While moving can be a fun, exciting adventure, it can also be messy, stressful, and highly disorganized. If you’ve ever wondered why a box was leaking, which boxes went to which room, and where those stupid screws went, you know how true this is.
There may never be a completely smooth and stress-free move, but there are ways to make things a lot easier on yourself. The next time you move, try these ten surprising moving hacks, and you’ll wonder why you ever moved without them.
Wrangle Pesky Cords
It’s entirely okay to hate dealing with cords when you move. They’re unwieldy, difficult to keep contained, and can get tangled easily. It can also be easy to forget which precise cord goes with what device or appliance.
One solution to the cord problem is to tape the cord to the appliance or device if you can. Even if the cord doesn’t detach, this will help protect the cord from the damage it might receive by dangling and catching on things.
Another solution is to save old tubes from paper products. They make perfect sleeves that can protect cords and keep them coiled up. They’re also easy to write on, which makes it a lot easier to know which cord goes where.
Color-Code Everything
This trick can be handy for both professional movers and people doing it themselves. By creating a color-coded system, you’ll be able to take boxes and furniture straight to where they belong, the first time.
Color-coding saves you time, reduces the need for questions, and makes your unpacking process so much easier. The time and energy you save by not lugging things from room to room will allow you to settle in quicker and start enjoying your new home faster.
Plastic Bags Are Your Friends
Plastic bags are one of those surprising moving hacks that have many little handy purposes.
Plastic garbage bags, for example, can make moving your closet a snap. Simply cluster your hanging clothes into bunches, then slip the bag up over them and tie it shut near the top of the hanger. You can also slide the bags down from the top, but you’ll have to poke a hole in the bag to fit the hanger tops through.
Plastic bags are also a great way to transport your liquids safely, without worries about leaking or spilling. Just tie them up tightly in grocery bags, or place them in zipper bags and seal them closed. You can now pack them with your other stuff while keeping things leak-free!
Also, sandwich bags make the perfect storage solution for tiny items you don’t want getting lost or rolling around loose in your boxes.
Make A Moving Supply Caddy
If you’re tired of losing the tape, scissors, or Sharpies, this is one of the surprising moving hacks that you’ll love.
The great thing about this is you don’t have to use any specific container, anything you have will work fine. A small box, a shower caddy, a tiny toolbox, or even a small storage bin will work.
As long as you can fit all of your most used moving supplies in it, you just need to mark it, fill it, and go baby go! It’s portable, it’s organized, and the only way you’ll lose anything is if you don’t put it back when you’re done.
Pack Two Birds With One Stone
This is one of those hacks that will save you time, money, and packing space. It’s also environmentally friendly, and much easier to clean up. What is it? Using your towels, bedding, and clothing to pack your fragile items!
You’re going to need to pack your linens anyway, so this is the perfect way to protect your breakables during the move. You won’t have to use as many boxes, pay for packing materials, or deal with a lengthy clean-up.
Leave Your Clothing Drawers As-Is
Packing clothes can be a hassle. They’re heavy, which means you can only put so much in a packing container before it becomes a struggle to move. This also takes up extra containers, while you probably need all you can spare.
If you think about it, your clothes are packed in the perfect containers already, so go ahead and leave them in the drawers. A lot of movers will just wrap the dressers and use a dolly, so you should be fine. Be sure to ask, just in case.
If you’re moving them yourself, just pull the drawers out and move them separately if you don’t have a dolly. Even without clothes in them, removing the drawers makes moving a dresser much easier by hand.
Get Handle-Happy
If any of these surprising moving hacks is a must-have, this is it. Boxes are great for packing, but they’re often just flat-out awkward to carry. While some boxes will already have a handle cut in them, most will not.
You can solve this problem easily, with just a box cutter. Simply cut a square or triangle in the box on two opposing sides, just a little above the middle of the box. Any higher and the box could rip, especially if it were heavy. Any lower would just be awkward to handle.
Purge The Stragglers
Moving is already a laborious process, so why would you want to move around more than you have to?
You’ll be surprised at the things that find their way to the back of the cabinet or closet, and they often end up there for a reason. Now is the perfect time to purge that ugly shirt, those dubious cookies, and that shampoo bottle with just a little bit left in it.
If you’re not going to use it right then or in the immediate future, it’s time to toss it. There’s no need to take it with you since it will just take up room at your new place. Let’s face it, if it’s been there this long and you haven’t missed it, you’re not going to in the future either.
Use Your Wheels
Wheeled luggage is a great thing when you’re traveling. It’s even greater when you’re moving. Have you ever picked up a box full of books? It’s probably not something you’ll want to do repeatedly.
Instead, use your wheeled luggage to move your books and other similar objects that are heavy. Not only will your back thank you, but you won’t have wasted packing space.
Fix Your Door Latch
Trying to turn the doorknob when your arms are full is a pain, but leaving your door wide open isn’t always a good idea. This is especially true if it’s the middle of summer, or the dead of winter when the weather will be playing havoc with your home’s internal temp.
The easy solution is to be able to shut your door but keep it from latching. There are two ways that you can do this. The first is to take some packing tape, depress the latch, and then tape it down so that it won’t catch in the plate. You may need two or three pieces of tape to get it to stay put.
The other way is to take at least a couple of rubber bands, loop them around one doorknob, bring them around and across the latch, and loop them around the other knob. They’ll hold the latch in until you’re done, and there’s no sticky residue like tape.
Which Of These Surprising Moving Hacks Will You Try?
Whether you use just one or you try them all, these hacks will make your next move the fun adventure it should be, instead of a stressful nightmare.
There’s also one more hack that makes your move easier, and that’s having a professional moving company do it for you. Combine that with any of these hacks, and you’ll create a move that’ll be a dream come true.
We know how stressful a move can be, and we want to make sure that your move is a successful one. Whether it’s local or long distance, we’ve got you covered. Call us for a free quote today.
