I'm moving out of my apartment this week, and although I'll be moving less than a block away, the moving process is still enough for me to be stressed. My address will be on the same street as it was before, but I'll be living with some new people and I'll be making new memories. I accumulated a lot of items this past year, meaning I have to bring all of that right over, but thanks to a few of these tips, packing and moving doesn't seem as difficult as it was the first time.
1. If you have a boyfriend, get him to take down wall decor for you. If not, be extremely careful taking down heavy items. Remember, safety comes first.
I am very thankful that Griffin visited this past weekend so that not only do I get to see him for the first time in three weeks, but also I get to use him to my advantage and take down my wall decor. I have a lot of it. From curtains to hanging shelves, he did it all. And if you are reading this, I thank you very much, Griffin.
2. If you are taking down wall decor, put the screws or nails you used, into a ziplock baggie, and label what they are used for.
By doing this you can save time and effort that would be used to trying to figure out what goes to what. With this tip, everything is nice and organized, just the way I like it. Now, this may seem a little extreme, but once I ziplock the screws for each item, I put them in a box or bigger ziplock bag and label them "screws for walls/whatever." It helps.
3. Wrap your plates/dishes/whatever you call them.
Even if you are moving just across the street like me, wrapping them cannot prevent breakage. This is a rather safe or sorry method.
4. Pack an overnight bag for the night before you move.
Ideally, you want everything packed and ready to go before you move. Including your clothes. But you don't wanna wear dirty clothes you wore the day before, so duh. Pack a bag full of everything you may need, toothbrush and all.
5. Take packing room by room.
I started off packing clothes I never wear much, then moved on to packing things under my bed, in my closet, etc. Once I was done with my bedroom, I moved into the kitchen. The living room, the bathroom, whatever order worked, just so that I felt a sense of gratitude once I finished a room.
6. Go get tons of boxes.
When I first moved away from home, I swore that I had enough boxes. WRONG. I will admit that I had a decent amount, but surely not sufficient enough for moving all the stuff I have. Go to Publix or some other grocer and ask for some boxes that they may not use anymore, typically they will give them to you with pleasure because it takes that hassle of their hands. Not only that, but you are reusing items for better usage.
7. Label ALL of your boxes. Make a list.
Yes, I am OCD. I know. But seriously, having everything extremely organized will surely help in the long run. Plus if you have other people helping you, digging through your boxes, they may not know where they go.
8. Take a trash bag to all your clothes. Well, not literally, but you get the idea.
For hanging clothes, take a trash bag and poke a hole through the bottom of it, and slide the hanger through making an easily accessible way to organize your hanging clothes, but making them virtually clean too.
9. Eat all perishable items in your fridge/freezer before you move.
#1 you're saying money by not going out and eating, but also making it less stuff to transfer over to the new place. It's a win-win.
In the long haul, just relax. It will get overwhelming at times, all the stuff you have accumulated and such, but you'll get through it. Plus, just think of how nice the end look will be when you move out of the old and into the new apartment. If I can do it, so can you.
