10 Tips: Things Most Families Forget During a Move

Moving is a big and stressful event, made even more stressful when you are trying to move yourself and your family. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving across the entire country or you are just down the street, moving takes a lot more time and planning than most people think. But, if you have a solid plan and prepare for the unexpected, the entire moving process can be a lot easier.

10 Things Many Families Forget When Moving

Since a large part of being prepared for moving is just making sure that you don’t forget anything, we’ve assembled a valuable list of things that many families often forget when moving. Let’s take a look at some of the top things that most families forget when they are moving.

Moving Tip 1. It’s Going to Cost More than You Think

One of the biggest things families forget when they are moving is that it will often cost more than they think. Whether you forget about all of the materials that you need for packing, the moving truck or costs of equipment rentals, know that moving can be a spendy process.

Moving Tip 2. Organization is Worth Every Minute

Waiting until the last minute to try and throw all of your stuff into a car or truck with no organization or method to your madness will only lead to a stressful and inefficient move. Make sure that you take time to plan, organize, and map out the entire process to save yourself from wasting time and energy with guessing and replanning when unexpected challenges arrive.

Moving Tip 3. Move it Right the First Time

If you haven’t made a big move with your family before, it might surprise you to learn that most families go through the process twice. The first move is spent moving everything to their new home, and the second move is when they have to rearrange boxes and furniture inside their home. To save yourself time and energy, make sure that you know exactly where every box and piece of furniture is going to go beforehand so that you only have to move it once.

Moving Tip 4. Don’t Forget Your Food

Make sure that you don’t forget about the food you have in your pantries and refrigerator. One of the best ways to do that is to make sure that you eat as much of the food left in your old house before your move. Then, take some time to plan the meals that you are going to eat over the two to three weeks before your move.

Moving Tip 5. Packing the Little Stuff is the Hardest

Keep in mind that moving the big stuff life beds and couches can be physically demanding, but packing the little stuff is the most tedious and time-consuming. You might not think you have a lot of stuff in your house, but when you start unloading all of your storage spaces and emptying out the drawers and cabinets, organizing and packing the items found there will take the longest.

Moving Tip 6. Getting Rid of the Junk

One of the biggest things most families forget to do (or forget to make time for) before they move is to get rid of their junk first. Make sure that you get rid of all of the stuff you aren’t using in your house before you move, and you will eliminate a lot of the time that it takes to pack. Donate your clothes and any items you aren’t using to a good cause. Have a garage sale or a yard sale to sell some of the things that you don’t want to help defray the cost of moving.

Moving Tip 7. Measure Twice

Think that your table, fridge or cabinets are going to fit somewhere? Make sure that you bust out the measuring tape and double check before you start moving any of the big stuff.

Moving Tip 8. Label Everything

A simple way to make your life easier when moving is to label everything. Label every box by what room or what location it needs to go into your new house, that way when you’re unloading you will know where to place each box.

Moving Tip 9. Keep Your Tools Handy

Don’t bury your tools at the bottom of some box – keeping your tools close and available is essential when moving. Make sure that you keep your tools easily accessible at all times when moving; it isn’t a bad idea to carry your toolkit with you in the cab of the van or truck that you are using to move.

Moving Tip 10. It’s Going to Take More Time Than You Think

Last but certainly not least, just know that moving is going to take more time than you think. It may not look like you have much, but you’ll find out otherwise quickly. Make sure to budget plenty of time for your move, and pre-plan as much as you possibly can to make it easier for yourself.