Summer is high time for moving.  A friend asked for moving tips today, so I thought I’d share them with you.  If you aren’t moving this summer, but know someone who is, please pass along this link. (You can hit one of the little buttons at the bottom of this post and it will automagically send it along on your favorite network.  If you don’t see those magic little buttons at the bottom of the post, just click on the article title at the top, and then you should see them at the bottom.)

Moving Tips

First, declutter.  Yeah, I know, duh.  But it’s really important to take a minimum of 2 days to go through and toss/donate stuff.  It really stinks to unpack stuff you know you don’t want to keep, because then you start with clutter in the new place.  Do this sooner than you want to.  The goal is to have no extra trash at the curb on move day.

Keep written records of your donations for tax purposes. It may not seem like much, but you can earn a couple of hundred on taxes next year if you donate your goods and document properly. You can use this template form to document tax deductible donations.

If your layout between the old and new places is changing, be sure to pack stuff for the space you are moving into.  For instance, if you don’t have a playroom now, but you will in the next place, pack all the playroom stuff in boxes labelled “playroom”, so it is easier to find and unpack.

Pack a “red cross” box that goes last out/first in.  This should have toilet paper, extra meds, clean sheets, and anything else your family can’t live without for 24 hours. Mark it with a huge red X on ALL sides, so it is easy to find. I like poster paint markers for this kind of identification.

Keep your tools out till the VERY. LAST. MINUTE.  You always need an allen wrench at the end to take something or other apart, and most movers don’t carry tools.  Unbelievable but true.

A shout out to my friend Stephanie Anderson from www.moderndaydonnareed.com with her excellent point that I have used many, many times, even when I’m not moving:  “Take the legs off of things like tables, chairs – break it all down – and put the screws/bolts in baggies that you duck tape to the furniture so you can put it back together when you arrive.”  Actually, I also write on the baggie with a Sharpie what the screws belong to, so if it doesn’t get put together immediately after the move, they don’t get forgotten.

Working with Professional Movers

There are also a few things you should know specifically when you are working with a moving company.  Check out these tips at my post on How to Work with Professional Movers.  Keep in mind that interstate movers are regulated, and you must receive a written quote, which is protection for you.  Don’t try to cheap out on this, since the hassle with lost and broken goods isn’t worth it.

If a move is in your future, I wish you the best.