Recently I had begun the process that most people probably have done before, the dreaded move. Moving seems to be one of the most aggravating processes we encounter as human beings because it involves literally packing up our lives and physically relocating. This process can be quite daunting depending on how much you have to move, where, and how much money it could cost. I wanted to share some of the techniques I recently used to expedite my move and make it a little easier on you.

Make a list

Making a list can save time not so much in the beginning but at that critical stage of loading and heading out on the road. I found myself referring to it constantly and it reaffirmed my worries that I had forgot something. So what is on the list? Well I started out big items first. Most of which were all furniture but you could prioritize as necessary. Running down the big items and going to the smaller ones helps to make sure you have everything accounted for. As well if you have some boxes already packed you can label those right away so you don’t have to double back later on wondering if your stuffed rabbit was packed yet. Another way later on I wanted to order my list was by room. This is helpful for larger apartments or houses. It really depends on how you think about items in your living space and how you would organize them in terms of importance.

Box items by room

After making a list I tried to box my items by room. I know what your saying what if you organized your list by large items. Well I thought about where I might be putting these items in my new place and organized in that matter. I did use some boxes for just high priority which worked out well. Make sure to fully label each box so you know exactly what is in it. This is extremely helpful for when you decide what items you need to be more careful with packing. I also dedicated one large box for random odds and ends. It became invaluable especially if you have stuff laying around in drawers, desks, dressers, etc. that you really aren’t sure if you need or not at that moment.

Disassemble as much as possible

This is easier if you have a lot of items from Ikea. To be honest, I love Ikea so this one was easier for me. Anything that could be taken apart, I took apartment. It saves space in the actual moving truck and if you have three flights of stairs, your arms will be happy too. After disassembling anything, I would put all the screws in a zip top bag and tape it to the bottom of any piece. When I got to my new place, it made finding the right screws to everything easy. Some of the items I had however I couldn’t get the screws out of and this was the fastener that takes one screw to the left or right to secure two pieces together. They usually don’t come out of their holes without some damage. The best thing to do is put a piece of painters tape over the hole. This will not only hold the screw in but it will not leave any residue on your furniture.

Groupings of packed items

Try to group the items in the best way possible meaning by type or maybe items you think will be going together in your new place. This will make it much easier to fully remove everything from the boxes and get going on enjoying your new place. I found that since I grouped each box by what was in it, I could easily find what I needed to fill a particular room and knew exactly where to go to find that item. No searching through boxes in the new place to find that item.

Bring along Friends

Have as much help as you can get from friends. Offer food and beverages for their efforts. This will not only speed up the process but make it easier on you carrying all your crap to the moving van or truck. If possible get that same group to help you move boxes in the new place and of course again offer them tasty food.

I know some of these tips may be pretty obvious but it certainly helped me on my move.