Another suggestion is packing the bedding separate and making the bed as soon as you set it up so at the end of the day when you are tired you can fall into bed and not have to make it first. 😃
As someone who's moved 38 times in 33 years, I strongly agree with ALL of these!! My additions: -use empty suitcases or duffel bags to pack clothes! I find this keeps them cleaner. Plus you have to move your suitcases and bags anyway. -people are ALWAYS giving away free boxes and bubble wrap online! Also, your workplace is likely to have empty boxes they'll be happy to let you take if you ask. -if you have camping gear, it helps to keep it handy in case by the time you get to your new home you're too tired to assemble a bed. We've been known to plop down on our sleeping pads and sleeping bags the night before and after a move :) -if you're too young/broke to hire movers and are asking your friends to help you, PLEASE feed them.
38 times in 33 years is insane. Speaking of, how are you still sane?? I moved three times in 2 years and stayed at a bad apartment for 9 years because I didn’t want to move 😅 thanks for the tips
My father-in-law gave the best advice. He said to move the cars into the garage first (and keep them there). For over 30 years, our cars have had a home, and we have minimal clutter in the garage.
We park both of our cars in the garage every day. This eliminates clutter. However, we have way too many shelves in the garage that my husband has filled up with stuff we "might need someday". Now we have to get rid of all of that but it's better than loads of stuff.
You’re right, there’s no time for gift baskets, but we left our buyers toilet paper in the bathrooms, hand soap, paper towel, a few trash bags, and some basic cleaning wipes and dish soap. Just some common sense kindness to pay forward, hopefully. I also recommend packing smaller and lighter boxes than you think; it’s so much easier on your back when the movers and helpers are all gone and it’s just you moving the boxes around as you settle in (for weeks on end…).
Don’t scrounge a bunch of randomly-sized boxes to save a little money. Uniform boxes made for moving in a few sizes will stack better and make the best use of space, and are more likely to be strong enough. Make sure the boxes have handles! When I last bought boxes a few years ago, the ones Home Depot sells didn’t have handles; the ones from Lowes did.
The local groceries where I live deliver in egg box sized boxes that have handles and are overall great quality (if nothing spills during delivery 😂) and we even have some people that allow everyone to donate their boxes to them and those who move can get them for free!
Local alcohol/wine store save boxes! They are great for small heavy things like books and CDs/vhs tapes and not be so heavy! Pack a child’s smaller favorite toys/electronics in a small take along box in your car. They can put it in their new room in a closet. After they help with some moving, give them a snack and time for playing with their favorites for a few minutes before helping again! Kids love to help but can’t do as much as adults. So I always made sure to have a few smaller boxes so they can feel a sense of helpfulness.
Banana boxes all the way!!! Uniform, Strong, with handles, free from the supermarket (Only half fill with books, as too heavy when full to top with books)
When I start packing, the first thing I pack is walls. There is nothing I need on the walls. I go room to room and pack everything on them. Since it is also decor it's the last you put back up. So first down last up. The bad thing about procrastinating is if you wait till the end then your going non stop packing then unpacking. Give yourself a few days at the end where you can chill a little bit makes all the difference!! I have moved so many times in my 69yrs it's crazy!!
I always encourage people moving over a weekend, to first pack everything they will need to get ready for work on Monday in a suitcase so all they have to do is find the suitcase and it eliminates a world of stress if you know that you can manage getting ready for work. Bath towel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush & toothpaste, deodorant , hair products, & toiletries. Also, set up and make your bed right away. When you’re tired, it’s the last thing you want to do. Everything else is gravy. I’m grateful I haven’t had to move in over 20 years, but I know I’ve accumulated “stuff” that needs to be purged. Sometimes I want to pack as if I’m moving for a good reality check. I’m certain I would be surprised at what I no longer need but am continuing to store/manage. Funny how packing makes you realize this.
Yes! Great tips for moving, but I also want to pack and unpack like I'm moving because when I moved last it was in a rush and I didn't really declutter. Maybe in the winter when the weather isn't so glorious that I just wanna sit outside all day
We've always moved locally so we normally try and get a week overlap between places (rent not owned) so we can take our time and clean up the old place over a couple of days if needed.
