41 Epic Moving Tips That Will Make Your Life So Much Easier

So you found a new home! Congratulations! It’s all wonderful and super exciting, but the moving part is not. Let’s face it. Moving from one place to another is stressful. There’re lots of difficult tasks and hassles which might make you stressed. That’s why we have created the top 41 moving tips to help you stay organized. These 41 moving tips and tricks are the most epic guide to staying you on track and ahead of moving woes.

Before You Move

1. Make a Perfect Checklist

Having a proper moving checklist is one of the main tasks in order to make relocation hassle-free and safe one. Make a perfect checklist of to-do-tasks. This will keep you stay organized. Keep each and every task on a calendar and try to accomplish them accordingly. You can find here a perfect Moving Checklist.

2. Clean the New Place

A good tidy-up required at your new home. Clean the bathroom, kitchen and other areas in your new home before you move in. You can hire professional cleaning services to make your new place neat and clean. To secure your new home pest, ensure proper pest control is done.

3. Make an Inventory of Items

Invest time in sorting the items. Sort items by their nature such as clothes, shoes, books, kitchenware, books, accessories, etc. You can also sort items by rooms such as kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, garage, and living room. These tasks done properly will help you manage the things at the time of packing, shifting and unpacking. Make a list of items you want to move. Also, make a list of those items you don’t want to carry.

4. Downsize Your Home Wisely

Declutter home smartly. Let’s be realistic. There is the sentimentality factor which comes in the way when you are trying to pursue items. There might be some items you are sentimentally attached to. You won’t like to pursue your hobby collection or your father’s favorite recliner. Try to keep sentimental items to a minimum. Make a list of items you don’t want to move. Short out in categories like Donation, Sell, and Trash.

5. Make Money on Stuff You Don’t Want to Move

Downsizing the home will save you money because the volume of goods is one of the main relocation cost affecting factors. Furthermore, you can also make money on stuff you don’t want to move. Sell old stuff online through sites like OLX, eBay, etc. If you don’t like selling stuff online, then host a garage sale at your home.

6. Donate Things to Friends/Neighbours/Charity

One of the best ways to downsizing home is donating items. You can donate usable items to your friends, neighbours or a local charitable organization. If you want to donate old stuff to charity, then there are several places and online websites with whom you can schedule a pickup. Don’t forget to ask for a receipt to claim a tax deduction!

Know more about where to donate items: Places to Donated Old or New Household Items

7. Trash Junks

If you’ve made all your efforts to get rid of items you don’t want to move. Still, you’ve some items which are useless for you. Probably, these are junks. You probably need to trash your junk.

8. Start Using up Foods and Cleaning Supplies

Professional moving companies don’t move foods, perishable items, and cleaning supplies. So, start using up frozen food, perishable items and cleaning supplies before the day of your move.

9. Get Rid of Hazardous & Inflammable items

No movers will agree to move hazardous and inflammable items. It is better to get rid of them earlier. Some non-allowable items are the following

• Acids & chemicals
• Petrol, kerosene & lamp oil
• Gas and propane tanks
• Cleaning solvents
• Fertilizers
• Nail polish & thinner
• Paints & paint thinner
• Fireworks
• Fire extinguisher
• Inverter batteries & car batteries
• Pesticides & poisons

Instead of just throwing away these things, try to find a recycling center in your area.

10. Visit your New Home to Take Measurements

Measure everything at your new home before your move. If your sofa set cannot fit in your new home, then you probably need to get rid of it. There is no sense of moving your sofa set. It’s better to sell or donate.

11. Start Searching for Reliable Packers and Movers

Finding a trusted moving company should be one of the main to-do-lists of your move. You won’t like to go with an inexperienced or fraud mover. Do proper research on this and plan your move with one of the right, reliable and experienced Packers and Movers that matches your needs and budget. Get recommendations. Consult your friends, colleagues, relatives, and neighbours. Ask them if they have used professional moving services.

Make a list of top companies. Check their credibility, experience, background, reputation, license, insurance, registration, and other credentials on your own. There are many reviews and rating websites which will give you an idea about the credibility of a professional moving company.

