Do you have a career that requires you to relocate every few years? Do you move frequently to be close to family? Perhaps your adventurous personality craves a new address in a new city often. Whatever the reason, moving frequently may convince you that moving is your arch-nemesis. Experiencing the world is fantastic, but the moving process isn’t always.
If you’ve moved a handful of times, you may consider yourself an expert, but as you know, with each move you learn a new lesson, a new hack, or a new winning strategy. So whether you’re still a disorganized mess when you move or you feel you’ve got it down to a science, there are always new tips and tricks to leverage to make moving easier. Here are seven tips specifically for frequent movers.
1. Keep Your Moving Boxes
If you are a frequent mover, it makes all the sense in the world to keep your moving boxes after each move. Then you won’t have to invest in a new set of moving boxes each time, which can get pricey.
You should have a set of flatpack boxes for each move. Break them down and store them under a bed or in a closet or garage until your next move. Since we recommend labeling boxes to stay organized, it’s best to pack the same stuff into the same boxes each time you move. This will also save time on re-labeling the boxes.
2. Only Unpack What You’ll Use
This may not apply to the ultimate minimalist, but most of us have items that we only use seasonally, such as holiday decorations and winter gear. Instead of unpacking everything immediately, keep stuff you won’t need anytime soon packed away. After all, you might be moving again before you even use it.
If your moves are centered in the same general zip code, you could also rent storage spaces to keep boxes you don’t need to unpack.
3. Be Strategic with Your Furniture Choices
If you’re lugging your furniture around every couple of years, consider what type is easiest to move. Some furniture is more heavy-duty than other pieces. You can’t haul a king-size bed, a 66-inch dining room table, hefty chairs, and a large sectional sofa every time you move. At least it’s not ideal. And if you’re renting an apartment, all those furniture pieces will likely not fit in your apartment anyway.
When investing in furniture, try to be minimal and practical until you settle somewhere, and your frequent moves are behind you. Each space you live in will be different, so you’ll want to choose pieces that easily fit in any space. Think small couches, small tables, and nothing bigger than a Queen bed.
4. Invest in Quality Personal Items
Think about items and appliances you can’t live without and need in every new home, such as shower curtains and hooks, bathroom mats, microwaves, toasters, etc. You may not want to go cheap on these items if they follow you to every new home. Invest in quality essentials that will last.
On the flip side, you may buy as cheaply as possible and then throw away and buy new every time you move. That is an option as well. However, buying quality and re-using is a lot more cost-effective.
Plus, having a box of items that match your taste can help bring a sense of home and help you settle in easier as you hop from space to space.
5. Declutter Every time
One of the biggest perks of moving is the opportunity to declutter and reorganize. It’s amazing how much we accumulate without realizing it. Refrain from bringing the clutter with you. If you have a junk drawer, empty it and chuck it all before you embark on your next move.
Whether it’s used batteries you can’t recycle, ancient cutlery you haven’t touched in decades, or mismatched socks, this is your reminder that you don’t need any of it. Recycle, dispose, or donate and never look back.
6. Don’t Forget to Pack a Meal and Overnight Bag
If you’re a frequent mover, you know how hectic it is. Remember that you need to eat and have an overnight bag for your first night in your new place or for the journey to your new destination. First, pack a bag that contains meals for the journey. Pack non-perishable foods that travel easily.
Next, pack a next-day kit that includes: one or two outfits, toiletries, a phone charger, and anything else you’ll need the evening of your move or the following day. You won’t want to rummage through boxes to find your toothbrush. A next-day kit ensures you have what you need until you unpack everything.
7. Hire Professional Movers
Hiring full-service movers will help lessen your stress on a moving day. If you’ve moved a handful of times on your own in the last few years, you might be at the point where you want more than anything to hire a moving company to do the heavy lifting for you.
If you move for your job, your company probably offers help to pay for a percentage of your move. Use some of those funds to hire movers. Once you hire professional movers, you’ll never go back. You’ll ask yourself why you haven’t done it this way the whole time.
The life of a frequent mover can be an exciting one; a new adventure each time and a chance to experience a new culture and see new sights. Moving can be stressful, but with these tips, you can ensure that even the most spur-of-the-moment moves go off without a hitch.
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Infographic
If you’ve moved several times, you may feel like an expert, but there are always new tips and tricks to make moving easier. In this infographic, you’ll find seven tips specifically for frequent movers.
