30 Moving & packing hacks that will make any move a lot less stressful

If you’re moving an entire house or apartment, you do not want to leave things until the last minute or the day before. Moving can seem overwhelming, so creating a schedule will make the process seem a lot more doable. Pick a day for when you want to clean out your closets, deep clean the fridge, and all the other miscellaneous moving tasks you’ll have to tackle.

Moving and packing is definitely an overwhelming process, so it’s understandable if you want to hire some movers or cleaning professionals to give your new place a deep clean. Create a budget to see what money can be allocated towards moving professionals and what things you need to do yourself.

Local retailers and businesses get a lot of shipments, so chances are they’ll have some boxes to spare. You’ll be needing many boxes to pack your entire old place into, so why not save a few bucks by getting them for free? Just make sure to buy some good packing tape to make your boxes sturdier.

Chances are you’ll have to transfer some liquids, like dishwashing soap, detergent, and bathroom cleaners. Throwing all those things out would just be a huge waste of money, so just take them with you to the new place. To ensure they don’t ruin the other stuff you’ve packed, make sure you pack the liquids in a separate bin. That way if they do spill, you won’t damage something–like your favorite shirt–and the cleanup will be a lot easier.

You don’t want a smelly start to life at your new home. That’s why it’s best to give your fridge some time to defrost before you move. To avoid rotten smells, make sure you clean out your fridge so that you’re moving it out empty. Don’t go grocery shopping too close to your moving date and try to eat up all perishables before it’s time to move. If not, you can try to donate them

Moving is all about taking advantage of your space as best you can. If you’re a cooking person, your pots may take up a lot of space, so why not stuff them with other things you need to move. You can use your pots to move your other kitchen items, like spices, forks, and spoons, or small household items.

If you still have the box the TV came in, the best way to keep it safe is to pack it into there with Styrofoam or pillows and blankets. If you don’t have the box, don’t worry, just make sure you wrap your TV in comforters and pillows, then tape it up. Though it may seem like a nuisance, it’ll be a greater pain to have to buy a new television in the future, if you crack the screen of your current one.

Call your utility companies to cancel or transfer your service and remember to provide a forwarding address to the Post Office or directly to any subscriptions you have. If you do this early on, it’ll be one last thing you have to worry once you’re settled in your new home.

Forget newspaper. You already have to move your clothes to the new home, so why not put the items to use. For example, you can stuff your wine and drinking glasses into clean socks to give them a little bit of a cushion. This is definitely one way to make the most of your space while protecting your cherished glassware.

Instead of packing the clothes in your closet into boxes, just move them while they’re still on the hanger. Group your clothes together and place them into trash bags. Cut a hole at the bottom of each trash bag to put the hanger handles through. It’s a lot easier to move your clothes around this way, instead of carrying heavy boxes.

You don’t have to empty out your dresser drawers before moving them. It’s probably easier not to. To keep the clothes or other contents secure and in place, just wrap each drawer in plastic. If the dresser is small enough to move with the drawers inside, then just wrap the whole chest of drawers in plastic.

If you’re reorganizing your drawers before moving, roll your clothes and put them in the drawers, rather than folding them. This creates less clutter and more space for your drawer to hold more than it originally did. Once your drawers are stuffed full, you can wrap them in plastic.

Keep your jewelry and trinkets from becoming tangled by storing them in egg cartons. To keep the items from spilling out and getting lost, make sure you tape the egg carton shut. If you own a jewelry organizer, you can secure your items by wrapping the organizer in plastic.

During the moving process, it’s easy to lose track of important documents like your passport, tax documents, or other important papers. To avoid that, keep your documents in a labeled accordion folder and keep track of what box you pack the folder in. Keep the documents you’ll need readily available, like your ID or driver’s license, with you.

Moving provides the perfect opportunity to cleanse your stuff of things you no longer use or want. As you pack, create bags for items that can be donated to local shelters or organizations. It’s easy to forget to run these errands on moving day, so make a plan to have them picked up or dropped off before moving day. It’ll be one less thing you have to worry about later.

