An estimated 35 million Americans move every year, and May is peak moving season.
Moving is the final step in what has likely been an intense process of buying or selling a home (or both), and it’s not something with which most people have a whole lot of experience.
Sterling, Virginia-based JK Moving Services has some moving hacks that can help smooth the moving process.
If there are children in the family, parents are advised to set up a play date at a friend’s house or have them spend the day with a relative on moving day. If that’s not possible, set up a play area for children away from where the moving crew will be working.
The same goes for pets — send them either to doggy day care or confine them to a room during the move.
The most important stuff should all go in the “essentials box” — it should be the last box you pack, the last to be loaded and the first to unpack.
“For example, having your bedding, sheets, pillow cases, toilet paper, remotes for the TVs, etc., all in one box that is easy to find upon arrival at the new home,” Chuck Kuhn, JK Moving’s CEO, told WTOP.
Here’s another hack: an electronics selfie.
“Before you do any disconnecting of your TVs and electronics, take a quick picture of the back of the units. That way, when you’re getting ready to connect everything at the new home, you will know exactly how it was connected prior to being disconnected for the move,” Kuhn said.
Other moving tips:
- Instead of buying moving supplies, use clothes and towels to protect breakables.
- Ask local stores for leftover boxes. Most businesses plan to recycle them anyway.
- Clearly label all the boxes on several sides to save time on unpacking.
- Have a packing list — especially for an international move, to let customs know exactly what you’re bringing in to the new country.
- Know what movers can’t move, such as fire extinguishers, house paints or any of the perishables in your refrigerator.
Millions of Americans move every year, but not always far. About a third of annual residential relocations are to a new address within the same county.
