Moving can spin your world into a flurry of boxes, misplaced items, and endless tasks, especially if you’re moving overseas. But it doesn’t have to be a headache. With the right strategies and a reliable moving checklist, you can learn how to make moving easier and start enjoying your new home.
Say hello to a smoother transition with 37 simple, practical tips for moving. If you need a place to keep your belongings in the meantime, we’ll help you find a storage unit that meets your needs and your budget.
Plan Ahead
Ease the chaos of moving by laying out a well-structured plan. Here are a few ways you can get started.
1. Set Your Budget
Between packing supplies, moving services, truck rentals, new furniture, and other expenses, moving can be costly. Before you make any arrangements, estimate your moving budget so you know exactly how much you’re willing to spend.
2. Create a Timeline
Start planning as far ahead as possible to minimize stress. Mark key dates for packing, cleaning, and the moving day on your calendar.
3. Make a Moving Checklist
List down every task, big or small, such as:
- Sorting and packing belongings
- Updating addresses
- Renting a truck
- Hiring movers
- Cleaning and final walkthrough
By simplifying your move into a checklist, you’ll organize your priorities and make your move that much easier.
4. Break Down Big Tasks
Take your move one step at a time. Break down each task into doable steps. Rather than trying to pack your entire home in a day, start room-by-room and do a little bit of packing and preparation every day instead of saving it all for the week before you move.
5. Gather Packing and Moving Supplies
Ensure you are well-stocked before you begin packing. Running out of essential packing materials in the middle of a move can be a real pain. Here are a few packing essentials to gather for a moving day supply kit:
- Plenty of boxes in various sizes
- Quality packing tape to secure your belongings
- Bubble wrap or packing paper for protecting fragile items
- A toolbox ready for those unexpected assembly or disassembly moments
- Cleaning supplies like spray disinfectant and paper towels
- Sealable sandwich or gallon-size bags
- Plastic or reusable shopping bags and garbage bags
- Hand cart or dolly
Make Necessary Arrangements
An easy moving experience often comes down to planning the big stuff early. Here’s a quick guide:
6. Decide What Moving Services You Need
Depending on how far you’re moving, how much space you need, and how much help you already have, you may need a small rental truck or a full-service moving company. It’s important to gauge the level of assistance you’ll need before reserving any services to avoid paying for something you won’t use or not having the help you need.
7. Compare Moving Companies and Truck Rentals
Don’t just pick the first moving company or rental truck you find. Research your options, read reviews, and evaluate services to choose the right fit.
If you’re planning to rent a moving truck, take time to determine which size is best for your needs. You can typically find trucks available in the following sizes:
- Pickup truck: Good for small loads
- Cargo van: Can typically transport a single room
- 10’ box truck: Suitable for a studio apartment
- 12’ box truck: Can fit items for 1-2 rooms
- 15’ box truck: Good for a 2-bedroom apartment
- 16’ box truck: Capacity for items from 2-3 rooms
- 20’ box truck: Can transport items from a 2-3 bedroom apartment
- 22’ box truck: Can hold 3-5 rooms worth of items
- 26’ box truck: Large enough to move a 3-4 bedroom home
Compare prices to get the best deal, and check availability for your moving date.
8. Consider Professional Movers
For a seamless experience, professional movers can pack, move, and even unpack for you. While they might be an added expense, their expertise can make for a smoother move.
9. Book Your Services Early
Early planning can make your move easier and give you peace of mind. Reserve your moving truck ahead of time to ensure you have one ready and can avoid last-minute stress. Some companies may need at least 90 days’ notice. The longer you wait, the fewer providers you’ll have to choose from.
10. Contact Utility Companies and Service Providers
Contact your utility companies and service providers to arrange any necessary disconnections or transfers. You want to make sure that when you move into your new place, you’ll have water, heat, cooling, and electricity no matter the time of year. Ensuring trash, recycling, and sewer services are squared away ahead of time can also save you stress and energy.
Ask for Help
Moving is a big task, and it’s okay to ask for an extra pair of hands even if you hire professional movers. Here’s how to do it like a pro:
11. Recruit Your Squad
Whether you’re relocating to a new apartment or buying a house, moving can be overwhelming. Ask friends, family, or neighbors to lend a hand, whether for packing or heavy lifting.
It’s good to remember that they may not agree to help due to scheduling conflicts, physical limitations, or other reasons. If anyone declines, try to be understanding and express your appreciation to those who offer a hand!
12. Arrange Childcare and Pet Care
Moving with young ones or pets? See if someone can help keep them entertained when you’re packing or moving.
The moving process can be stressful for children and pets. Letting them spend time with a loved one or a trusted organization can help keep them calm while also giving you the space to get things done.
13. Keep Everyone Informed
Make sure your helpers know when and where they are needed to avoid last-minute confusion. Create a game plan for moving day to keep everyone organized with specific tasks.
Declutter and Downsize
Before your big move, take some time to assess what is cluttering your space. Knowing what to keep when you move and trimming down unnecessary or unwanted items is one of the most practical tips to make moving and the packing and unpacking experience easier.
