By: Diana Smith
Even if you live a minimalist lifestyle, the list of stressful things that can occur when you need to move is overwhelming. Losing and breaking things, lifting heavy boxes, unpacking everything and setting up the new apartment… These few usual suspects are only the tip of the iceberg. So, moving will cause you problems (click here to contact Chicago long distance movers to ease out your moving). How many problems depends entirely on you and your organization skills. Let’s take a look at a couple of tips that should make your life much easier when the time comes to pack your bags and look for a new home.
Start Preparations Early
There’s nothing worse than making last minute decisions. Unless you’ve faced some unexpected situation, your rental contract should give you a notice period (usually 30-60 days) you can use to make a very thorough moving plan and schedule. If you are not pressed by the agreement limits, you virtually have all the time in the world to ensure everything goes ok.
Set the Budget
Nothing can prevent you from burning a lot of cash and motivate you to unleash your creativity better than a tight, well-devised budget. Moving, as it is, will eat up a lot of your money – don’t give it a blank check to destroy your savings and knock down your personal finances for good. Calculate the expenses, set a limit and do your best to work within the boundaries you’ve set.
Take Care of the Boxes
Moving requires boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. If you want to keep your piggy bank happy, you should make a brief tour to the local grocery stores and see if they can lend you a hand. Keep in mind that smaller boxes may require more footwork, but they are also much easier to carry through narrow hallways. Also, before you start packing the boxes, upgrade them with DIY handles. They will make your life so much easier.
Colour Code the Boxes
This way, you will have a very good idea what each box contains and what needs to be unpacked first. For example, you can use red tape for the boxes that contain food, green for the items you will need to set up in your new apartment, blue for clothes, yellow for breakable items, etc. If you own a couple of transparent plastic boxes, you can use them for the items with the highest priority.
Save on Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is not only an unnecessary expense; it’s also not amongst the eco-friendliest materials out there. That is why you should remove it from the equation altogether. Your sensitive items can be wrapped up in clothes, and padded with socks. This way, you will also save a lot of space when the time comes to pack your garments.
Wrap the Clothes in Trash Bags
Yeah, this is probably not the most meticulous way to pack the clothes, but it is by far the most convenient one. Just open your closet and pull a trash bag around everything just as it hangs. Placing everything back in the wardrobe once you are settled will be a breeze, and you will have a couple of bags at hand to deal with the trash afterwards.
Think About Transportation
Ideally, you should be able to move the things from point A to point B with the least possible effort. One of the most convenient options you can find are mobile self storage units. They pack a lot of storage space, don’t have to be loaded and unloaded, and they are much more versatile than vans and trucks (they can be detached). Alternatively, you can try your luck with simple trailers.
And now’s the time to unpack all the goods you’ve brought into your new apartment and start a new chapter in your life. When the dust finally settles, you’ll see it was all well worth it.
