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18 of Our Best Moving Hacks

You've just purchased your dream home. The high-fives and champagne toasts have been made and reality has hit. You are now faced with… moving. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Before you start calling your friends and family to enlist their help, read over our Moving Hacks to help you work more easily and efficiently.

Moving Hacks

We’ve broken down the moving process into 5 categories; Purging, Sorting, Packing, Cleaning and Moving, and we’ve listed our favorite hacks within each category. Are you ready? Let’s dig in.

Purging Hacks

Purging household items before the move is difficult for some, and a relief for others. Maybe you have already done most of the purging at the request of your Real Estate Agent to prepare for showing your home. If not, here are a couple of tricks to get you started:

Moving Hacks - Purge
  1. Work methodically through each room. If you are beginning in the kitchen, focus on one drawer, or cabinet, at a time. If you haven’t used an item in a year or two, consider donating or selling it. If a food item has expired, it’s time to get rid of it. Mark each drawer or cabinet with a small piece of tape, or a label, as you work through the room to indicate completion.
  2. When purging items in a linen closet, remember that local animal shelters often need donations of old sheets or blankets. If an item has small stains or holes, our furry friends won’t mind and they would appreciate a comfy blanket to sleep on.
  3. If you are purging an item that is still in relatively good condition, you can sell it, or offer it up for free online. Consider posting the item(s) on relevant social media sites. This will save you the effort of physically moving the item since someone will come and pick it up.

Sorting Hacks

Sorting items can be a bit time-consuming, but will ultimately save lots of time when unpacking in your new home. Sorting also helps you uncover any items that you may have forgotten to purge.

Moving Hacks - Cleaning
  1. Begin by sorting personal items that will go into an overnight bag or box. Each person in the household should pull together the items they will need on the first day or two of the move, before the boxes have been unpacked. Sort and pack the same things you would pack for a weekend trip.
  2. One of the first boxes you will need to bring to your new home will be filled with cleaning products. It is best to sort out these things, along with rags or paper towels, that you will use to clean your new place before moving in. Choose a box, or even a laundry basket, and begin placing the cleaning products you use most inside. Keep in mind your vacuum cleaner, broom, and mop with a bucket should be included in this group as you sort.
  3. Sort out medications and toiletries that you will need as you are moving into the new place. Include items like toilet paper, hand soap, hand towels, medications, etc. in this group. These items are necessary for immediate use and shouldn’t get mixed in with other moving boxes.
  4. A common sorting oversight involves keys. It is a good idea to have a designated key box, or envelope, set aside as the sorting process begins. Purchase key rings, or key chains, with labels so that once you have determined which key unlocks which lock, you can label and organize them into groupings. Place these keys, along with appliance manuals, in a kitchen drawer where they can be easily discovered. Your Buyers will appreciate it!

Packing Hacks

Packing hacks for moving are plentiful, but we’ve selected a few of our favorites that are worth sharing.

Moving Hacks - Labeling
  1. Remember to label the top, and the sides, of each box. You will most likely be stacking these boxes and if you only label the top, you won’t be able to quickly find the one you need.
  2. Don’t overfill the boxes. This could lead to a back injury or the box could break while carrying it. Moving day is not the time for added frustration or injury!
  3. If your box does not have carrying handles, create them. Simply cut out a hand-sized hole in the sides of the box to make it easier to carry.
  4. Use your cell phone to take a photo of the open box once it has been filled. Label the box, and the photo, with corresponding numbers so you can quickly reference its contents. In addition, consider writing the two most important contents on the side of the box.

Cleaning Hacks

If you are selling your current home, you have probably agreed to clean the home in the Purchase Agreement. As a Seller, you typically agree to turn over the keys to the Buyer with the home in “broom clean” condition. Here are some insider tips to help.

Moving Hacks - Fridge
  1. If your oven racks are covered in baked-on food that you can’t seem to remove, try this: Run a few inches of hot water in the bathtub. Place an old towel in the water and place the oven racks on the towel, making sure the water level is above the racks. Sprinkle a cup of powdered dishwasher detergent into the water and let it set in the tub overnight. Try to allow at least 12 hours to pass, and then scrub the racks with a stiff brush and rinse in the tub. Works like a charm with very little effort!
  2. Remove all of your food from the freezer and refrigerator at least a day before the move. This will allow you time to clean it properly before the move.
  3. Once the house has been completely cleared out and the floors vacuumed or swept, take photos of every room in the house to document the cleaning job you have done. This will be your digital record in case there is any question that cleaning was completed before the new owner moved in.

Moving Hacks

Moving your boxes and furniture into your new home is the most exciting step in the process!

Moving Hacks - Zen Space
  1. Before you begin moving your stuff into your awesome new home, take a walk through while it is still empty and choose an area, or an entire room, as your zen space. This will be your “Command Central” where you will reserve a place to sit and rest - even if it is in a lawn chair. Here is also where you will store your moving documents and other important papers, place your handbag, wallet, keys and cell phone. This area should remain relatively clutter-free and calm, and it will serve as your oasis when you need a break from the chaos.
  2. When moving heavy items that you believe could break through a cardboard box, consider using a hard-side suitcase. The built-in wheels and attached handle work perfectly for this task. Books can also be packed, and moved, in book boxes that are created specifically to manage the weight of your cookbooks, photo albums, and favorite novels!
  3. If you don’t own a dolly or some type of rolling cart, you may want to borrow or rent one. You can even use a rolling desk chair to move boxes if necessary. Saving your aching back is the goal here.
  4. Grab some furniture slides at a hardware store if you don’t already have a set. If you can’t find furniture slides, use a throw rug as a slide. If your rugs have a rubber back, simply turn them upside down. It is safe to say you will be moving furniture and boxes from place to place throughout the next few weeks, so these hacks will be useful even if you hire professional movers.

There you have it, our favorite Moving Hacks. We hope these tips help make your move more efficient and less painless. Our goal is to help educate you about all things Real Estate!

Want more advice about all things home — including homebuying or selling advice? Nestiny is a great place for homebuyer education and to help you gauge how ready you are to buy a home. Journey Homeward allows you to enter all your wants and needs while the True Affordability Tool will break down your budget, showing what you can comfortably afford. You will also receive a Ready Report that will give you a vital head start in the home buying journey, saving you valuable time and money.


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