As military spouses, moving is part of our normal way of life. Regardless of how many times we move, it is always stressful.
In fact, moving is one of our life’s biggest transitions—and we do it every few years.
We have had some big moves, including moving alone while my husband was deployed and moving overseas to Germany.
Needless to say, I have made many mistakes—the kind you want to avoid during a move. But, with these mistakes, I have learned many tips and tricks to help me stay categorized.
And trust me- staying organized during a move is crucial! The less organized one is, the more work one creates.
The more effort you put into staying organized upfront, the easier the moving-in process will be.
Keep in mind that there will always be hiccups and curve balls—you have to roll with it the best you can.
If you’re getting ready for an upcoming move and are unsure where to start, this guide is perfect!
In this post, I’m sharing key moving tips that will help you stay organized, with the goal of a more seamless move. By utilizing these innovative packing techniques upfront, you can enjoy the next chapter in your new home sooner instead of drowning in chaos.
These moving hacks are great for those who are moving themselves or hiring movers!
22 Must- Know Packing Tips
1. Get In The Right Headspace
Start mentally preparing for your move as soon as possible. Give yourself plenty of time to move on.
The more time you have to prep for a move, the easier the transition.
2. Keep a Moving Binder
Whether moving to the next town over or abroad, a moving binder is perfect for keeping all of your essential documents and moving lists.
If you’re moving overseas, then you absolutely need a PCS moving binder!
Here are some suggestions to keep in your moving binder
- Moving to-do lists, starting at least one month out
- Room-by-room inventory lists
- Calendar for moving events (such as garage sales)
- Important documents (including medical and school documents)
Read about my Moving binder in detail, and take advantage of these free moving binder printouts.
3. Purge and Declutter
Admittedly, purging has been a difficult process for me. But with every move, I am learning more and more how important this step is.
It can be hard to let things go, but once you start purging, you rarely look for those items.
It’s so easy and convenient to dump the junk drawers into moving boxes and call it a day. Resist the temptation!
A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used or worn these items in over two years, you are unlikely to miss them when they are gone.
Moving Hack: Give yourself plenty of time to purge and declutter. Garage sales are a great opportunity to earn money.
4. Use the Trash Bag Trick For Clothes
Sorting through clothes and organizing closets after a move can feel like such a tedious task.
Depending on your moving situation, this trash bag trick can be an excellent hack! It makes transferring clothes from one closet to the next so easy, and the clothes remain organized!
This is still a great hack if you’re hiring movers.
All you need are large trash bags and rubber bands.
I used to make a hole in the bottom of the trashbags to do this, but I quickly realized I had wasted all of them.
What you want to do:
While the clothes still hang in the closet, take about 10-14 hangers and rubberband them together. I wouldn’t do any more for fear of the bags ripping.
To keep the trash bag for future use, slide the clothes into the trash bag (while still hanging up) and loosely tie the bags around the hangers.
5. Move the Dresser Drawers with the Clothes
It would be great if you could manage this moving hack!
Pulling the drawers out of the dresser significantly reduces the weight of the furniture piece.
Keep the clothes folded up in their designated drawers and seal them up by wrapping them in plastic wrap.
This moving hack is not ideal for those using military movers; they want to put things in boxes.
6. Use Space Saver Bags
I used these for our Unaccompanied Baggage for our move to Germany, and for so much more!
These space-saver bags are amazing! I recommend using them for bedding, heavy jackets, and other miscellaneous clothes.
The downside to these space-saver bags is that the clothing does get incredibly wrinkled.
Moving Hack: You will want your bedding available for your first day in your new home. Keep the sheets, pillowcases, and comforter together and seal them up. Don’t forget to put them in your first-night box.
7. Keep the Screws with the Furniture
There is nothing more annoying than missing furniture screws and bolts. Scouring the boxes to find them may be a hopeless cause.
When disassembling the furniture, keep all of the nuts, bolts, screws and other miscilaneous parts in a ziplock bag. Tape this bag to the bag of the furniture piece.
Put a little Post-it note inside the sealed bag identifying the piece of furniture it belongs to—just in case the tapped bag falls off.
8. Use your Suitcases
Don’t just throw your suitcases into the moving van empty; use them!
If you have suitcases with wheels, they can be great for carrying heavier items such as books.
9. Take Photos of the Back of your Electronic Devices
I swear, we accumulate more cables and cords with every move. I think some of that is because I could not assemble an electronic item, and the cords all went into a basket for me to figure out later…. And of course, later never comes.
Ideally, you will pack everything together in the same box. And if you’re like me, having a photo of what electronic items are supposed to look like will be a lifesaver!
Packing Tip: Take the photo and save it under notes on your phone.
10. Don’t Buy Boxes
Moving is already so expensive, so don’t spend the extra money buying boxes.
I’m pretty sure I did that for one of my first solo moves back in college, and that price added up real quick.
Check out your local community’s Facebook page! You will be surprised at the number of people trying to get rid of boxes after a move.
