packing tips?

[ktgrok]

It looks like this is likely actually going to happen...and in 11 days! 

I haven't moved in FOREVER and then it was never much stuff. 

Also we are increasing from 2 bathrooms to 4 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms to 6 bedrooms (one will be an office) plus a school room/loft area. So right there I need more shower curtains, small trash cans, cleaning supplies, bath mats, etc. 

I'm trying to figure out what needs to be in the "move first, open right away" category. 

Toilet paper, hand soap (need more!), coffee pot and coffee and mugs, (maybe buy some disposable plastic cups, paper coffee mugs, paper plates, silverwear, etc and put in a bag/box?)

Thoughts?

[prairiewindmomma]

Are you moving over a period of days or in one fell swoop?

First step, once you get the keys: clean it. Clean the carpets. Clean the light fixtures. Wipe out the fridge and all of the closets. Even if it looks move in ready, you want it all sanitized. If you have issues about changing toilet seats, change them now.  Also, change the locks including the garage code. Make sure you have access to the mailbox. So, the move first items are actually all cleaning supplies, including paper towels and toilet paper and hand soap. I bring over bath towels + 1 shower curtain in that same load for at least one bathroom because being hot and sweaty and dirty while moving is a thing. Keep a supply at both houses if you are having an overnight where you own two houses.

If you are moving all in one day, pack suitcases for the kids with their stuff.  They will need bedding that is clean also. So, launder the bedding in the old house first if they don't have two sets. In their suitcase, I pack an iPad + toys + 3 days worth of clothes.  We have had the washer and dryer hookup people have to delay before, so I always make sure it's 3 days, and not just an overnight.

Beyond that, my first day box stuff includes dishwasher pods, trash bags, and the internet router. I know that sounds dumb, but I hand my kids iPads and they watch Netflix while I unpack if they are under 10. (If they are over 10, they are old enough to be helpful.)

 

 

[Katy]

I’d put cleaning stuff in the car to clean before you move in. Then a suitcase of most-important stuff for each person, the coffee maker & supplies, and cooking stuff.  You can use paper plates & disposable stuff, but you will need at least a pot, pan, colander, knife, cutting board, spatula, and wooden spoon.

Easy snack foods.  A cooler full of stuff kids are happy to make themselves so they can eat when hungry. DH usually goes to the closest grocery store with a decent deli & buys an assortment of salads. 

Mattresses and bedding.  
 

The rest whenever you get to it.

[HomeAgain]

For us, the first things moved go in two bins:
Kitchen stuff - you've already been given good lists
Bedroom stuff: pillows, air mattresses, sleeping bags or sheets.

And a roll of toilet paper.  DO NOT FORGET THE TOILET PAPER.

 

Everything else can be worked around. 🙂

[Corraleno]

What does the transition look like? Are you planning to move everything in a day, or spread over a few days? Hiring a moving company or renting a U-Haul and having friends/relatives help out for a few days? Are you planning to put your current home on the market empty, or leave some furniture behind for staging? Are you planning to do any painting (including touch up painting if the previous owners are removing things like curtain rods, mirrors, large paintings, or other heavy objects that may leave holes in the wall), replacing any carpet or flooring, replacing light fixtures, etc., in the new house? If so I would gather supplies for those things and set aside a day or two to get those done before moving any furniture over. 

[lmrich]

Besides what you mentioned I put the following in my car along with cleaning supplies - 

I make a box or bag for each bathroom that has soap, toilet paper, and towels. In one of the boxes I pack a clean plunger (you don't want to need one when you don't have one..) and a box for the kitchen that has paper towels and more soap 

Pack drinks and snacks for move in day. 

Non slip mats for the door you are using on moving day. You can even buy sticky paper to put down 

Scissors and garbage bags 

Scissors and shelf liner (although this can wait - last two moves - I unpacked my kitchen boxes and then lived in the house a few days and then rearranged the kitchen and that is when I put the shelf paper down) 

phone chargers

And because of my food allergies I pack a crockpot and food in it that I can eat - everyone else got pizza! And I packed breakfast - breakfast sandwiches. Remember paper plates and utensils you will need for those first few meals. 

a step ladder you can also sit on or a stool

first aid kit

a bottle of champagne! 

Congratulations 😊😊

 

 

[cintinative]

My possibly unhelpful advice is: don't forget to pack the garage.  We had a detached garage and although there wasn't much in there, there was stuff, and we totally forgot about it. 

Make sure you leave cleaning stuff out. Once your current house is empty you will want to clean it (unless you hire a cleaner). Ditto with the floor cleaners/vacuum. 

