As someone who has moved many times in my life, I consider myself a moving expert.
I've mailed my products to my brand-new home. I have actually configured my moves in numerous ways.
Although I have actually let go of lots of many products that I was hanging on to due to the fact that I thought I may require that kerfluffle at some point ... possibly, I do like the things I own. Even with pared down stuff, I desire the stuff to show up securely at my brand-new house.
And I want to show up without sensation entirely frazzled. Here's how I manage those objectives.
A Minimalist's Guide to Moving ~ www.CompulsivelyQuirky.com
Strategy ahead for large items and furniture.
Determine those larger items and furniture that you will keep.
If you are going to sell, begin offering furnishings early, so you can get better prices. And by better, I imply prepared to pay a little bit more due to the fact that they are buying from a convenient source and not having to meet someone in the grocery shop parking lot. For that factor, Craigslist is a last resort for me.
If you are going to contribute, be sure to research study which charities will select up products and discover out their schedule. Some places require a donation choose up to be arranged a couple of weeks in advance.
If you definitely need to get rid of something quickly, offer it for complimentary. In Denver, I had no idea how to get rid of my mattress. The catch was that the new owner would need to select up on a particular date.
Strategy ahead for packaging.
I have actually obtained boxes in numerous various methods. I have actually had a friend at Target save me three shopping carts of various boxes.
I extremely suggest purchasing book boxes if you're moving yourself with a truck or pod. The little ones. They are simple to move and simple to stack. They likewise keep you focused if you're attempting to remove things. I reserve bigger products for my plastic storage bins and attempt to fit as much of my things into the book boxes.
Yes, there will be more of these boxes, however I swear I have actually moved much faster by developing harmony. If you stack them in your house at the height of your dolly, discharging the truck and packing or pod ends up being about moving stacks, not private boxes. These boxes also make unpacking much easier. Shuffling smaller sized boxes around is much simpler than attempting to move the bigger boxes if it takes you numerous days or weeks to unload.
I don't know for how long this offer will last, however twice I've bought 25 smaller boxes from Amazon for $31.99. That's $1.28 per box! That's a deal.
Buy quality tape. No one likes to see tape peeling and boxes popping open.
Purchase bubble wrap for high-value products. Anything genuinely vulnerable.
Recognize old towels or linens that can help secure delicate items or furniture. If you don't like the idea of tossing these products out at your brand-new home, then donate them to an animal shelter or regional veterinarian.
Strategy ahead for meals.
Cook meals for the week you'll be moving about two to three weeks ahead of time. Leave a box to load those last containers as you clean them in the last week.
Develop treat packs too. For the drive, if you have one. Or just for around the new place. Moving makes you starving. Having snacks around keeps you from getting sidetracked once you start some unpacking momentum.
On your last night before the big relocation, strategy to eat in restaurants. Sure, you could order a pizza, however I like eating in restaurants. Especially, if I'm leaving a city. I like to select a restaurant I'll genuinely miss out on and delight in one more scrumptious meal there.
Strategy ahead for general delivery and address updating.
Given that I attempt to be as paperless as possible, I don't get much physical mail. I keep a checklist of utilities, institutions and groups I must notify of my brand-new address in Evernote.
Whenever I do get an here oddball piece of mail that I actually do need, I include that group to this checklist. I never ever delete this list. I just edit it from time to time.
Once I've moved and alerted the groups on my list of my new address, I check package in my note. As soon as all of my boxes are inspected off, I can quickly uncheck them for the next relocation.
Back up hard disk drives and prepare your portable devices.
Sure, the cloud is great. If you have things organized on your computer system just the way you like them, then back whatever up to a hard drive before you dismantle your command.
Also consider what electronic recreation you might want to have downloaded to gadgets prior to taking a trip. Audiobooks. Podcasts. Music libraries. E-books. Wifi might not occur right away in your brand-new house. Your data usage will increase. Depending on your strategy, you may not want to gain access to that podcast through the cloud.
Pack with focused decision.
Moving is a fantastic time to declutter. Even if you're not a minimalist, you probably have things in the back of closets and under the bed that you don't require. Why pay to move something you don't require?
As you load, evaluate every product:
Are you just keeping this thing because you think you may require it one day?
When was the last time you used this thing?
Do you actually require it?
Does it still work? or fit?
Could someone else make much better use of this thing?
Are you hanging on to this thing for emotional reasons?
Develop an area for contributions and trash. Create a "holding pattern" method, if you must.
I had numerous emotional products that I might not see donating. I loaded those items into a few smaller boxes. When I moved into my Tucson house ... back in 2007, I put those boxes in the top of a closet.
When I moved to Denver, I just could not deal with those boxes. They moved with me ... again. I was lastly able to donate the items in those boxes in 2014.
Keep a stock as you pack.
I don't like identifying my boxes. I don't desire people seeing boxes identified with names and getting any ideas.
Rather, I number my boxes and keep a running list of what's inside each box in Evernote. Some people prefer to take images of the contents of each box. Evernote can do either.
If you have to dismantle items, bag up the hardware and label the bag. Tape the bag to the within of the piece of furniture or location the bag inside the box with the other pieces of that thing. This strategy makes reassembly much simpler.
Whenever I create a little hardware baggie, I take down it in my Evernote inventory.
Produce your First Days bag and box.
Essentially, this bag and box consist of everything you require for your opening night in your new location.
What do you need to unload first to make your life workable? My family is small, so I have actually always had one bag and one box.
Clothing
Toiletries
Medications, including non-prescription stuff. Needing to stop at the shop is a pain and acetaminophen uses up very little area.
Sheets
Pillows
Towels
Utensils
Can opener
Water bottles
Snacks
I also keep a Go bag for emergency situations. And since my Go bag includes things like flashlights and additional cash, those products come in handy throughout a relocation.
And that's it. Moving is exceptionally stressful, but likewise incredibly reinvigorating. I enjoy decluttering. Getting rid of things I'm not using feels wonderful. I've discovered the more I prepare ahead, the easier the relocation goes. Sure, I try to expect the bumps and maneuver around them. Even when things go incorrect, I focus on how excellent I feel about transitioning to my new city or house with less junk, and my outlook unexpectedly gets better.