6 Moving Tips to Save you Money and Time

Written by Wena Roeloffze I REALTOR, Lifestyle Expert and TV Host for The American Dream TV I Realty Club 74 I Brokered by Coldwell Banker Realty

Moving, whether it’s just down the block or across countries, is somewhat of a challenge. It is a daunting task that some us do a lot in our lives or try to avoid like the plague. Since you will be moving at some point in your life, there is no escaping it.

It all comes down to planning it out really. In this article I hope to inspire you to start the process with a less than frantic approach by following these easy steps.

Tip 1: Make a quick audit of what you have – Time Saver

Compile a list of what you have and what you will move.  You need a piece of paper on a clipboard or your smartphone to jot down what you have. Make 3 columns for each room or living space: big/heavy, easy packable and delicate/breakable. For example, in your bedroom, you would have bed, mattress and drawers marked down as heavy or big and clothing and shoes would be easily packable. Delicate or breakable would be your jewelry, artwork and decorating pieces. For the kitchen it could be a microwave that is big or heavy, pots and pans are easily packable and your fine China, vases and glasses would be delicate items.

Now that you have a full view of what you have, it makes it easier to determine what part of your move will be handled by professional movers or some muscles to get big stuff moved. It will also help to determine the amount of boxes you need as well as the time needed for the packing process. Some of us have loads of stuff we accumulated over the years and the process may take us slightly longer.

I know you just want to get packing now, but wait just one moment longer – there is another step before getting those boxes.

Tip 2: Throw out, donate or sell unwanted items – Money Saver

This step is crucial. Why would you move with items you will have no space for or no use for any longer? If you already know where you are moving to, make sure that couch or dining room set will fit into your new space. Make sure your new bedroom has ample space for 2 side tables and the dresser. If your new living arrangement will be temporary, consider storage options until you are sorted in a more permanent home.

In step 1, you made a full audit of what you have and you opened all closets and looked at all your furniture. Now go through it all again and envision your new space. Ask yourself if there is anything you haven’t used and most probably never will in your new home. I think we all have that one piece of weight loss equipment that went from bedroom to basement, from used to dust collector. Be honest now, I know you have one of those.

Before you pack a single thing, throw those items out, donate or sell. It will save you money and time. Don’t leave this for after the move – trust me, it never leaves your home afterwards!

Goodwill, Habitat 4 Humanity and junk removal companies are all great resources available to you.

Tip 3: Get your boxes together and get a quote from movers – Time and Money Saver

Both actions fall under this tip because you might want to know what the costs will be for the moving company to pack your things on your behalf. Realty Club 74 works with a lot of elderly people who are looking to downsize and are not in a physical capacity to pack, carry and unpack boxes. Also, having completed the audit in step 1 and already donated or sold unwanted items in step 2, this is where it is not only easier for the moving companies to give you a quote, but also determining the amount of boxes needed. This is handy so that you don’t have to calculate the boxes, the type or size.

Here is a link to a super-fast moving calculator to show you the amount of boxes and supplies needed with an estimated cost, without asking you for your email address or name: https://www.moving.com/moving-boxes/packing-calculator.asp.

Or go to UHAUL where they sell household packing kits: https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Boxes or rent packing bins: https://www.uhaul.com/Plastic-Moving-Boxes/. Other options are packing into PODS, hiring muscle for the day or renting your own truck for moving day.

The rental option of packing bins is such a great money saving option, and it keeps fragile items super safe. If you ever experienced a box breaking at the bottom, you would love investigating this option. []

You might also need a specialized moving company for a piano, a grandfather clock, that hot tub you cannot part with or an oversized mirror. To avoid bad luck for 7 years, best to get specialty movers for those items.

Tip 4: Pack your fragile and light stuff first – Time Saver

This may seem like a strange tip, but bear with me. I learned this from one of my clients who had a practical and easy way to get his home packed. He packed the lightest things first, marking the boxes with an “L” for light and also placed 2 stickers on the box. One sticker indicated the contents and the other indicated where the items come from, for example, L, bedroom, décor/lampshades.

Packing these light items first and placing the boxes at the back of the room, garage or pod, means that the moving company, your hired muscle or your friends will place these light boxes lastly in the container to be moved to your new place, with the medium boxes in the middle and the heavy ones right at the bottom. Packing the heavy stuff first into a container or truck, means your fragile items will not be damaged in the move. Clever hack, right?

It also serves a great purpose to put the second sticker on there for placement by the movers. If your items were packed from a bedroom, the chances are high that they will be placed in a new bedroom, just ready for your unpacking.

This step includes artwork. If you need any special packaging or care, make sure to point this out early in the process.

So, pack your light stuff first to make sure they don’t get mixed up with heavy boxes and end up at the bottom of a moving truck. Communicate this with the movers, so that everyone knows what “L” stands for. Not everything is meant to fit into the living room! Remember that audit you did in step 1, now you can see why that matters so much.

Tip 5: Label or Color your boxes or bins – Time Saver

Yes, I know that this takes some extra work, but you will be super happy you did this. As my client did, label your boxes and note the contents. No need to make this elaborate, simply indicate an item which will help you to know what could be in the box. Putting study on the label might be great if you have only one box, but not so great if you are looking for your lease agreement you accidentally packed in one of the 5 study boxes. Oops!

Another great tip is to get your kids involved (if you have any) to color-code their boxes, containing their toys. Place a color sticker on the door of the new room and the movers will know where those colored boxes have to be placed.

If you feel the need to be ultra private about your belongings, use color codes on the boxes and keep a file on hand telling you which color contains which contents. Color is also easier than reading and a fun way of making this job a bit more light-hearted. This will save you incredible time in unpacking and organizing after the move.

Tip 6: Don’t forget about the plants – Money Saver

My last tip is all about nature. If you are moving from a big garden to a small one or even no garden, decide if you would like to have a houseplant from your garden or replant a special piece of nature at your new residence. Plan this part carefully. If you only want to take the pots without the plants, make sure to replant or donate them, clean the pots and prepare them for being moved. That’s usually the forgotten part of a move and I hear a lot of people telling me they wish they thought about it sooner.

If you only have the need for a plastic look-alike, decide if your current one needs a dusting or a replacement model – they only last that long. Plants can be difficult to move, so think about it wisely.

Moving day will be crazy and long. I hope these tips will save you a lot of time on moving day, as well as some hard-earned dollars. If you have any super ideas, please share with us.

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