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In 2016, my husband and I moved to the DFW area. With exactly eight days notice.

Gulp.

As you can imagine, things were a bit hectic. Boxes everywhere. A very clingy dog who knew something was up. I did my research on the most efficient ways to move in order to make the process as stress-free as possible and I’ve rounded up the best of the best for y’all here!

Do A Clean Sweep Before You Move

Before you start packing, go through each room and grab anything that hasn’t been touched in six months. These can go to the trash or donated to Goodwill, depending on the item. The bottom line is, if you haven’t used it in six months, it doesn’t need to make the move with you.

We had an extra crock pot, extra tools, and some gently used clothes that we donated. If you have the time, put up items on Craigslist a few weeks in advance to sell and get some extra cash for new things in your new place. We used the move to sell our handed down dishware and start fresh with this set from Williams Sonoma.

Change Your Address

As soon as you sign on your new apartment and home, start changing your addresses! You would be surprised how long it takes for everybody to get their ducks in a row and recognize your new address. Do this at least 7-10 days before your move to give everything time to go into effect. Most importantly, set up mail forwarding with the USPS. It costs $1 and you get all mail forwarded to you for six months (see their website for the specifics on different kinds of mail). Follow this helpful printable below for everything else that needs address changes!

[via Lifehacker]

Transfer Clothes in Trash Bags

Y’all, I’ve always seen this trick done and I thought it was silly. I can’t tell you how easy it makes moving your closet. It also makes packing easier since you can just stack the bags on top of each other and not worry about them one bit. Simply tear a hole in the bottom center of the bag and thread a group of about 10 hangers of clothes through. Tie up the bottom and you’re done.

Move Special Items Early

If you’re able to do so, move any sentimental or expensive things early. We drove up a week before we moved to hunt for apartments, and I took some things up to leave at my aunt and uncle’s house for safekeeping. This way, my wedding dress, special coffee cups, framed college diploma, and crystal vases were all kept safe. Not having to worry about them on our moving day was a huge relief.

Pack an “Open Me First” Box

I read this tip, didn’t follow it, and then wished I did. Learn from my mistakes, people. Pack a box with things you’ll need first, like paper plates, toilet paper, scissors, napkins, and cups. You’ll likely order pizza your first night in and won’t want to go searching for plates and such. One special thing I did was pack a box of my favorite things that I unpacked first to make our new apartment feel like home. For me, it was fall decorations, candles, some photos, and my plants.

Buy The Boxes

You’re going to want to use boxes you find at Costco, or use trash bags, duffel bags and suitcases in your closet. I’m here to tell you to just bite the bullet and buy boxes at Home Depot, U-Haul or Walmart. It will make your life so much easier when you can stack boxes in the moving truck and not worry about whether or not they will hold up. Do use your suitcases and duffel bags, though. Equally as important: LABEL WHAT’S IN THE BOXES. Write it on top and on the sides in a sharpie.

More Helpful Tips

• Wrap fragile items in more than just newspaper. I had a box of mugs and bowls that I wrapped in newspaper, and less than half made it in one piece. Oops. Maybe everybody knows to use bubble wrap except me?
• Put your heaviest items in rolling suitcases. We had two suitcases full of books.
• Throw a bottle of Advil and bandaids into your purse. I guarantee someone will need them before the day is over.
• Move other fragile items in a vehicle that’s not the U-Haul. I had my Kitchen-Aid mixer, lamps, framed photos, childhood Christmas ornaments and our fine china in the car I was driving.
• Set up the bed first. You’ll be grateful later to fall into your comfy bed with fresh sheets.
• Put screws and bolts in a ziploc bag, label them, and tape it to whatever it belongs to. You’ll thank me later.
• Buy moving bags to go over your mattress and box spring, like these. It keeps them protected and can be re-used in future moves (Mine are on move #3, with taped up corners and all).
• If it’s in your budget, have movers meet you at your new place to help you unpack. As much as you think you’ll be up to it, you’ll be so grateful to have the extra help at the end of the day. It’s one of the best decisions we made. Be sure to read reviews and get quotes before picking a company.
• Buy flowers on your first run to the grocery store. It instantly makes your new place feel like home 🙂

Do y’all have any moving tips you swear by? Comment them below! I hope you find these helpful if you’re moving anytime soon!

Thanks for reading,