For some, moving can be a horror! If you’ve ever moved before then I’m not telling you anything new. The key to a low stress and relatively easy move is to plan as far in advance as possible. In a previous article we discussed the grand “changing of the address” ritual, and where a good source of boxes can be located. Now we continue on with the “planning and packing ahead” method of reducing the stress of moving.
The time before the actual moving day and while you are packing, presents the perfect opportunity to “clean house”. Yes, of course, you will want to literally clean the house or apartment after you are packed up, but in this case, I mean “clean house” in the sense of getting rid of the useless stuff you have accumulated over the years.
We are all guilty of holding on to that ugly set of dishes that are stored in the back of the cabinets, the old clothes that don’t fit or should be burned in the name of decency, and the odds and ends we hold on to “just in case” we need it again one day. Moving is the perfect excuse to rid yourself of the extra baggage. Give the stuff you don’t want or need anymore to charity (some even offer free pick up! Now you have no excuse) or throw away the stuff that isn’t usable or is broken.
Without all the clutter you will have less to pack and unpack, plus now you may even save money by renting a smaller moving truck.
Pack a little each day to save time and stress. Start with the things you don’t use regularly. For example, I will pack away all of the cookbooks, the books, DVD’s, and video games that are collecting dust. I use the crock-pot a lot, so that stays, but the pots and pans I only use for special occasions can be packed away, as can a good portion of my wardrobe. A week’s worth of work clothes and leisure clothes stay while the rest gets packed away. The pictures on the walls can be packed away far in advance, as can decorations around the house.
Creative packing is a must, as far as I am concerned. I always like to do things as inexpensively as possible, so buying packing supplies makes me cringe. Instead of buying bubble-wrap I will pack my fragile and delicate items in towels and blankets. Next the towels are packed and the breakable items are cushioned. Moving companies will sell or rent moving blankets for your furniture, but your closet is full of blankets that are rent-free. Toiletries, however, get special treatment. Things like lotions, hair care products, and perfumes all get sealable plastic bags (ziplock, for example). There is nothing as horrific as opening a box to find that one or more bottles have lost their tops and now every item in the box is covered in baby oil, for example. Keeping such items safely zipped away in disposable bags makes a leak or faulty top a minor pain in the rump.
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