Also, make sure you know where you packed the tylenol/ibuprofen/thermometer/Ox meter, etc. because kids' viruses have a way of showing up just when you have the least access to these things.  😃

[Lecka]

For kids under 8 — we have done everything possible to get their bedrooms 100% as quickly as possible.  It can really help them settle in.  It helps them to sleep.  
 

I don’t worry about sanitizing.  But light fixtures can be pretty dusty without looking dusty.  I do like to wipe them before feeling like old dust gets on things.  I have moved into two pretty dusty houses that were clean overall but nobody had cleaned ceiling fans or light fixtures.  I would prioritize that if possible.  If not it’s not the end of the world.

 

If kids are older I would clean more etc, first, but I want kids to sleep well or have the best possible shot!  I care more about it than cleaning.  It is probably not worse than using a public restroom (which is use).  
 

I think prioritize where you want your energy to go.  If it’s cleaning and then you lose energy — clean first.  If it’s getting certain things unpacked and then you lose energy — unpack certain things first.

 

Unpacking the kitchen is a very high propriety to me also, plus bedroom closets.  It makes things so much easier.  

[prairiewindmomma]

For moving day, don't forget the tool set.

We generally use it for popping doors off of their hinges (for that extra inch of clearance--I'd like to say we don't need to do that and then we always need to, for hooking up the washer and dryer (including a new stainless steel hose & a new dryer hookup kit!), and for putting together bunk beds.

If you haven't checked if your dryer hookup is three prong or four prong, check now.  We've had to replace the dryer cord once. It's easier to do that than to rewire the outlet.

We also, at move in, change the toilet hoses to stainless steel if they are currently plastic, seal granite countertops, and redo caulking in the bathroom and kitchen if needed, change the HVAC filters, fridge filters, and RO filters. We check to make sure the water softener is ok also. Any repainting also happens upfront. There's no point in dealing with moving and draping furniture when you can just start with an empty room. Some things are just so much more of a PITA to do later.

If the bedrooms aren't coming with curtains, you need them or you need to have paper to line the windows with.

[ktgrok]

Good point about cleaning stuff - It's pretty clean, but will want to wipe things down especially in bathrooms/kitchen/etc. 

Walls were all freshly painted. 

We can move over several days or longer - but need to get stuff over as quickly as we can so we can start on painting the old house and putting in new flooring so we can sell it ASAP. (yes, it needs flooring and paint - even realtor said so). 

We will likely hire someone to come do a big cleaning on the old house, but we will need to do some first so we aren't paying for more than we need to. I'll make sure we leave cleaning supplies at the old house, have trash bags and toilet paper for both houses, etc. 

I love the idea of packing a suitcase with clothes for a few days! So smart!And we can put favorite doll in there as well. 

[lmrich]

49 minutes ago, cintinative said:

My possibly unhelpful advice is: don't forget to pack the garage.  We had a detached garage and although there wasn't much in there, there was stuff, and we totally forgot about it. 

 

The garage is the worst - it takes FOREVER! 

 

I saw that you are painting your old house. I have been painting our new mountain cabin this week. I purchased the more expensive can of paint (Behr Dynasty) - not the most expensive. But WOW! it was worth the extra $8 a gallon. Covered in one coat and went on so smooth. You can recoat if needed in two hours, but I just had to do some touch up. I also bought wool rollers and again, wow, what a difference from the cheap ones. The same can be said for a paintbrush - worth it to buy a good one. I also used brush cleaner for the first time, and I will always use that from now on, too. 

[Faith-manor]

I have no advice except, stock up on booze and chocolate! 😁

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Also we are increasing from 2 bathrooms to 4 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms to 6 bedrooms (one will be an office) plus a school room/loft area. So right there I need more shower curtains, small trash cans, cleaning supplies, bath mats, etc. 

I would start with using only one or two bathrooms in the new house until you've finished flooring and painting in the old house. You don't need to worry about cleaning extra bathrooms. You can buy the rest of this stuff on a regular trip out for supplies. In a pinch, a small box lined with a plastic grocery bag will make a fine temporary trash can, or even a plastic grocery bag attached to the bathroom door knob. :-) 

[Harriet Vane]

Don't take several days. It becomes a never-ending vortex of chaos. Neither house will be clean, clear, or organized. Get everything over to the new house in one day. Unpack your bathroom and kitchen, put sheets on the beds, and let the kids live out of their suitcases. 

Then work on your empty house because it's important to get it on the market. 

LABEL EVERYTHING.