14. Sort Your Belongings
Aim for fewer items to pack; it will make your move easier and more manageable. Identify the items that are no longer of use, like outdated appliances or clothes that no longer fit. You can sell, donate, or discard belongings that don’t make the cut.
15. Sell What You Can
You can try to sell items you don’t want to keep but are in good condition. Some examples of items you might want to sell include:
- Clothing you’ve never worn
- Gadgets you don’t use regularly
- Unopened toiletries
- Functioning electronics
- Furniture without wear and tear
- Fine jewelry that’s been collecting dust
Using a resource like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace can help you sell items before a move, but if you’re moving on a tight schedule, you may not have as much flexibility to sell what you want.
16. Make a Donation
Charitable organizations often accept various donations that make them the perfect recipient for items you no longer need or want — as long as they’re in decent condition. Things you can donate include:
- Duplicates of rarely used items
- Ill-fitting clothing or apparel you no longer like
- Gently-used linens
- Supplies from old hobbies
- Books you’ve already read
- Used furniture or small appliances
- Home decor that doesn’t suit your new place
Depending on the organization, you can take your donations to a local charity or arrange a pickup.
17. Toss Anything Unusable
As you start sorting through and packing up your belongings, you’ll likely find some things that just aren’t worth keeping. These include:
- Containers with missing lids
- Expired pantry goods
- Expired toiletries
- Expired cleaning supplies
- Makeup that has changed color or smell
- Appliances with frayed cords
- Stained or ripped bedding
- Broken sports equipment
- Rusty tools
- Damaged holiday decor
- Half-used candles
- Old receipts and tax records (with your accountant’s or lawyer’s approval)
Anything that is expired, rusted, stained, ripped, or outdated may not be worth keeping, selling, or donating. The more unwanted items you can get rid of, the less you’ll have to pack and move, making the whole process easier.
Consider Short-Term Storage
Got more stuff than space in your new home? That’s where self-storage steps in to save the day.
18. Find a Storage Unit
You may not need additional space for your belongings, but if you do, the cost of a storage unit is often worthwhile for peace of mind, convenience, and extra space. Here’s when self-storage might be a good fit:
- You’re downsizing: If your new place is smaller than your current one, a storage unit can hold whatever doesn’t fit until you need it. Maybe you had a garage or shed before and won’t now.
- You need room to breathe: A storage unit allows you to temporarily store items before your move, freeing up space in your home to pack and clean.
- You’re moving far away: You can store belongings in a storage unit until you settle into your new home to free up space and reduce your stress.
- You’re storing sensitive items: Some belongings like artwork, documents, electronics, and delicate fabrics need climate control or other amenities to stay in top shape.
Seek out a self-storage facility near your new home for convenient access. A quick search can lead you to the perfect storage solution for your extra belongings, making your move less of a challenge.
19. Store Belongings With Family or Friends
If you have friends or family with extra storage space, you can ask if they’d be willing to host some of your belongings until you have the space for them.
Packing Tips for Moving
Knowing what to pack first and last is only part of the process. Tackle packing with a systematic approach to transform a mountain of chaos into a castle of well-organized boxes. Here are 10 packing and moving tips to help you get organized.
20. Start Early
Start packing early to avoid unnecessary stress before your move. You don’t need to pack everything in a week, but getting started as soon as you can will set you up for success. While you can try to pack everything in one day, doing so can increase your stress and make your move more challenging.
You can safely pack non-essentials, seasonal items, and anything you don’t use often without worrying about whether you’ll need them before the move. This is also another great opportunity to get rid of anything you don’t want to take with you.
21. Create an Inventory
Create an inventory of your belongings so that it’s clear what’s getting moved and where. This step can help calm your nerves if you suddenly realize you don’t know where something is — if you have a record of it in your inventory, it’s already been packed.
22. Think Outside the Box
Get creative with your packing methods. Not everything has to go in a cardboard box, and using other household items to store and transport your belongings can be convenient and effective. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Branch out from boxes: Suitcases, laundry baskets, and bins hold a surprising amount of stuff. Plus, you’ll save on boxes and make your move a bit easier.
- Leave clothes on hangers: Cut a hole in a garbage bag, stick the curved part of the hanger through, and tie off the end to keep your clothes orderly and make it easy to hang them back up once you move.
- Roll, don’t fold: When packing clothes, rolling them can be a more compact solution than folding.
- Make use of dresser drawers: Don’t empty your drawers; take them out of the dresser and use them to transport clothing and other items during the move.
- Repurpose your linens: You can buy bubble wrap or foam, but you can also use towels, bedding, and other linens to cushion fragile items.
23. Pack One Room at a Time
Focus on one room at a time to keep items that go together in the same box. As you pack more boxes, you can cluster them by room to help streamline the moving process.
24. Strategically Fill Your Boxes
Pack items in the correctly sized moving box. Avoid overfilling boxes with heavy items, but minimize empty space to prevent damage or shifting during the move.
