10 Moving Hacks To Make Packing A Breeze

You’ve sold your home and after viewing countless other homes, you finally fell in love with one.

The hard part is over right? Wrong.

Even if you are only moving across town, packing up your entire house is a tiresome task. You never realize how much stuff you really have until you have to pack it up and move it. 

Use these moving hacks to take some stress out of the move and to keep your belongings better organized on the other end.

There’s nothing better than starting out with your new home perfectly organized. 

Use garbage bags to move hanging clothes 

You spent how long hanging up all those clothes after you washed them? So why take them off the hangers just to put them back on AGAIN after the move.

Take a black (or white) kitchen garbage bag, and place groups of clothes on hangers inside each bag and tie up the top. 

You can move your whole closet in just a few loads of bagged up clothing and hang them right back up at the new house.

For added security, wrap a rubber band around the top of the hangers just to make sure they stay together. 

Organize your cords like a pro

Save a bunch of empty paper towel rolls (you’ll probably have a ton after cleaning your old place).

Neatly wind up your cords and slide them into the roll. Do one cord per roll and use toilet paper rolls for smaller cords. If you’re feeling like going the extra mile, write on the tube what the cords are for.

Place them in a box and voila! No mess of tangled cords after the move. Moving hacks for the win! 

Don’t waste money by ditching your liquids

Let’s face it, restocking things like shampoo, lotions and cleaning products isn’t cheap.

Don’t waste money and perfectly good products by tossing them out. Take a small piece of plastic wrap, unscrew the caps and cover the tops with the wrap.

Screw the lids back on and you’ve got yourself leak-proof bottles that can be packed up in a box. For added security, make sure all the bottles are standing upright in the box and pack paper between them to keep them from tipping over.

Mark the boxes with arrows to ensure they get stacked right side up. 

Use lunch containers to keep hardware organized

Have you ever taken apart a piece of furniture like a bunk bed and then moved on to the kitchen chairs and suddenly you have no clue what hardware went with what? (It’s okay, we’ve all done it).

To avoid a headache like that, use small lunch containers for each piece of furniture and label them accordingly.

If the furniture you’re taking apart has a ton of hardware, consider breaking it down into sections with lunch bags and then putting those in the container. 

Say goodbye to old junk

The best time to purge things you don’t need is when you move. Why spend the time packing and moving stuff that you may not even need or want anymore? Start packing room by room and sort things into piles.

You can sell anything that is still in good condition (a little help with moving expenses) or consider donating to a local donation centre (e.g. if you’re moving in Bonnyville you could reach out to somewhere like the Dove Centre).

Sort anything old and broken into what can be recycled and what is trash. 

Pack two things at once!

Instead of purchasing packing paper (which is a hit on the wallet and the environment) use things like clothing or blankets to pack your breakables.

For example, fill a kitchen box with glasses and tuck rolled-up socks between each cup to protect them during the move.

Take folded t-shirts and layer them between your plates and wrap things like wall pictures in your larger blankets. 

Don’t undo all your hours spent folding

Folding laundry might be one of the worst parts of adulting. So when it’s time to move, why un-do it?

Leave all the clothes right where they are! Pull the drawers out and stack them to the side. Once the dresser is in the moving truck, put the drawers back. Work smarter, not harder. 

Measure big furniture before you move in

What happens when you show up to your new house on moving day with that enormous 12 person sectional you bought for the rec room at your old house and it doesn’t fit? *Yikes*

On your last walkthrough of the new place, bring a measuring tape and measure doorways, room sizes and snap some photos of the layout.

Before you load all your biggest furniture into the moving truck measure to make sure it will fit nicely in your new home.

If it’s not going to fit, sell it (or keep it for Dad’s man cave in the garage) and treat the family to a new couch. 

Save some boxes and use what you have on hand

You have to bring the trash cans, laundry baskets and suitcases along with you anyways, so why not put them to good use?

Suitcases are great for heavy items like books because they have a solid exterior and wheels for easier moving.

Use garbage cans to pack things like outdoor toys, hoses and garden tools.

Laundry baskets work wonders for packing…well…laundry. But also for packing toys, books, games and the 115 stuffed animals from your 4 years old’s bed.  

Pack a duffle bag with your essentials 

This might seem like a no-brainer to some people, but it’s very easy to get caught up in the move and accidentally leave yourself without so much as a toothbrush.

When you start the packing process, put together a duffle bag or two with all of your needed items.

Chances are you’re not going to unpack in a day so have the small things you need to make life easier while you move.

Pack things like extra clothing (pack a few more pairs than you think you need), toiletries, shoes, phone chargers, laptops and anything else you don’t want lost in a box. Be sure to leave some cleaning supplies to the side as well.

Packing, moving and unpacking is a big job no matter how much stuff you have. Use some of these great, but easy moving hacks to smooth out the process and make it a bit more enjoyable. 

If you’re still looking for your new home in St. Paul or Bonnyville, reach out to us at CENTURY 21 Poirier Real Estate and one of our agents will help you find your next home to settle into.