Moving Tips

The process of moving can be stressful no matter the scenario. Packing up your home to relocate across the country, moving your teen’s belongings into the dorms, or getting ready to refinish your newly renovated home all require plenty of coordination.

There are, however, many ways to make the relocation process a lot more seamless. At Brinks Home™, we offer moving tips and tricks designed with any type of move in mind, whether you need apartment moving ideas for your 900-square-foot space or easy packing tips for a six-bedroom home in the suburbs.

Plan way ahead of time

Are you a serial procrastinator or more of a seasoned list maker? Either way, you’ll need to be prepared for your move well before the actual relocation occurs.

• Make a moving packing list. There’s nothing more satisfying for some of us than making a list and crossing off items as you complete them. Your moving checklist should include a timeline of what you need to do right away, tasks for several weeks out, and day-of to-dos.

• Have movers lined up. Begin researching movers in your area and getting quotes. Demand for movers, packers, and rental trucks skyrockets in the late spring and summer months, so plan accordingly.

• Purchase packing supplies. Stock up on bubble wrap, tissue paper, packing tape, and boxes from local businesses, home improvement stores, family and friends, or online sales pages.

• Get your utilities in order. Notify your electric, gas, water, sewer, internet and cable, home security monitoring service, trash, and mail services of your moving date, and set up appointments to have utilities connected in your new apartment or home.

• Minimize your belongings. Clean out your pantry, donate items from your drawers and closets, have a yard sale, or list unwanted items on Facebook marketplace. Your grandmother’s dated TV stand you’ve hauled from house to house and don’t have a place to put? Get rid of it instead of moving it yet again.

How to pack efficiently for a move

Wondering when you should start packing for a move? Once you’ve got a closing date on your new place, it’s go time, even if you aren’t actually relocating for a month or more. Here are a few packing tips for moving:

• Measure everything before you move it. That sectional sofa may work well in your current space, but if it’s not going to fit in your new home, sell it or donate it.

• Pack by room. It’s easy to overwhelm yourself with the enormous task of packing up an entire home or apartment. Break packing down by room. This technique allows you to group the items and makes unpacking easier, too.

• Use labels or labeled tape. Many big-box stores sell colored tape labeled with room names. This takes the guesswork out of what goes where. Make sure you clearly mark any fragile items, too.

• Take photos. Before sealing that box of kitchen utensils, snap a picture on your phone. That way you can easily locate your favorite spatula. Unplugging all those cords from the back of your computer? Take a photo of the configuration so you can easily set your equipment back up later. Images also help document the condition of an item in case it gets damaged during the moving process.

• Package your hardware. When unscrewing the legs off a side table, for instance, affix a clear plastic bag to the tabletop so you have all the screws, legs, and tools stay with that piece of furniture.

• Pack smarter. Pack your stemware in clean socks; tightly wrap your full dresser drawers and kitchen utensil containers in plastic wrap to keep all the contents in place. Use paper towel holders to avoid tangled cords and wires. These little hacks make the headaches of untangling cables and sorting silverware much easier.

• Store essentials together. Pack must-have documents, bedsheets, snacks, electronics, daily medications, phone chargers, toiletries, towels, and clothes in essentials bags and boxes to have the immediate necessities on hand throughout the moving and unpacking processes.

A little planning, organization, and smarter packing strategies allow you to make the moving process much less stressful. When you’re ready to set up your new home’s security system, contact Brinks Home.

Jason Stevens is a senior writer for Brinks Home. He is a "tech guy" who enjoys sharing home security and automation tips with others.