You’ve decided it’s time to move. Chances are you’re still plotting your move strategy. It’s a big job and a well thought out plan is in order. Incorporate our Top 3 Moving Packing Tips to save time and your sanity.

Color Code Your Packing Boxes

This brilliant idea came from a Client, Karen Grant from the Franklin, TN area. She has six children and a large amount of moves that she has survived. Moving through these experiences, literally, she has learned a thing or two about keeping your sanity when you move. Here’s how;

Step 1: The hands on process

  • Get a stack of different colored construction paper. Bright colors work well.
  • Cut them into large circles.
  • Put a different color on the boxes in each room. Example: If you assigned yellow circles to the kitchen, then put a yellow circle on each box for the kitchen.

Step 2: The outline process

First, outline each color and it’s corresponding room on a sheet of paper. Then, when your movers arrive, show them your outline. Instruct them to load each color coded room in groups onto the moving truck if possible. This next step is super important.

Step 3: After the move

In your new home, place a colored circle on each door or entrance for that colored group of boxes. Next, when the unload crew arrives show them your outline sheet and explain that they are to deliver each colored box to it’s matching room.

In conclusion, this moving strategy is a nice and organized way to keep your things in order when you move. And the colors make the routine a tad more delightful. Second, know one will have to figure out which room is which! All you have to do is simply carry each box in and place it with the room that corresponds to its color circle.

If you think this idea is as fantastic as we do, leave us a comment. We’d love to hear if you used it and how much easier it made your move.

If you are moving, this next step is probably already on your roster but you may feel like your on the verge of tears from trying to get it done. Next, with a great strategy on how to de-clutter, we’ve thankfully got you covered. Click here to read the full article on how to get ready to sell.

Moving Packing Tip #2 – De-Clutter

So, you’ve heard it a million times from friends, relatives and your local real estate agent. You have to shiny-clean your house if you want it to sell for a decent price. This is true. How can a buyer even want to put an offer on your home if they can’t see behind all of that stuff?

Now, herein lies a major problem. This is not stuff to you. It’s your valuables, your memories, the anchors to your soul if you will. I know it’s tough. Here’s a tip that will get you through this process of clearing away all of your “clutter”.

  1. Go through one room at a time. Make three piles. They consist of the trash can, goodwill bin and storage bin. As you go through each room put every single item in one of those 3 piles. Label each bin and stack them somewhere out of the way such as in the garage. And yes, it’s perfectly fine to have a million bins that are labeled in a nice and neat stack.
  2. After you have cleared out a room it’s time to assess your furniture situation. Get rid of old unused items. A good process for this is to list it on a local marketplace such as Craigslist of Facebook. List it for a week at the price you think it’s worth. If it doesn’t sell then lower the price until it sells or until you have to haul it to the Goodwill or the dump. Get rid of as much furniture as you are willing to part with. The more open and clean you can make your home at this point the better.
  3. Now that you’ve cleared away your clutter and outdated furniture it’s time to paint and assess the flooring. Paint does wonders to make your home look new and smell new again. The same is true for your flooring. If you have hardwood you may or may not want to refinish it.Often buyers will want to refinish it according to their decor preference so even if you think your hardwood could use a refinish it may be best to hold off on this one. If you have carpet then by all means replace it. Carpet not only gets dirty quickly it also smells especially if you have pets. The cost to replace carpet is fairly low so this one will most definitely bring you a return.

Moving Packing Tip #3 – Pack a Carry On

If you’re a traveler then you probably have a carry on bag that is equipped with everything that you have learned that you need when traveling. I’m a world traveler so I’ve learned to pack my carry on in such a way so that if my luggage goes missing I can survive. If I come across an item that I need that is not in my carry on I add it and make sure it’s in there for the next trip. This same principle applies to moving.

Moving is one of the most stressful events in life. Every object is moved out of place. Your home base is moved. Maybe your relocating out of city, state or country. Your brain will have to remap itself to adjust. This is actually a good healthy thing to do but doesn’t feel like it in the moment.

This is where your moving carry on bag comes into play. This bag will be your go-to for every item that is mission critical to you functioning properly and not losing your mind. These are also items that you for sure do not want to lose in the move. The key to packing it properly is to start two weeks before your move.

Put the bag out on your dresser or somewhere in plain site. Every time you come across something that is vital add it to the bag. Pack it in such a way so that you get comfortable with where everything is in it. As you move through each day you will think of things that you realize will be important to put in the bag. Here is a list of things you may want to pack;

  • spare car keys
  • kids health documents such as their birth certificates
  • passports
  • medications, especially headache medicine
  • bottled water
  • protein bars and small packaged snacks
  • travel toiletries
  • a change of clothes
  • phone charger
  • cash and an extra credit card
  • spare pair of glasses

Get this bag organized before your move day so that you don’t feel like your forgetting something. There are a lot of moving parts to a move and it’s easy to feel like your leaving something undone.

We hope this list helps you with your next move. To make life a little easier for our Client’s we’ve made a Make My Move Easy service. It’s included when we list your home. This is what’s included;

  • Professional Move Out Cleaning
  • Moving Company List
  • Local Massage – Either at a salon you already use or at a new one in your new location.

Give us a call or schedule an appointment if you’re looking to sell or buy a house.