Popular sites to check reviews:

• Trustpilot
• Google Reviews
• Facebook Reviews
• SiteJabber
• Mouthshut

Shortlist top 3 packers and movers of your choice after checking reviews and verifying credentials.

12. Get In-home Estimates

Invite shortlisted companies to your current home on different days. Let them conduct a pre-move survey. Ask for written estimates. Make sure each and everything is clearly written in the estimate. If you’ve any doubt, then don’t hesitate to clear the same.

13. Finalize Movers and Establish Moving Date

You have three best quotes from top 3 companies in your city. Compare the quotes thoroughly – including the rates and quality of services. Choose the one that matches your needs at the size of your pocket. Then establish the moving date.

Important tip: Movingsolutions.in is one of the best portals to hire the best and trusted Packers and Movers in India. From this website, you can choose from pre-verified Movers and Packers within few minutes.

14. Schedule Move for the Middle of the Month or the Week

Did you know? Professional Packers and Movers charge higher prices for services when demand is at its highest point. So, consider this point when you need to schedule your move with professional moving services. Schedule your move for the middle of the month or the week to reduce the shifting charges.

15. Collect the Right Packing Supplies

If you have decided to pack your belongings, then collect the right packing supplies and boxes earlier. Have 25% extra packing materials than of actual requirements in order to avoid last minute shortage and hassles.

Required packing supplies and accessories are the following:

• Boxes (of different sizes)
• Dish-pack boxes
• Wardrobe boxes
• Utility packing boxes
• Bubble wraps
• Wrapping sheets
• Blank newsprint paper
• Old cotton clothes & blankets
• Knife & scissors
• Labeling stickers
• Permanent marker
• Packaging tapes

16. Make a List for the Change of Address

You’re moving to a new place. Hence, you need to make the change of address at many places such as a bank, insurance, credit card, and other subscriptions. Update your new address where it is required. If you are using a postpaid mobile, then you also need to update the new address to your mobile operator.

17. Notify Local Service Providers and Give a Notice to Them

Before your moving day, you also need to notify local service providers and cancel the subscription. Notify local service providers such as DTH service provider, cable operator, milk subscription, health club membership, gym, and a newspaper subscription. Also, give notice to them for the cancellation of subscription.

18. Notify Your Friends & Relatives and Ask for Help

Also, notify your friends and relatives about your move. Give them your new address and contact information. If you are sure that your friends or relatives can help you in packing for your move, then ask them for the same. It will be a great help on your move with no cost at all.

19. Collect Important Documents

Since you are moving to a new city, you will also need to change the school of your child. Notify the school and request for the transfer certificate and other required documents. Also collect medical, dental and veterinary records earlier.

20. Inform Your Landlord

If you are renting, then you must inform and give notice to your landlords about your move. Inform them as soon as possible so that you cannot face problem in getting your deposit back. Do required maintenances of your old house before leaving.

Hassle-free, Time-saving and Money-saving Packing Guide

21. Have a Proper Packing Plan & To-Do-List

Pack items of your home on the room by room basis. Pack one room at a time. Don’t mix items of one room with the items of another room to avoid difficulties in unpacking. Also, make sure items inside a box are of the same nature. For example, you should not pack general items and fragile items together to avoid damages.

22. Save Money on Moving Boxes

Buying fresh moving boxes can cost a significant amount of money. Collect boxes and cartons from your local grocery stores or chemists. They can give you either at free of cost or at nominal rates. If you are a regular customer and good relationship with them, you can manage to get the boxes at free of cost. So, don’t forget to ask your local retailers for their gently used boxes.

23. Use Old Newspapers to Wrap Items

Bubble wraps, wrapping sheets and packing peanuts come at high prices. Undoubtedly, they are good for packing and protecting fragile items, but you can use old newspapers to wrap items to save money. But beware of ink! Don’t pack expensive crockery set or silverware in the old newspaper because it can give an ugly mark on them.

