Jeff and I are so excited about moving to Santa Barbara next month! For me, once I begin the packing process the move really starts to feel real. This week we’re pulling out all the boxes and beginning to organize our home. I have so many tips on how I handle this feat that I thought I’d share my top 5 with you today! A few of the tips come from my good friends, some from my own experience and a couple of tips that I’ve just discovered and looking forward to trying.. I’ll definitely let you know what I think! Moving can be such a stressful event so I hope these moving tips and tricks help make life easier for you and your family. If you have any advice or other tips please share in the comments below!
Tip 1: Get Your Supplies Delivered
The first thing I did to prepare our move is to order my supplies. I ran around the house and made a list of necessary items so I’d know what I need. This week I’ve been very busy so I ordered everything online through Walmart+ and had it all delivered from my local store. I love this benefit, it makes life so much easier. If you spend more than $35 you get free delivery, some restrictions apply. I use this benefit all the time for weeknight dinners when we need ingredients last minute and it’s always fast and affordable. You can even order dresses and shoes through Walmart+ which is perfect for last minute events. I’ve used this many times. To join, click here, this benefit is a life saver if you have a busy lifestyle!
When I look at ordering boxes I make sure to order a good amount and most are medium in size. It’s so easy to overstuff the larger size boxes which makes them too heavy to move. Not good for Jeff or the movers! For the larger boxes I try to save those for lightweight items like linens, pillows and clothes. It’s better to have more manageable boxes than a few you can’t pick up. I linked everything on my shopping list at the end of this post.
Tip 2: Make a Plan
Instead of packing up room by room based on my current house I like to instead think about the rooms in our next home and where I want everything to go there. Our next house has the same number of bedrooms so it will be a simple transition. In our past moves we have downsized from 4 rooms worth of items to consolidate into 2 bedrooms and 1 office. It was a daunting task that would have been much easier had we thought of this tip prior to packing.
Tip 3: Use Furniture Sliders
Moving large furniture can be hard work, but placement is so important. Instead of lifting and shuffling pieces around I like to use furniture sliders. I linked an affordable option here. Walmart offers sets for carpet, hardwood, different size feet, and stick-on options. An added bonus of using sliders is that they protect your flooring as well. You can get free shipping from Walmart.com with no order minimum on all these items with Walmart+! (Excludes freight & Marketplace items)
Tip 4: Call Your Movers
We always do our homework when we hire anyone. It’s important to me to find a mover that offers white glove services to help box or crate the larger items. We are packing most items ourselves but we are still using a moving company to take extra care with some of the larger items. When shopping around for movers ask if you can leave packed boxes in each room rather than moving them yourself. This is so helpful if you have a multi-level home. You should also ask if they will break down your bed frame and put it back together in the new home for you. If you are moving appliances (we aren’t) they can also connect you to an expert they trust to disconnect those items and prepare them for transport. You can find more questions to ask your movers here.
If you’re not using movers you’ll be doing a lot of lifting yourself. I would consider renting a dolly or cart from your local hardware store. It’s so much cheaper than buying a dolly (you may never use again) out right and keeps you from hurting your back.
Tip 5: Leave Your Clothes on the Hanger
There is no need to take your hanging clothes off of their hangers to place them into boxes. Instead, you can use a large trash bag as garment bags for multiple pieces of clothing. For this trick you need to rubber band the hangers together, make a 4 inch hole in the middle of the bottom of the bag and pop the tops of the hangers through that hole, then use the drawstrings to secure the clothes until it’s time to move (if that seemed confusing heres a video.) This trick is new to me but I’m excited to try it because I bet it will save us so much time! Have you tried this hack? I hope it’s as easy as everyone says!
Check out my Walmart+ moving essentials below
Check out our new home in Santa Barbara here.
Do you have moving tips and tricks to share? Let me know if the comments!
This post is sponsored by Walmart+.
The hanging clothes/trash bag hack is a great one; however, works even better if you flip the trash bag around! There is no need to poke any holes, simply pull the trash bag up from the bottom of the hanging clothes, and use the drawstrings to tie around the tops of the hangars – no need for holes or rubber bands when doing it this way. The clothes stay secure in the bag because they can’t fall out of the bottom.
Genius!! Love it Jennifer.. Thank you!
We have moved a few times in the past five years. I always found it helpful to go through each room first and clean out drawers, closets, etc and donate, throw away items no longer needed, and sometimes pack things I know we won’t be using such as winter clothes and jackets, serving pieces to my dinnerware, etc. When it comes time to actually move, I can just focus on packing.
These are great tips! I moved about 4 years ago. I lived in a condo that had the living space up 17 steps (inside).
1) I first cleaned out my garage getting rid of anything I could
2) I put extra furniture in storage so the home would show better
3) I packed one room at a time so unpacking was more organized. I used color coded labels as well
4) I packed a “move day” box that had TP, paper towels, charging cables, dog food & dish, paper cups etc that I’d need immediate access to at my new destination
5) once a box was loaded/taped I would move it to the garage. I’m too old to lift so I would slide the boxes down the steps. Larger boxes I organized upstairs for movers to handle,
6) I made arrangements w/a neighbor to borrow their vacuum & mop after the movers left
7) I packed my car the day before the movers arrived.
8) I left a binder of information for the new owner on the kitchen counter: appliance info, nearby restaurants, HOA info, a handyman recommendation.
9) movers will pack/take anything they see. If you do not want something packed set the items aside with a large sign “Do Not Pack!”
10) my movers stopped by my storage unit on their way out of town & loaded up the rest of my stuff.
Best wishes on your move
Weβve moved 9 times in 17 years, so clearing the duplicates and clutter before you take inventory is important. Taking photos of your prize possessions, keep medications, personal papers, vet records etc separate. Having had movers lose and damage so much, additional insurance is worth it too. Oh and empty trash cans and rubbish too and if you have pets, especially cats, Boarding is safer while movers are there. Trash and cats have been boxed up, belonging to families we know.
Great tips Kristy- especially using the garbage bags for clothes!
Love your moving ideas! Im so excited to see what you do to your new home. Good luck with your move.
We have moved so many times, I have lost count. Twice we lost a box labeled βBARβ. :(
Don’t take time to rubber band your hangers. Open trash bag and come up-from bottoms of clothes. Tie trash bag drawstrings at top where hangers are.
I have usedthis method many times.
Thanks Bonnie!