The Dos and Don'ts of Moving
Normally, you are hearing from our lovely organizer from New York City, Colleen, but this month I will be stepping in as your guest writer. My name is Hannah, and I live in Birmingham. I am here to offer my “expertise” (and in some ways lack thereof) of a topic I am recently all too-familiar with. My husband, toddler, giant chocolate lab and I recently made a big move to a house in a different part of suburbia. This was our fourth time moving in our 6 year marriage, but probably the most significant and most difficult move for our family so far. I can’t wait to tell you all about it!
I thrive when I have a structured, efficient plan for moments like these, so I got to work creating one that I was convinced would be fool-proof. While there were things that went right, there were many, many things that went wrong. Looking back, I wish I had done a few things differently, and I’m here to share with you a few of my own personal “Dos and Dont’s” to keep you on the right track if you’re planning an upcoming move.
Do be sure to bribe your beautiful babies with treats (see: toddler’s face) to help keep everyone happy.
A few things I’m glad I did:
Purged before moving. Moving can be the perfect opportunity to make an inventory of your possessions and decide what will be worth making the effort to pack and move to your new home. Set aside specific time to determine what among your things will be worth investing in, and then purge the rest. If you’re like me, there are most likely things that you won’t want to take with you to your new home, and there are a few different ways you can dispose of these! If your items are worth something, list them on Facebook Marketplace or host a yard sale and see if you can earn a few bucks! You can donate the rest to your local thrift store or charity, or leave it on the curb if you have a neighborhood full of treasure-hunters.
When packing, I created a “drop-zone”. This is a place where you can stack up and assemble packed boxes, furniture, etc that signals they are ready to roll. Try to pick a spot that’s near an exit to help make the moving flow a little easier. When I moved out of houses that had a garage space, I used that as my drop zone, and when moving out of a smaller space I used the kitchen area near the door. Creating a drop zone will help as you prepare to load a truck, but also give you more space in your home so you can have a clear idea of what areas you need to focus on packing.
Upgraded some of my stuff. My microwave had been on the fritz before we moved, so I took the chance to order a new one and had it shipped directly to my new house. It was one less thing to pack and load onto the moving truck! Maybe your couch has seen better days or you’ve been waiting for a good chance to level up your pots and pans. If you have the flexibility in your budget, make those changes now and have everything sent to your new house.
Had my groceries delivered the day I moved in. Moving tends to turn the finest, most capable human beings into a shell of who they are, so if you don’t have to peruse the aisles of Wal-Mart in that state, make that grocery order (if this is available in your moving area, of course). You future-self will thank you! I used Kroger delivery when I moved so I could pick the time, get some deals and re-use their amazing, huge bags.
A few things I wish I had done:
I did secure childcare for my son on the day of my move, but it was only for a few hours on the day-of. Looking back, I wished I had gotten help for the entire weekend AND for a few days of packing in the days leading up to the move! I underestimated how difficult it would be moving with a toddler, and if I could change things, I would’ve asked for (or hired) more help in the childcare department to help keep me sane.
Reserve a moving truck, and make sure it’s big enough! My husband and I had rose-colored glasses when it came to this choice and it ended up backfiring dramatically. Renting a larger moving truck would’ve kept us from making multiple trips and I wish I could go back and BEG my past self to reconsider.
Hire help to pack or unpack a truck! Heck, go ahead and hire movers, if you can! We had friends who helped us load up our truck at our old house and then unload at our new one, and having this kind of help was a lifesaver. I will say that the older I get, the more I realize asking our friends and family to wager their mid-life backs and joints to help my family and I move is probably on the way out. If you have room in your budget, just hire movers. You will probably not regret this choice.
In the same way, delegate your unpacking to a friend or family member, or hire someone to help you unpack! I highly suggest hiring House Peace to help you unpack and get organized if you’re looking to outsource. Even if you’re a control freak (raises hand) and want to have a say in where everything goes, just having someone help you remove your stuff out of the boxes and move it to the right drawer or closet can save you HOURS of stress and overwhelm.
My last tip would be to not stress as much about all of your family members and pets acclimating to your new home. You can’t create a perfect pathway or timeline for this to happen. I went down a deep research hole, obsessing over trying to make this right, and wished I hadn’t devoted so much energy and stress to make sure my toddler’s room was exactly the same. He literally found pinecones in our yard and was like, “Are you telling me this heaven is this where I get to live?” Everyone embraces change on different timelines. You have permission to take a deep breath and remind yourself this place is new for all of you, but you’re in this together.
Godspeed to your future move, my friends!