[Longtime Lurker]

Not really a packing tip, but... decide which kid gets which bedroom before moving and talk up the advantages of each bedroom to its respective owner. This will make the moving process smoother 🙂

[Tap]

I agree about spending a day cleaning and organizing the new house. Get things measured ahead of time if you can, ordered (not all showers or window are standard sized) and delivered to the new house from Amazon or what ever company you prefer on the day you move in. You don't need all the bathrooms or curtains up and going the first day, but if you can, it makes everything so much easier to install in an empty house.  Do a grocery pickup and start to figure out where things will go. Use sticky notes to label cupboards/drawers so everyone can help, without driving you bonkers asking where everything goes. A day of planning, can make a big difference. I don't actually like to move much the first day unless I absolutely have to. Take some time to get things situated, so you can make the move in less chaotic.  Figure out bed placement, dressers etc. Draw it on a paper and stick it to the door to that room. Moving day is so exhausting for person directing everyone. Pre-planning really helps with this. I stayed at the new house, and boxes were delivered to me and I told people where to put them. I don't like to clean the old house as I go. I would rather clean it all at once when it is empty. It is so much faster and easier. 

When we moved from a house that was smaller to twice the size, we did two things. One room was closed off and nothing went in it. Seriously. I didn't want stuff spread out everywhere. We moved from a house with a tiny living room, to a bonus room, living room, family room and dining room. We used one room as a staging room for boxes that really didn't have a home yet or just didn't need to be dealt with right away.  Boxes of important documents, holiday decorations, winter gear etc.  One of the rooms downstairs became the play room and it gave the kids a place to hang out that was close to everyone else, but not right on top of me while I was unpacking boxes.  

We moved in one day, so it all needed to go somewhere....quick. Moving over a few days, helps to break up the chaos but also makes it drag on forever. LOL 

I lived in 10 homes in 10 years with my family and moved 4 times in 6 moths with dh as an adult. Moving smoothly is a fine art, but can be done with some planning. 

 

NUMBER ONE THING>>>>>>>>CHANGE THE LOCKS  and GARAGE CODE!!!!!!!  Do not move in a single thing before you do this!!   I had a friend who got robbed the first week she moved into a new house. The locks were changed, but they forgot to change the garage code and reprogram the remotes. They think the thief had a garage door opener because there was no evidence of a break in. 

[MercyA]

If you're doing your own packing, these are my must-haves:

A big package of packing paper. So, so helpful for filling in the gaps in boxes, wrapping fragile items, etc. 

Plenty of size "small" moving boxes for books and other heavy things.

Several jumbo size Sharpies.

Lots and lots of packing tape.

Moving blankets for wood furniture.

Shrink wrap--very useful for protecting upholstered furniture, keeping the drawers shut on dressers and cabinets, holding moving blankets on furniture.

Furniture sliders--can be handy for positioning heavy items.

Mattress bags with handles.

Hand trucks.

Congrats!

Edited October 12, 2021 by MercyA

[Starr]

If you are renting how do you go about getting locks changed? Or can you?

[Lecka]

As far as kids — some kids are sad to see the old house looking empty.  I would take pictures and then minimize them being there. 
 

One of my kids is a sensitive mover — sad to see things empty, sad to see things in boxes, etc, etc.  

 

Its nothing to underestimate.

 

My other two kids are not this way, but they will miss things I would never think of like a tree, something about the yard, etc.  
 

I don’t over-do pictures or reminiscences, for them, but it can come up even a year or two later.  And for those two it is always a nice memory even if they do miss something.

 

The other one I have to pass off to my husband, because he also moved as a child and has that in common.  I lived in the same house from 6 months old to age 17 — and my Mom is in the same house now.  It is just not an experience I have.

 

For my sensitive mover he is sensitive even with same-city moves that do not seem like they would be disruptive to him.  
 

And under age 8 he would have sleep issues.

 

My other two kids have never had sleep issues over anything.  They just go to sleep and sleep through the night.  

[Lecka]

I do think it’s worth it to make time for library books about moving or a favorite show with an episode about moving.

Little kids may not even know what it means to move and benefit from seeing the whole process.

 

For my sensitive mover I think it was harder on him than the birth of siblings!  (Edit:  I don’t remember the birth of siblings being hard on him tbh.)

Edited October 12, 2021 by Lecka

[ktgrok]

38 minutes ago, MercyA said:

If you're doing your own packing, these are my must-haves:

A big package of packing paper. So, so helpful for filling in the gaps in boxes, wrapping fragile items, etc. 

Plenty of size "small" moving boxes for books and other heavy things.

Several jumbo size Sharpies.

