If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have heard me talk about moving out. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I moved out of my college apartment this past Sunday! As sad it is to move out a space I’ve called home for the past 3 years, I’m excited to see where my next adventure takes me.
I have actually done the whole moving in and out process about 7 times between moving into college dorms, hotels, apartments, etc. I feel like I have got the whole moving process down pat and I wanted to share some tips I’ve picked up along the way. I am going to warn you that this is a rather long post so grab a snack and let’s get started!
Declutter before you start
First things first, do a major cleanout BEFORE you even start the packing process. Go through all of your clothes, drawers, jewelry, makeup, etc and throw away or donate things you don’t need anymore. You probably already have a lot to pack up anyway so why not get rid of the things you aren’t using anyway?
To get rid of your unwanted items you can, of course, donate them to your local church or Goodwill, make some extra cash by selling them to secondhand shops, thredUp, or on Poshmark, or even give them to your friends and family!
Save boxes, use bags you already have
Moving is already expensive, save some cash and use bags/luggage you already have to pack your items up. I’m talking about filling your duffle bags, tote bags, backpacks, purses, any bags you already have. Not only will you have fewer boxes to throw away when you unpack, but this will make it easier to pack your items in the car because bags tend to be easier to mold and fit into cars than boxes are.
Pack heavier items in rolling suitcases
Save yourself the back pain and store your books, shoes or any other heavy items in your rolling suitcases. This way you can just roll them out instead of picking up a heavy box and risk it breaking on you.
DON’T buy boxes!
Again, moving is expensive. Hit up your local grocery store, liquor store or retailer and ask if you can have any cardboard boxes. 9/10 times they’ll be happy to give them to you. Liquor store boxes usually come with inserts that would be used to store the bottles which make them the perfect box pack up your kitchen items such as cups, utensils, etc.
Use clothes/towels as bubble wrap
As much fun as bubble wrap can be to pop it when you’re done the unpacking, they are kind of an unnecessary thing to spend money on. Wrap up your fragile pieces in t-shirts or towels instead. I mean, you’re going to have to pack up those items anyways so why not kill two birds with one stone and use them to keep your fragile pieces safe.
Label EVERYTHING
I feel like this is a no brainer, but you wouldn’t believe the number of people I've helped move out not do this. Save you the hassle of guessing what’s in what box by labeling what’s in each box on all sides of the box. I would also recommend color coding each box with which room it goes in as well.
Number your boxes
If you want to take another step further you can number all of your boxes to make sure you don’t have one go missing. When I first moved out to my apartment I had to put my things in storage and was told to number your boxes in case someone stole a box or one goes missing. You can also make a list of what number box had what in it as well so if it does go missing you know what exactly is in there.
Get creative when packing
Try and get creative when packing your items to save space. Got some silverware? Try putting them in some Tupperware. Kitchen spices? Put them in a pot. I always like trying to find creative ways to pack up my items because it not only saves some precious space but it’s also kind of a game for me as well. Here are some other ways I’ve packed up items in the past:
Small kitchen items in the crockpot
Silverware in storage containers
Spices in pot + Lid
Small kitchen items in the crockpot
Silverware in storage containers
Spices in pot + Lid
Tape screws/bolts to coordinating furniture
Nothing is more frustrating than getting to your new space and not being able to put together your table because you can’t find the right screws for it. Save yourself some headache and throw those little pieces into a zip lock bag and tape them on either the box they go in or the furniture piece itself.
Pack clothes in seasons
Out of all of my moves, this has been one of the most helpful things I’ve started to do. When you pack up all of your clothes try to keep all of your summer pieces together, fall pieces, winter... Etc. It’ll keep you from having to sort through everything when you unpack and will keep you a little bit more organized when you are trying to figure out a storage system for your clothes.
Leave your clothes on the hanger
Taking clothes on and off the hanger is a pain, right? Keep your clothes on the hanger and just take a trash bag and wrap them up in it. I usually get one big trash bag, scoop the bottoms of my clothing pieces into it and wrap the ties around the hangers. If you’re totally confused on what I’m talking about you can refer to this photo!
Don’t unpack your drawers, tape them up!
Especially those plastic drawers, just keep your stuff in the drawers and just tape the whole drawer setup to prevent the things from falling out of them. This will save you some time packing and unpacking.
Pack an overnight bag
Chances are you might not get all of your unpacking done right when you move in. Pack a separate bag like you are going out of town with all of your essentials such as a change of clothes, shampoo, conditioner, etc. This was at the end of a long day you are able to shower and change into some comfy clothes!
And those are all of my tips! I hope you all found some of these tips helpful if you’re moving soon and let me know down below some of your moving tips! I’d love to know. I hope you all have a wonderful day and as always, thank you for reading!
xoxo,
Amy
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