14 Comments

  1. Lill Dexter says:

    My best lessdon from frequent moves is to also mark one box for each rrom that says open me first. For the bedrooms, it would have the sheets, blankets, parts for setting up the beds. For the family room, it would be the cords, cables for the electronics you will be setting up (oh, and I use folder labels on both ends of cables coded to tell which component they go to and where to connect them). For the kitchen, it’s the items you most need to get ready to cook.

    For move in day itself, I also pack a box that is my survival box, and it is an absolute open me first. It contains a can opener, paper plates, cups, plastic silverware, paper towlels, hand soap, toilet paper, basic cleaning supplies, a first aid kit, and a small selection of tools (screewdrivers, pliers, whatever you need to reassemble furniture), etc. You get the idea, you don’t want to be crossing your legs and trying to find where the toilet paper is. If you are driving , this box would ideally be in the car. If not, then you want this box to be the last thing onto the moving truck, and be highly marked as ESSENTIALS This box makes the bathroom usable, has your cleaning supplies, and the essential tools to get those beds set up, so you can hit the ground running.

  2. Kayse,

    Is there a post about the pre-pack minimize?

    I haven’t moved in 4 years and I’m getting scared.

  3. what about unpacking tips when you didn’t do any of the above because you had others packing for you/moved in a hurry??

  4. Love the colored duct tape idea! Only addition I have is to keep one last box handy where I put the last things we use and the first things we need at the next house that way I don’t have to search through a ton of stuff to find essentials. Ok two boxes. One is sheets we don’t use sleeping bags just throw the sheets in the box in the morning. The other has one large skillet for making easy skillet meals and browning meat, cooking spoon and kitchen knife and pairing knife, one plastic plate/ bowl/ cup per person and then a box of plastic utensils. being able to cook saves a lot of money for our family of eight.

  5. We used two of those clear three drawer organizers as dressers for the kids. I packed everything else up! That way I haven’t been digging through suitcases at every costume change (we’re potty training AND moving) and I can see when it’s time for laundry!

  6. Yes the one room tip has to be easier. We moved across town and I feel like we aren’t done. We still have stuff in the old house NOT healthy at all. ???

  7. We have moved internationally 3 times in the past 10 years. One added thing that you need to know when you move across a border is that customs officers want to know what you have. For or last two moves we created an evernote posing note that everyone packing could access. We labelled each box by room and numbered each one. In evernote, we made a list and added a few key words for contents. Before we leave, we print out a copy of it packing list. This then also becomes our unpacking list, because not everything gets dealt with as son as we arrive. But with the list, if we are missing something, we are able to go directly to the correct box to get what we need. This had held me so many times! I am going to add to colored duct tape to my list of packing tips though. That sounds perfect to quickly see which room it belongs in.

  8. Yes!! Color-code all the things! ? We moved when our daughter was about to turn 2, and it was probably our easiest move just because I finally figured out a system that worked for us to FIND everything in the maze of boxes once we landed. (Post to come on UN-packing the move! ?)

  9. we use a small white box called a “parts box”. We put all TV remotes, screws from any furniture taken apart, keys to filing cabinets, etc. Every set of screws are placed and labeled in a ziploc bag, so everything is easily accessible and nothing gets lost.

    I would also say keep scissors handy for when you start unpacking.

    Kayse – what order do you pack the rooms in the house?

  10. Hannah Beth Reid says:

    I haven’t moved with kids and we don’t have current plans to move, but I appreciated all of these tips! Thank you for sharing your expertise with us!

  11. Those are great tips. We literally just moved on Tuesday with 3 kids under 5. Here is my recommendation: small children will take on whatever emotions you show. If you are stressed and short with them, they will be difficult and cranky. If you are happy, smiling through the hard things, they will be happier and less cranky. Also, set your kids up for success by planning for naps and meals/snacks at the same times they normally have them (as much as possible).

  12. I have used the colored duct tape before when packing and unpacking … I LOVE it. It’s the best secret for an easy move!

  13. The duct tape is brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

    When we move, we even put signs on the walls (hung with painter’s tape) that say where we want the furniture – bed, dresser, entertainment center, piano – all those things that are too heavy to move by yourself.

    Ziplocs are your friends. Small pieces go in a ziploc so you an find them all later. Puzzles, legos, small toys with super tiny pieces that your kids know if even one is missing.

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