Moving sucks. It’s worse than doing your taxes, going to the dentist and that puff of air the doctor shoots in your eye at the optometrist. Combined. So why have I done it so many times you ask? Because I’ve had to.
I moved one time in my first 18 years of life. I grew up on one side of town until middle school, then moved about 15 minutes away. I didn’t change schools, lose friends or have any hard goodbyes. The only thing that changed was that I got to sleep in for 30 minutes since I didn’t have to take the bus.
Then I decided to go to college four hours away from home, which wouldn’t be the most convenient commute. And so the “Sierra’s Moving…again” saga began. During my four years in college, I had to move twice per year because I wasn’t allowed to stay in the dorms/campus apartments over the summer without paying a year’s worth of tuition in rent.
I was finally able to stay in one place for an extended period of time after graduating and accepting a job (two years is a long time with my track record), and I took advantage of the fact that I was living by myself in a two-bedroom apartment.
So when it came time to pack my books and my clothes (both a problem), along with the spare bedroom that had become a “catch all,” it was a good thing that I had so much experience in moving. Because I love to share, I’m gifting you with what I’ve learned (and haven’t learned).
Purge … then pack
If I know anything, it’s that I have too many clothes. And kitchen supplies. And bags. Oh, the bags. Before packing, host your own version of “The Purge.” Some people can do it in a day, but it takes me a few times of going through the closet to substantially reduce my clothing options, and the “but someday I might use it” items in the kitchen. The dress that hasn’t fit since high school but you have hopes? In the giveaway pile it goes. Do not pack anything that you know, for a fact, you do not want in your new home. Make a pile, then take a trip to the local thrift store, and do your good deed for the day. Or, if you want to make a few bucks, host a yard sale. Just get the pile out of your house before you plan to pack. Trust me. I didn’t do this and we had to take two trips on moving day, and it was way too hectic.
Once you’ve purged, think about how much space you’ll have in your new place, and then purge again. My first few moves, I gained space. I moved from sharing a dorm room, to sharing a room in an apartment, to moving into a two-bedroom apartment by myself. Let me just say, it was more than my book collection that grew exponentially. I took advantage of the fact that my new apartment had five closets, and had filled every single one of them within six months. Then, I decided to move into a house with my significant other (and his belongings, including another book collection) that is significantly smaller than anywhere I’ve lived before. With that in mind, no I didn’t get rid of any books, but I did decide to downsize my collection of sweaters, since they wouldn’t be necessary in sunny San Diego.
Label your boxes … well
Right now you think you’ll remember that when you wrote “kitchen” on that weirdly shaped box, you’ll remember that it has six plates, four cups, and the two mugs and coffee you’re desperately going to need on the first morning in your new place. Spoiler alert: You won’t. Be specific when labeling your boxes, no matter who makes fun of you for it. I even numbered my boxes of books so that I knew which books were meant for which shelf. Yes, I realize that I have a problem. Even if you use the color-coding system where each room has a specific color assigned to it, label more. Label, label, label.
Don’t pack all 700 books you own in 5 boxes
While it may seem more convenient to have less boxes, you’ll thank yourself when you’re on your 12th trip down the stairs that you decided to pack your boxes a bit lighter than what you could have handled on trips one and two. Another tip: plates are heavier than you think when you get 10 to 12 stacked together. Pack accordingly.
Buy more than one marker
Please, for the love of all that is good in the world, at least buy a two pack of markers to label your boxes, and two rolls of packing tape. You’ll thank me when you finish packing a room, with boxes piled three high from back to front, and you realize that you’ve left the pen and tape in the back left corner. Instead of scrambling over (and under) all of those boxes, just do yourself a favor and have an extra one (or five) handy. This is all a hypothetical situation of course.
Last tips
Some parting words of advice: don’t block the TV with boxes; sometimes it’s easier to roll your bags of clothes down the stairs instead of carrying them; books take up more room in boxes than on the shelves, plan accordingly; after you’ve gone through your belongings once, then twice getting rid of stuff, go through them a third time; and last, no matter how clean the moving truck company says the truck is, cover your white furniture with blankets.