24. Use Old Towels and Linens as Padding Materials

In lieu of expensive bubble wraps and wrapping papers, protect your dishes, kitchenware and other fragile items with old towels, clothing, and linens. You can also use clean socks as padding materials. Socks are good for protecting stemware and glasses.

25. Place Heavier Items First and Lighter Ones Later

While packing a box, make sure you keep heavier items first and lighter ones later to avoid damages. Pack in full and don’t leave empty space inside the box. Fill the empty space with wadded old newspaper, old towels or clothing.

26. Label Boxes Properly

Proper labeling will make unpacking a lot easier, saving you time. Label each box properly with appropriate tags. For example, if a box contains fragile items, then mark it with the tag – “FRAGILE ITEMS – HANDLE WITH CARE”. Use colorful labeling stickers to label the boxes. Write the contents of each box on the box.

Important Tip: Label the sides of the boxes. Labeling sides will help you read the labels even when the boxes are stacked.

27. Don’t Overweight a Box

Many people make a big mistake by making over weighting a box. As a result, they face difficulty whenever they need to lift. It’s better to keep the weight of a box reasonable so that you can easily lift whenever you need. Keep the weight of a box not more than 20 kg.

28. Pack Electronics & Appliances in Original Packing Supplies

If you have stored original packing supplies of your electronics and appliances, then use the same to pack. If you don’t have original packing supplies, then ask your movers for recommendations. They may suggest you for the right types of boxes and packing supplies. Read the user’s manual properly before handling appliances for the move.

29. Disassemble Furniture

Furniture is bulky. You may face difficulty in lifting such heavy items. So, it’s better to disassemble the furniture into pieces, if it is possible. Wrap each piece in old blankets to avoid scratches. Keep the screw and nuts safely in zippered bags and tape with the particular pieces.

30. Pack Jewelry on Your Own

Jewelries are items of high value for sure. You will never like to see damages to your precious jewelries. You won’t like your necklaces are earrings are tangled and knotted. Packing jewelries for a move is a big issue for many. But there are some smart tips by which you can protect your jewelries on your move. Use egg cartons, pill organizers, sunglass case, drinking straw, and sandwich bags to pack your jewelry and necklaces. These will protect your jewelry from knotting and tangling. These methods work fine and are preferred by many people on their move.

Important Tip: Don’t put your jewelry on the moving truck or along with other belongings to avoid the risk of damage and lost in transit. Keep safe and always carry with you.

31. Be Careful While Packing Fragile Items

You must take utmost care while packing fragile or highly breakable items such as dishes, chinaware, ceramic products mirrors, antiques, paintings, etc. Use extra layers of wrapping sheets and padding materials to protect fragile/breakable items. Make use of right size and right types of boxes such as dish pack boxes for dishes, wardrobe boxes for clothing, and mirror boxes for mirrors & paintings.

32. Be Careful with Your Plants

Although professional moving companies also offer plants moving services, inexperienced movers can expose your plants to the risk of getting hurt. If you are one of those people who don’t want to take any risk, they move your plants on your move. But be careful with your plants and make them ready for the move with due attention. Move them on your car, if you can. Or make a proper travel arrangement for the plants.

33. Pack Decorative Items on Your Own

Many people are sentimentally attached to their decorative items. They don’t want to see even a minor scratch on such stuff. Decorative items are also expensive and fragile. So, for complete satisfaction, pack your decorative items by yourself. Use bubble wraps and padding materials in good quantity to protect the decorative items. You can pack items like wedding gifts, antique pieces, showpieces, pots, candle stands, decorative lamps, photo-frames, paintings, collectibles etc.

34. Pack Documents by Yourself

Documents are irreplaceable items for everyone. You will neither like damage or loss of your important documents and paperwork in transit. You will never like to expose important credentials by letting professional movers to pack them. So, pack your documents on your own, keep safe and carry safely.

