Moving Tips and Tricks
For those of you who may be new to my blog, hello! I’m Molly, and I have lived in 2 different countries (England and USA) and 4 different states (Connecticut, Nevada, California, and Georgia). So you could say that I have become a little bit of a pro when it comes to all things relocation. I thought I’d share some of the tips and tricks I have learned during my many moves to help any of you that are about to pack up that truck and take the plunge!
Find your support system
Whether you’re moving or hiring movers (like awesome Gameday Moving Services for all you GA locals) you still need a support system in place. Moving is all kinds of stressful. These long-distance movers in Athens, GA are true physical support. Movers or friends helping you haul boxes are great but emotional support is better. Have someone ready to chat through those hard decisions such as “will I still wear this turquoise sorority sweatshirt again?” or “do you think I could fix this 15-year-old recliner?”
2. Use this as your opportunity to purge
Before we moved, I had a girlfriend (looking at you, Mel) come over and help me downsize my closet. We made margaritas, laughed, and filled up 3 trash bags full of clothes to donate. Since moving, I have been using one rack of my closet to hold pieces that I grab, look at, and then decide not to wear. In 6 months, if I still decide to not wear that item, it’s getting donated!
Something else we radically downsized was the amount of kitchen supplies we had. Sure, having 8 spatulas can be a good thing if by chance 7 of them have been used and they’re dirty but how often does that happen? SLIM TO NONE. We also used this as a way to get rid of a lot of mismatches dishes, silverware, and glasses.
3. Pack smart!
As you’re packing up your old home, consider keeping one box of “must haves.” Yes clothes and toiletries are included in this, but we added a few plastic plates and bowls, our Nespresso machine, extra dog toys and food, and our own sheets/comforter in this box. We knew to expect our stuff a few days after we arrived in Georgia but you never know what might go wrong. We wanted to be prepped to spend up to a couple of weeks in the house if anything with the movers got delayed.
We also brought an air mattress with us in the car. Although we were expecting a mattress to be delivered to the house on the day we arrived, it got delayed. We were so happy that we had our back up plan with us! I also suggest bringing some folding/beach chairs in the car with you if you have room so you have somewhere to sit other than the floor!
When it comes to loading up your moving truck, keep the things you use frequently until the end. We had our kitchen stuff available to use as soon as the door on the truck opened.
4. Have fun with it!
Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, it is such an exciting time. It’s the chance for a new adventure. We drove 30 hours from San Diego to Atlanta with the pups. We stayed at cool air bnbs, drove through neat towns, and listened to some great podcasts. When you get to your new place, start dreaming big!
If you have any other tips for moving, I would love to hear them! Come chat with me in my instagram DMs :) xoxo, M
