Dunedin movers Big Boys Moving and Storage have been moving Dunedin residents for thirteen years and over those 13 years we have picked up more than a few great moving hacks to help you to make it through your move intact.
20 Moving Hacks to Make it Through Your Move in One Piece
Use Fewer Boxes
Use vacuum sealable bags to cut down the number of boxes you need when packing. Be sure not to overload boxes when doing this, but you’ll find you need half as many boxes while packing.
Something Cold to Drink
Packing and moving is thirsty business but if you didn’t think ahead and don’t have anything cold to drink, wrap drinks in a wet paper towel and put them in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill them fully.
Mark Boxes With Bright Colors
Can’t find your markers but have nail polish on hand? Use different colored nail polish to color code your boxes for each room. Don’t have a wide selection of colors? Tape colorful PostIt notes to the boxes instead, it’ll help you when unpacking and it’ll help your Dunedin movers to know where to place boxes in your new home!
Keep Cables Neat
Take a large moving box and wind each cord or cable around a toilet paper or kitchen towel tube – make a slit at each end of the tube and wind the cable around it. Nest the rolls together to fill the box and you will have all your cables in one place and they’ll be tangle free! Make it even easier to unpack by writing on each roll what each cable is for so that you don’t have to weed through them looking at the ends of each cable to find the right one.
Spilled or Dropped Something Small?
If you’ve dropped or spilled a container of small items, take a stocking, piece of pantyhose, or cheesecloth and use a rubber band to hold it in place over the vacuum cleaner extension tube. Vacuum up your items without them going into the vacuum bag and put them back where they belong.
Don’t Lose the End of Your Tape
Use the tab from your latest bread or bakery purchase to keep the end of your tape to make it easily accessible when you’re taping together boxes.
Start an Overnight Bag List Early
Packing an overnight bag is a great way to find the things you might need the night of your move especially if you don’t unpack your boxes the same day as your move. To be sure that you pack everything you might need access to, a week or so before your move start a list of things you need to remember for your overnight bag.
Designate Tasks For Everyone
If it’s a family move, designate tasks for each family member to get things done more efficiently and to be sure that everything gets done on time. Do this for cleaning, packing, unpacking, and even arranging services and utilities in your new home. Use a smartphone app that the whole family can access to keep track of what’s been done.
Increase Your Productivity While Moving
Multitasking may seem like a great way to get things done, but research has shown that it can actually slow things down! Rather than multitasking, finish each task before you start a new one – for example, finish packing your overnight bag before you start packing boxes from your library.
Lost Your Tape Measure?
If you’ve lost your tape measure and want to see if something will fit in a place in your new home before your Dunedin movers carry it up the stairs, the space between the middle and top knuckle of your middle three fingers is almost always equal to one inch. It’s not ideal for specific measurements, but it’s a great way to eyeball it for quick figures.
Keep Bedding, Clothing, and Towels Fresh
If you are going to keep items in storage for a while or just don’t plan on unpacking right way, throw a dryer sheet if a wrapped bar of soap inside your boxes to keep everything smelling fresh.
Make Use of Magnets
When taking furniture apart, place the screws and hardware in a Ziploc bag with one of your refrigerator magnets to keep them all “anchored” so they don’t float around the bag.
Get a Squeegee If You Have a Pet
If you have a pet and need to get rid of pet hair before you move out of your old place, get a rubber squeegee like the kind you’d use to clean your shower or your windows and use it on the carpet to pick up loose hair.
Use Your Socks
Use your CLEAN socks to wrap drinking glasses before you put them in a packing box. This stops them from banging together and keeps them safer during travel.
Getting Rid of Boxes
As you unpack your boxes at your new place, throw flatten and take out your boxes as you go. You can stack flattened boxes in your basement, attic, or take them to a recycling location. You can also use sites like Freecycle to donate your moving boxes to other people with upcoming moves!
Epsom Salts Are Your Friend
Keep a bag or box of Epsom Salts in your overnight bag so that when you’re achy and tired after a day of moving with your Dunedin movers, you can take a hot bath and soothe those aches away so you’ll be much less achy in the morning.
Rather Leave Your Move to Dunedin Movers?
If you’d rather leave your move to Dunedin movers and take a hands-off approach to the whole thing, Big Boys Moving and Storage can help you too. Just call us today at 813-936-2699 and ask about our full service moving packages!