Chances are you won’t have the same set up in your new home, but you still might want to use the same carpet. If you want to remove those dents before packing the carpet, place ice cubes on the dents and let them melt. Once the ice has melted, you can fluff the fibers with a fork or toothbrush.

Since you’ll be moving your suitcases anyway, put them to good use. Pack heavy things, like books, frames, or printers, into suitcases with wheels. They’ll be a lot easier to move around once it’s time to pack up and go. Just be wary of how much weight the suitcase can hold, so you don’t wear out the wheels.

You can further prevent spills by completely taping the lids of items like shampoo and body wash, as well as cleaning items, like multipurpose cleaners. Another way to prevent spills is unscrewing the lid and putting plastic wrap over the opening before putting the lid back on. Securing all liquids will prevent damage to other things you’ve packed.

The extra cushion will prevent the sharp ends from causing any serious injury, but still protect your kitchen utensils from damage. Make sure you secure your knives and other tools by tying the mitts with a rubber band, once you’ve inserted the sharp items. Once moving day comes, place the mitts in a safe place that children can’t get to.

You should make sure you pad your mirrors with items like Styrofoam or pillows. But you should also put masking tape over your mirror's surface in the shape of an X. This will absorb some of the shock if your mirror is accidentally hit with something. If the mirror does break, the tape will prevent it from completely shattering by keeping the pieces in place.

This will help you solve problems before they arise. You want to make sure furniture can fit through the doorway, that there is enough space for it in your new home or or whether you’ll have to break down the dining set before moving it. If there’s no way an item will fit in your new place, sadly that means you might have to get rid of it.

A lockbox or safe is a good thing to have in any household, but it’s extremely handy to have when you’re moving because it’s an easy way to keep track of where your valuables are. It also provides an extra layer of protection if you’re entrusting your things to moving professionals. However, it's best to keep your most valuable items with you at all times when moving.

Then, label that bag and tape it to the furniture itself or place it in a bin with all the other labeled plastic bags of screws from other furniture. This is an easy way to prevent essential screws from going missing. Once you’re in your new home, you don’t want to stop in the middle of assembling your bed frame, dining set, or entertainment center because you have to run to the hardware store to find some screws.

There’s always a chance you might hurt yourself in the process of moving, even if it’s a small cut or scrape. If you suddenly find yourself bleeding and in need of a bandage, you can turn to your first aid box, instead of trying to handle it with water and toilet paper. For more serious injuries, always go to the doctor.

You know how frustrating it is to have to call a professional to come set up your electronics because you just can’t seem to figure it out? Avoid the stress by labeling your wires and taking pictures of the setup before you move. That way when it comes to setting up your entertainment system, desktop computer or other heavily wired object, you’ll have a guide to help you through the process.

If you have to take pictures of the boxes to jog your memory while you’re unpacking, do that, too. Make a note of what each color corresponds to. That way it will be a lot easier to track something down without literally opening every box, once you’ve moved your boxes into your new home.

Chances are you probably won’t be able to unpack all your boxes as soon as you move, or on that first day. So, it’s best to put the things you’ll need right away, like soap, towels, and bed sheets, into transparent bins or cases. That way you’ll know where to find them without making a huge mess.

Moving day can get stressful and strenuous. Pack some water and snacks into the car or a backpack to keep yourselves hydrated and not hungry if you can’t get some food right away. This can also help minimize extra trips to the store or calls for food delivery. Plus, your kids will probably also appreciate having some tasty snacks on hand.

Finally moving into your new home is a great feeling, so you don’t want to be overcome with dread once you get there. If possible, clean your new home while it’s still empty. You don’t want to deal with having to move your boxes around to get those dusty spots in the corner. You also want to settle your things into a clean space and have a true fresh start.

One thing that can make the process of moving seem really overwhelming is clutter. To avoid it once you start unpacking, get rid of boxes once you empty out all its contents. It’s also best to move each box to the room its contents belong in before unpacking it. That way, you avoid extra trips carrying stuff from room to room. You can see how much closer you are to being done unpacking, as you empty your boxes out and get rid of them.

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