Lots and lots of packing tape.

Moving blankets for wood furniture.

Shrink wrap--very useful for protecting upholstered furniture, keeping the drawers shut on dressers and cabinets, holding moving blankets on furniture.

Furniture sliders--can be handy for positioning heavy items.

Mattress bags with handles.

Hand trucks.

Congrats!

I have packing paper being delivered tomorrow 🙂. We have bubble wrap and tons of boxes in small, medium, and large. Lots of sharpies, and I've made labels for the boxes with the room and a number. Lots of hand tear packing tape. Never heard of mattress bags, will look that up! And the shrink wrap. 

20 minutes ago, Lecka said:

As far as kids — some kids are sad to see the old house looking empty.  I would take pictures and then minimize them being there. 
 

One of my kids is a sensitive mover — sad to see things empty, sad to see things in boxes, etc, etc.  

 

Its nothing to underestimate.

 

My other two kids are not this way, but they will miss things I would never think of like a tree, something about the yard, etc.  
 

I don’t over-do pictures or reminiscences, for them, but it can come up even a year or two later.  And for those two it is always a nice memory even if they do miss something.

 

The other one I have to pass off to my husband, because he also moved as a child and has that in common.  I lived in the same house from 6 months old to age 17 — and my Mom is in the same house now.  It is just not an experience I have.

 

For my sensitive mover he is sensitive even with same-city moves that do not seem like they would be disruptive to him.  
 

And under age 8 he would have sleep issues.

 

My other two kids have never had sleep issues over anything.  They just go to sleep and sleep through the night.  

I am actually a sensitive mover! Never put it that way, but I totally am. I STILL dream about places I lived as a little kid. And have a lot of homesickness for places, etc. It does make me sad to see a place empty, I'm not looking forward to it. I'm sure at least one of my kids will be the same. I'm hoping having cousins so close will help, but expect to be hugging, and reminding them that "you can feel more than one thing, and that's okay" or whatever the Daniel Tiger song is. 

16 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I do think it’s worth it to make time for library books about moving or a favorite show with an episode about moving.

Little kids may not even know what it means to move and benefit from seeing the whole process.

 

For my sensitive mover I think it was harder on him than the birth of siblings!  (Edit:  I don’t remember the birth of siblings being hard on him tbh.)

SUCH a good idea! I didn't even THINK of getting some books! Thank you!

And yeah, my kids were fine with siblings, but I think this will be hard on some of them. 

[Annie G]

When we moved cross country we had a roll of masking tape in red, yellow, and green. I put a little piece on each box, to indicate whether it needed to be opened right away(green), second priority (yellow), or whenever (red) for things that truly didn’t matter for quite a while. It really helped us with unpacking. In your case I’d just do green. It sounds silly, but if you need to unpack clothes and school materials (green), it’ll irritate you if the kids start unpacking 15 boxes of stuffed animals(yellow)instead of what they really need. 
 

The other thing I did was draw a not to scale layout of the rooms and decide where the furniture was going to go. You can change it later, but thoughtful pre-planning will make move in faster because there won’t be delays and you contemplate where the dresser or whatever goes.  We ended up changing two things- the orientation of our dresser in our closet, and we ended up putting the China cabinet on the opposite wall we originally planned. Pretty good for a house with 11 rooms! (We  had movers and unloading went quickly and if I hadn’t been prepared it would have been so disorganized.  Also, talking about where beds and such will go is a good way to get kids involved  and feeling like they have a real part in this adventure.

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, Annie G said:

When we moved cross country we had a roll of masking tape in red, yellow, and green. I put a little piece on each box, to indicate whether it needed to be opened right away(green), second priority (yellow), or whenever (red) for things that truly didn’t matter for quite a while. It really helped us with unpacking. In your case I’d just do green. It sounds silly, but if you need to unpack clothes and school materials (green), it’ll irritate you if the kids start unpacking 15 boxes of stuffed animals(yellow)instead of what they really need. 
 

The other thing I did was draw a not to scale layout of the rooms and decide where the furniture was going to go. You can change it later, but thoughtful pre-planning will make move in faster because there won’t be delays and you contemplate where the dresser or whatever goes.  We ended up changing two things- the orientation of our dresser in our closet, and we ended up putting the China cabinet on the opposite wall we originally planned. Pretty good for a house with 11 rooms! (We  had movers and unloading went quickly and if I hadn’t been prepared it would have been so disorganized.  Also, talking about where beds and such will go is a good way to get kids involved  and feeling like they have a real part in this adventure.

Ooh, great idea! Will order tape now!