It can be tempting to keep similar items together, but if you’re storing books or other heavy objects, it’s often better to intersperse them with lighter, softer things. Doing so can help prevent the box from breaking and keep movers from hurting themselves.
25. Wrap Fragile, Sharp, and Valuable Items
Whether you’re using a moving company or your friends are lending their strength, moving can be risky, and some items are more likely to break or cause harm than others.
When packing artwork, collectibles, or other fragile and valuable items, wrap them well to prevent damage. Sharp objects like knives should also be wrapped securely for everyone’s safety. It’s also a good idea to cushion electronics like TVs when moving to protect the screens.
You can use a variety of things to wrap and protect your items, such as:
- Towels
- Blankets
- Other linens
- Bubble wrap
- Foam
26. Label Everything
Implement a labeling system, clearly indicating the contents and the destination room for each box. You should also identify boxes containing fragile items and any boxes that are especially heavy to help make the move go smoothly.
27. Keep Items for Storage Separate
Pack your self-storage items separately to make it easier to move them to a storage unit. Clearly label these boxes and keep them separate from the rest of your belongings so you can easily transfer them to storage.
28. Pack an Essentials Bag
Pack a separate suitcase, bag, or box for essential items you’ll need in the days leading up to the move, ensuring easy access while you wrap up packing. These essentials include:
- Toiletries: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and toilet paper are a few examples of items you don’t want to go too long without.
- Medications: Keep prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicine, and a first aid kit in an accessible location.
- Important documents: Set aside IDs, house documents, and contact information for movers or landlords.
- A change of clothes: Make sure you have enough outfits to get you through the move, plus something fresh to wear while unpacking.
- Device chargers: The last thing you want to deal with while moving is a dead battery, so keep these in a safe place.
- Snacks and drinks: Pack water bottles, quick snacks like granola bars, and other non-perishables to tide you over until you unpack your kitchen.
This essentials bag is a crucial part of your packing checklist for moving. It bridges the gap between your arrival and the time you unpack everything, making the last night before your move and the first night in your new home less stressful.
29. Designate a Box To Open First
Set aside a separate move-in box for essential items to open first, and label it clearly to ensure you know where everything is. This box is often the last thing you pack and the first thing you unpack. Be sure to include:
- Pet supplies: Knowing exactly where your pet’s bed, dishes, food, and toys are can save you a lot of stress on move-in day.
- Childcare supplies: If you have a young child, make sure you have necessities available like baby food, favorite toys, diapers, and clothes.
- Basic kitchen supplies: Unpacking utensils, plates, cups, and paper products early can help you feel more settled.
- Cleaning supplies: You can tackle any lingering messes in your old home and clean up your new home before unpacking.
- Tools and hardware: It’s a good idea to have these on hand for inevitable disassembly and reassembly before and during the move.
Notify Relevant Parties
Moving to a new house doesn’t just involve moving your belongings. There’s a host of organizations and individuals who need to know you are changing addresses.
30. Update Your Address
Contact the post office, banks, insurance providers, and other important organizations to update your address so you continue receiving important correspondence.
31. Inform Healthcare Providers
Keep your children’s schools, your doctors, veterinarians, and other key contacts in the loop about your move. To prepare for an emergency, it’s recommended that you seek out new providers in your new area ahead of time.
32. Contact Your Local Motor Vehicle Agency
If your move includes a state change, make arrangements to register your car and obtain a new driver’s license.
33. Register To Vote
Even if you’re moving locally, re-register to vote with your new address and zip code to ensure you’re eligible for the next election.
Stay Organized When Unpacking
Transitioning into a new home can feel overwhelming, but an organized approach to unpacking can ease the process. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
34. Get Essential Areas Set-Up First
Prioritize the kitchen and bedroom. These spaces provide a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos, and having these areas in order can give you a place to breathe and relax even if the rest of your home is still in boxes.
35. Unpack One Room At a Time
Focusing your efforts helps prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Start with rooms you’ll be using most often, and aim to get most of each room unpacked and organized before moving onto the next.
36. Take Your Time
Unpacking doesn’t have to be a race. Allow yourself time to place and organize your belongings thoughtfully and adjust to your new surroundings.
If you procrastinate or the idea of living out of boxes for a year or more causes you stress, give yourself a deadline to get the house in order. Setting a date for a housewarming party, family dinner, or casual get-together with friends can help motivate you to unpack and decorate in a timely manner.
37. Get Rid of Packing Supplies As You Unpack
After you unpack a box, break it down and set it aside. If possible, take empty, unused boxes for recycling, or see if anyone you know needs them to get them out of your space. Your new community may even have a board online to post for free items.
Make Your Move Easier With SpareFoot
With these 37 tips, you can transform your move from a complex operation into a smoother, more manageable process. Efficiency, organization, and planning ahead are essential parts of how to make moving easier.
Whether you’re moving across the country or around the corner, find a convenient storage unit near you to streamline your move for a stress-free process.
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