Moving Tips

Plan Ahead		Useful Packing Supplies
Space Planning		Resources For Boxes
Selecting Storage Containers		Change Of Address
Techniques For Labeling Boxes

Plan Ahead

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1. Research moving companies, storage containers, car shipping companies, and temporary housing well in advance. Find out pricing, lead time, and space limitations.
2. Determine how much space you will have in your new location. Use this information to plan what you are bringing and to determine how large a moving truck or storage container you will need.
3. Whether you are moving to a smaller or a larger space, use this opportunity to sort and thin out your belongings. It makes no sense to pay to move items you no longer use. Don't waste valuable real estate in your new home either.
4. Give yourself at least a month to go through your things. Donate or toss out things that you no longer use, clothes that don't fit, or things that will not fit or be useful in your new location. Begin grouping like items or items whose destinations are the same.
5. Purchase boxes, containers, and packaging materials. Use boxes/containers that are appropriately sized for the things you are storing. Whenever possible, use the same size containers. They will stack easier and maximize the space in the moving truck or POD.

Space Planning

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1. Determine how much space you will have.
1. Make sure what you bring with you fills no more than 2/3 of the space. The space should feel comfortable with room to grow.
2. Measure your new space. Determine if your existing furniture will fit.
3. Begin thinking about what worked and didn't work in your old space and how you would like to improve it in your new space.
4. Think about the function of each room.
   • Consider the work areas and storage, how can you set it up to work effectively for you.
   • The best way to stay organized is to make sure a room only has one purpose. Ideally, each adult should have a room of their own for their office or hobbies.
   • Garage: Create a plan/layout of the new garage (i.e. sports equipment, work bench, household supplies).
   • Kitchen: Begin thinking about what to put in each cabinet. Think about the actions you do in each part of the kitchen. Will you need to buy pull-outs, utensil trays, or other organizing accessories to make it more functional?
5. Start shopping for solutions for your new home (filing cabinets, storage for the garage) so that when you move in you will know what to go buy and have a place to put your things when you unpack.
2. Moving In With Someone Else
1. If you were living alone, most likely there are many things that you both own and you won't need two of them. Discuss which items to keep.
2. Square footage of two one-bedroom apartments does not equal square footage of one two-bedroom apartment. A good rule of thumb is what you take with you should all fit in your bedroom.
3. Downsizing after many decades in the same home.
1. As the expression goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day". It takes time to sort through all the nooks and crannies of a home. Give yourself enough time if you have trouble lifting, get exhausted easily, or are emotionally exhausted by the memories.
2. Enlist the help of others. If your children still have things in your home and now have their own place, ask them to take their things. See if they are interested in any of the items you are getting rid of (i.e. kitchen gadgets, garage tools). If it helps, share your memories with the person helping you. If family makes it harder, use a stranger or a friend.
3. If you have large collections of items from other stages in your life, select a few to bring with you. Create a space in your new place for memorabilia. For example, if you are retired, select a few items from your career to display on a shelf. If you have lost a loved one, create a collage of pictures or select the most meaningful items and display them together. Take pictures of other items you want to remember. Most importantly, feel confident that parting with objects will not dishonor a loved one or change your life's accomplishments.

Selecting Storage Containers

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1. BOXES - Use sturdy boxes that are the appropriate size for the items you want to put inside. For books, be sure to use small boxes, they get heavy quickly.
2. CONTAINERS - Plastic Rubbermaid containers are great for things that will sit a while as they are water resistant. Clear containers can also be useful since you can see what is inside.
3. ZIPLOC BAGS - Most important supply of all. Keep ample snack, quart, and gallon freezer bags around while packing. There are always little things that need to be kept together.
4. PLASTIC DRAWERS - Individual drawers or a set on wheels. These work great if you move a lot. Tape the drawers shut with blue painters tape.
5. LARGE TRASH BAGS - Use for transporting clothes a short distance. With clothes still hanging in the closet pull trash bag up over the clothes. Put a string through the hangers and pull the grouping of clothes off the rod. Lay them on their side.

Techniques For Labeling Boxes

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1. Write directly on the box (on the long and short sides) with a thick marker. Write which room it belongs in or the items that are inside.
2. Number the boxes and keep a master list of what is inside. This is especially useful for boxes that will be stacked in storage. You will be able to pinpoint the box faster if you need to open it and won't need to open everything to find what you are looking for.
3. Use Labels (3x5 cards/paper taped to boxes, name tags, large address labels).
4. Be consistent with the style/color of box for certain types of items. This could also distinguish the room the items belong in. Try not to mix the items in the boxes.
5. If you are splitting up your belongings, make sure to label them accordingly (i.e. storage/accessible, temp housing/final destination/storage, storage unit#, person 1/person 2).

Useful Packing Supplies

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1. Packing Tape/Dispenser, Box Cutter
2. Wrapping Supplies: blank newspaper print, foam separator sheets, paper towels, bubble wrap (small/large) with perforations and type that sticks to itself
3. Rope, Painters Tape,
4. Blankets/padding
5. Thick Marker, Labels, Regular Pens

Resources For Boxes

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1. Craigslist
2. Freecycle
3. Dialysis Centers - Dialysis patients go through an enormous amount of Peritoneal solution which comes in boxes that are great for books and magazines.
4. Dumpsters near retail stores or supermarkets
5. Office supply, hardware stores, self-storage, truck rental facilities, box stores

Change Of Address

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1. Create a directory on your computer to store documents related to moving.
2. Make a list of all the companies to contact to change your address. Keep this list handy for future moves. Write down the contact information and steps required for each company.
3. You can change your address online on the US Post Office website, http://www.USPS.com.
4. Some Financial institutions require written confirmation. Prepare a letter to mail/fax. Modify it slightly for each company and save it on your computer for the next time you move.
5. Many companies allow you to change your address online.