I wanted to highlight some of the great responses I got from other people who’ve been there, done that and survived. Here are 10 of the best:
10. Start packing as early as possible, even if it’s just a couple of boxes a night. The instinct with me was to always set aside a weekend to do it at once, but that *always* kept me from having time to go through and get rid of things I didn’t actually need, leading to clutter in the new place. (Bob)
9. Get a moving truck one size larger than you think you’ll need, and confirm it compulsively in the 2 days leading up to your move. (Greg)
8. Separate your belongings into those things you know you’ll need immediately (dishes, shower curtain, bed linens) from items you can leave unpacked for some time (tschotkes, memorabilia, and decorative items as well as unseasonal clothing). Inevitably, the latter will remain boxed for some time, giving you space to evaluate whether you truly need them. Be sure to box necessities first — the exhaustion of moving is a great motivator to get rid of things that you “just can’t part with.” (Danby)
7. Start stashing a little cash for all those “incidentals” a new place always seems to need — cleaning supplies, a stock of toilet paper, a new shower curtain — the boring stuff that seems to cost more than you expect, and the stuff you want to use up now, so you’ll need then. (Dorothy)
6. In the spirit of Simpler Living, if you didn’t use something in your current home, you won’t use it in the next. Don’t bother packing it. (Zenzele)
5. Remove all unnecessary furniture (the kitchen table was tough to part with). We have donated or Freecycled almost all of our furniture and have gone to pillows (Afghan style). Pillows are so much easier to move and adapt to new spaces.
The only drawback is when we have older folks like our parents over. Their old knees have a lack of flexibility, and they can’t get down that low. We still have a chair, and a foot stool which serves to aid any visitor with poor flexibility. In the kitchen, we use a storage bench as a pantry and put pillows on top to make a reading nook couch. We typically eat sitting on the pillows with our plates on a large coffee table.
(Loganenator and the Rowdy Kitten, a tiny-house and simplicity blogger)
4. If you’re going to ask family and friends to help, give them as much notice as possible. Yes, they’ll probably do it for you, but they at least deserve the courtesy of knowing ahead of time when you’ll need them, so they can keep things clear. And if you go that route, a “move party” complete with food once you’re done is always a good idea. (Bob)
3. Resign yourself to moving some things that you will later give away, as well as to the fact that the box of paper clips you tossed on moving day will come back to haunt you when you least expect it. (Danby)
2. If you’re lucky, you’ll have overlapping dates of possession. The last time I moved (in November), I did, and it made moving a lot easier.
I started with my kitchen, packing the things I knew I used daily and would need. Knives, plates, utensils, mugs, etc. I took all of those things over to the new apartment and immediately put them away in their new space. This allowed me to evaluate my space and organization options, and then make the decision on the less-used items in my kitchen.
I ended up giving away or getting rid of about 1/3 of my kitchen items — many things that had been sitting in boxes since moving into that apartment 2 years prior. Rinse and repeat for each room of the house. (Kelly)
And my personal favorite:
1. Never let anyone else pack your things. (Greg)
I’ll do a separate post on how to get free or cheap moving boxes since I got several tips on those.
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