This is pretty popular throughout the military community. It’s also a great way to get rid of your boxes after your move!
Another great option is going to your local liquor store. Someone told me this hack years ago, I mean, back when I was in college, and I’ve used it since.
Usually, the stores put their boxes out on certain days. You can give them a call to find out their schedule and snag the boxes.
11. Always Use Smaller Boxes
Another reason I advocate for the liquor store boxes because they are always smaller.
The larger the box, the heavier it is. More is not better in this scenario.
This is especially important if you are moving everything yourself. Larger boxes are not worth the back injuries.
12. Get Bike Boxes for Artwork
As an Ironman, I have spent considerable time in bike shops. The boxes in which the bikes arrive are quite large and pretty thin.
These boxes are an excellent moving hack for artwork or other framed wall pieces.
13. Invest in Storage Bins
I love storage bins and despise storing items in cardboard boxes. I can’t stand it! Long-term cardboard storage makes me think of bugs!
Invest in a storage box for items you will be storing, such as Christmas decorations and other seasonal items.
Aesthetically and functionally, they are a better option for storage.
14. Organize the Boxes By Room
You want to keep this as organized as possible while boxing things up. Go room by room and label the boxes.
I strongly suggest purchasing the different colored duct tapes to categorize them.
Packing Tip: The tape works so much better than sticky notes.
For example, use only the pink tape for kitchen boxes.
Something about seeing the bright colors amongst the chaos of boxes helps me mentally.
Related Posts: The Most Organized Approach to Unpacking after a Move
15. Label the Sides Of Your Boxes
Ooff, that was a mistake I only had to make once. And you don’t realize it until the boxes are stacked up on one another, the mistake you made.
Sure, you can label the top, but be sure to label every side of the box with a large Sharpie marker.
Moving Tip: You can even take it a step further and label the boxes with “priority” to ensure you unpack the essentials you want to prioritize.
16. Use Towels and Blankets for Breakables
These are perfect for wrapping up fragile and breakable items! I much prefer wrapping my sentimental items in towels before I use paper.
Also, the less paper you use to pack, the less you have to get rid of.
Moving Tip: Label the boxes with fragile items. You don’t want you or a family member to forget and mindlessly start pulling towels out of the box.
17. Seal Up Liquids
Some military movers will not pack liquids. I imagine it’s up to the moving company’s policies.
Seal up the liquids. It can be an absolute mess if something spills.
Moving Hack: I suggest keeping cleaning supplies in a laundry basket or something visible so they don’t get packed up.
You’ll want to use them for the move-out cleaning.
Then, pack them in the car, and use them to pre-clean your new home.
18. Use Anything As a Box
Use anything you can for storage and moving, such as your trashcan, laundry hampers, etc. Pack your kitchen spices and crockpot. This is a fantastic moving tip!
I am all for fewer boxes; the better. Admittedly, our move to Germany gave me additional anxiety about disposing of cardboard.
19. Splurge on a Move-Out Cleaner
The moving process is exhausting. Regarding the move-out inspection, the house or apartment needs to be cleaner. My goal is always to have it cleaner than when we moved in.
For the last two moves, we hired a cleaner…And that was money worth spending.
If it fits your budget, hire someone to clean it.
Moving Tip: If you’re hiring a cleaner, make sure you don’t disconnect the power until after the house has been cleaned. One of my more embarrassing moving mistakes for sure.
20. Have a Move-Out Week Suitcase
Set aside some outfits for the week, as well as toiletries, medications, and other essential items.
You only want the necessities.
In the chaos of moving, you can easily pack up essentials that shouldn’t be boxed up.
If you have little kids, keep some of their favorite comfort items and toys.
Related post: EasyTips for Packing and Moving with a Toddler
21. Pack a Move-In Box
The first night move-in box should be separate from the move-out box.
You will want to pack everything in this box for that first night or two.
You are not going to want to start unpacking boxes that evening to find things.
Here are some of the essentials to consider in your move-in box:
- Roll of paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Your bedding (in the space saver bag)
- Hand soap
- Towels
- Toiletries
- Medications
- Snacks
- Plastic kitchen utensils, paper plates and paper cups (generally, we order out the first night or two)
- Trashbags
22. Snacks and Treats for any Helpers
Whether you’re hiring movers or having some friends help with the moving process, I think it’s a great idea to have plenty of snacks, water, etc.
I like to believe that the nicer you are to the people who help you move, the better they will treat your stuff.
Sadly, it’s not been the case with every move. We have had some bad experiences with military moves.
Additional Resources to Read for Moving Tips
Military Move Resources
My Final Thoughts on These Moving Tips
Oh goodness, I know this was a lot!
Moving can be stressful, but utilizing these hacks can help you feel more in control. As a mom of two little kids, I need to have a sense of control, even when I’m not. Especially military life.
Moving is the beginning of a new chapter. So, seize the opportunity!
I would love to hear if any of these moving hacks worked for you. If you have any tips, please share them! Good luck with your upcoming move!
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