving easier?