Moving Tips and Tricks Part 1: Gather Your Materials

I am a professional mover. I have moved 24 times and now I'm moving for the 25th time! Do I get paid to move? Nope - not in a form of a paycheck that is! Using moving companies is great if you can afford the thousands of dollars that it takes! We don't have that and even if we did, I would probably STILL move myself! We are moving in nine days and from now until then I'm going to be focusing primarily on that! So here is the first part of my suggestions for making a move go smoothly and in the most organized and stress-free way possible!

What you need to gather to start the packing process:

1. Tape gun - THIS IS NECESSARY! It's hard enough to cart around the tape but when you're carting around scissors to cut the tape too it's just too much! They get lost. And no, you can't just fold the boxes together - unless you want a LOT of damaged things or you want to pack a PASSLE of boxes! Use tape!

2. Permanent marker - I use red or purple or blue - something other than black because it will stand out more from all of the other markings on the box.

3. Boxes - Yup DEFINITELY a MUST! I have the most success going to our local grocery store here in Bussey. Look for your most Ma and Pa store around and you will find boxes. Avoid looking at places like Walmart or huge chain grocery stores. They usually get the truck in the night and use a box crusher to get rid of boxes before anyone is up in the morning. Restaurants are good places if you can call them and find out what day their truck comes with deliveries. You should start collecting boxes a couple of weeks before you start packing. You will ALWAYS need more! Don't ever think you have enough! You probably don't! Your only shot at finding good boxes is RIGHT after deliveries! Oh and avoid the liquor boxes! I didn't one time and never heard the end of it!

4. Dust cloth to stick in your back pocket - wipe things off BEFORE packing them! That way if someone is helping you unpack, it's not embarrassing and you're starting off in your new place with a CLEAN slate!

5. Towels, dishcloths, cloth napkins, sheet sets, rags, anything that is fabric that you're not going to need before the big move. You can even use clothes although I would make that a last resort because you don't want to be missing your clothing! Use these for packing breakables! They all need packed anyway so you might as well use them to good use!

6. Blankets, Rugs, Afghans, Quilts - These are more for Moving Day but just make sure you don't pack them. Unless they are white and unwashable or very special, keep them out for packing the truck and protecting your furniture. Floor rugs are ESPECIALLY awesome to protect mirrors and corners of your precious furniture. Don't pack em!

7. Have a plan for your new home before you leave your old home. That means figure out what goes where BEFORE you pack! Then when you are labeling boxes label with where it's going in the new house and forget about where it came from in the old house. For example if you have toys that came from the toy room and will now go in the boys room - mark it BOYS ROOM - TOYS. Organize items by where they need to go in your house more so then what is inside. The people who are helping you move in aren't going to care about what's inside - they just want to know where to stick it! So if it goes in the hall closet - write that down along with what's inside. For example: HALL CLOSET - CLEANING SUPPLIES.

8. Sandwich Baggies - These are VERY necessary! I use these for the bolts, screws, hooks and small pieces that without fail ALWAYS end up where you CAN'T find them!!!! When you start packing, set aside a small box and stick it in the center of your home until the LAST MOMENT you leave the house! As you are packing, put the bolts to the crib in 1 sandwich baggie, the screws to the dresser in another baggie, etc. THEN put the baggie IN THE BOX! That is VERY IMPORTANT! Then as you are doing the final walkthrough of the house - you grab that box and you put it in the last possible spot in your car - probably under your feet! That way it's the FIRST box to be unpacked and put in the center of your new house for all of those precious pieces that EVERYONE is going to need RIGHT NOW! Can you tell I've had bad experiences with losing these things? It's true! Especially CRIB pieces - not HAPPY!

You know what, this is going to work out great because I'm reminding myself of things I've learned along my packing way! Happy packing!

I'm linked up with Raising Homemakers and Our Simple Country Life