Consider these documents to pack on your own:

• Saving Account Passbook
• Bank Cheque Books
• ATM/Debit Cards & Credit Cards
• Life Insurance Papers
• Vehicle Insurance Papers
• Identity Cards like PAN and AADHAAR
• Passport
• Business Contract Papers
• Lease Papers or Property Papers
• Medical and Dental Records
• School/college certificates
• Marriage Certificate
• Birth Certificates

35. Pack an Essential Box and Label with tag “OPEN ME FIRST”.

The first night in your new home can be chaotic. You may feel exhausted and downhearted at your new place in searching the items of necessity. But having an essential box (open me first box) will be a great aid for you at your new home. So, pack an essential box with essential items and label the box with the tag “OPEN ME FIRST” for easy identification. Also, ask every member of your family to pack their own open first box with essential items.

Here are what items you should pack in your open first box.

• Water bottles
• Disposable plates, cups, and mugs
• Paper towels, tissue papers, etc.
• Non-perishable snacks and foods
• Soap, shampoo, and conditioner
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Handwash, Hand Soap, & Deodorant
• Bathroom Towels
• Bed sheets, blankets & pillows
• A set of or two of clothing for every member
• Mobile phone charger
• An extension cord
• Prescription medicines
• Children’s items & toys
• Basic tools like a knife, scissors, torch, etc.
• Personal items
• Books and magazines

36. Do These Tasks 1 Week Before Your Move

• Review all the tasks you have done earlier.
• Make sure you have a great job.
• Packing is done correctly, and boxes are labeled properly with appropriate tags.
• Empty, unplug and defrost refrigerator 24 hours before the moving day.
• Make sure you’ve canceled services – subscription of milk, newspaper, and magazine.

Take a backup of computer files. Carefully pack a laptop, computer, and electronics.

37. Be Present on the Day of the Move

On the moving day, when movers arrive at your home, be present. Walk through the entire house with moving crews. Clarify any special detail and instruction. Make sure nothing is left behind. Check each and every corner of the home. Relax, and see how moving crews work for your hassle-free shifting. Don’t forget to offer them tea and snacks.

38. Assemble Furniture, Electronics & Appliances First at Your New Home

Now you are in your new home with all your belongings. To settle in your new home, the first thing you need to do is assembling furniture and appliances first for comfortable living. Call a professional service provider for easy & quick installations. You can give priority to these items.

• Television & DTH umbrella
• Refrigerator
• Fan, Cooler and Air Conditioner
• Inverter for Power Backup
• Beds, Sofa and Chairs

39. Order Foods Online For the First Day at Your New Home

At first day at your new home, you will be busy in several tasks such as unpacking boxes and assembling furniture & appliances. You may not have time to cook food. Thus, order food online for that day.

You can order food online from these sites & apps:

• Swiggy
• Food Panda
• Zomato
• Uber Eat

40. Order Grocery Online for the First Day/Week

You may need grocery items at your new home. You may find difficulty in having time for grocery shopping. There are many online portals and mobile apps from where you can order grocery items including fresh vegetables and fruits.

Important sites/apps to order grocery online:

• Bigbasket.com
• Grofers.com
• Naturebaskets.in
• Amazon.in
• Flipkart.com

41. Smart Packing Tips and Ideas

• Invest in vacuum or space bags to reduce the storage space and decrease the number of boxes.
• Wrap the refrigerator in plastic wrap to keep the doors from opening during transit.
• Take a snap of your electronic cables, back of the TV and other electronic devices before you pack and make ready for the move.
• Place knives inside an old oven mitt to prevent injuries.
• Stack ceramic plates vertically like you would place in a dish rack. This will prevent them from breaking.
• Create handles in your boxes using a box cutter for easy lifting and handling.
• Be careful while packing your antiques, paintings, mirrors and other fragile items.
• Pack documents and items of high volume on your own and carry with you only.
• Start packing with out-of-season and non-essential items.
• Use a clear plastic bin to pack the items you will need first at your new home.
• Wrap fragile items in clothing and linens to save on expensive bubble wraps and wrapping papers.
• Fill the nail holes in your previous home with a bar of soap.
• Change your address at least two weeks prior to moving.

That’s all folks! You have got 41 wonderful moving tips to make the moving process hassle-free.