The “packing for work” lesson was a hard one to learn and definitely was not an acceptable answer to my boss when I said I had nothing appropriate to wear to work.
Great tip! I'm moving in a few weeks and desperately trying to work through my overgrown pantry. I do NOT want to be moving loads of heavy canned goods! :)
I have a priority plan for unpacking. First priority: The day you move into your new place, you first clean and set up your bathroom(s). Toilet paper in place, backups accessible, towels on the rods, shower curtains hung, and the basics of your everyday care stuff in place and easily found and used. With that in place you can take care of basic needs plus get showers and such to keep yourself going. As soon as that's done, start setting up the beds, with kids beds being the first priority and adults after that. With that done, you have a place to sleep. Once those necessities are taken care of, I tend to go on to a complete unpacking and setting up of the bedrooms, followed by the kitchen and then last, the living room. Last time my husband and I moved, which was around our 15th or 20th time, we moved into our one bedroom apartment and were completely unpacked, right down to pictures hanging on the walls, in two days. I love being a minimalist.
One of the best packing tips I have I got from a professional mover-when packing plates, put them in the box vertically not horizontally. I’ve done this for 33 years over seven moves and haven’t had one broken plate. Happy moving!
My favourite tipp: make freezer meals for the whole last week AND the whole first week in disposable pans. You can pack and unpack all spices, pots and utensils in these two weeks AND you don‘t have to worry about dinner while unpacking. You will be fine with oatmeal, fruit cups, sandwiches and a freezer meal for two weeks. And it is a Great way to use things up.
BEST Tip: You don't have to remove & box clothes from dressers!!! Just leave the clothes in the drawers. Most dressers have a 'lip' on the front. Movers have to remove the drawers to move dressers anyway. They take the drawers and stack them in the truck alternating back to front so the front lip of each drawer is wedged against the back of the one beneath it which keeps the stack steady as the truck moves. Place a layer of packing paper or cardboard over the contents of each drawer to keep contents (like underwear) from view and keep dust from settling. This is mostly achieved by one drawer stacked on another anyway except for the one that ends up on top. ALWAYS keep valuables (expensive jewelry, electronics, financial & ID info) and move it in your car yourself. If this isn't possible due to distance, etc., label the boxes with something obscure that you will recognize, or note the code in your phone. For example, 'Jess' for jewelry or 'Elmer' for electronics or 'PPR' for paperwork with sensitive info. If you have to stay at a motel/hotel in transit, always bring the valuables from the car in with you, even if they're hidden in the trunk. Having a suitcase of clothes is a good idea, but if you're going to include toiletries, make sure they're in a ziploc bag!
Always remove valuables from sight before the movers come too. I have had tools, money, Swiss army knives stolen. They don't care! You don't know who they are! Don't give them the opportunity to just nick things. The more you pack for yourself in advance, the better
When moving I decluttered and reused a Christmas decor box. It wasn’t adequately relabeled. I couldn’t find my kitchen utensils until the next Christmas and we moved in January lol😂.
Great tips, Cass! For overseas moves I also set up a 'gift room' - filled with all the things I love but can't take (food, pot plants, electrical items that don't match the overseas plugs etc) and each person who visits my house in the lead up to the move gets to (has to!!) take something. Anything that's leftover can be donated, but offering it to friends first is a nice way for them to keep a piece of you after you move.
A tip for anyone who doesn't move with a truck/moving company but with cars: only use a few boxes for breakables (preferably packed with all your towels, sheets and throw blankets in between) and use sturdy reusable shopping bags for everything else. Borrow them from friends, if you live in EU everyone will have more than they need. Bags are way easier to squish into a car. We even skipped boxes for books and opted for ikea bags from family and friends.
When you're done packing a room, clean it right away! We always have the first week's essentials separate and it goes in the car! First thing is to set up beds, so they go in the moving truck last so they are first to be pulled out and set up..then the kids can be occupied making beds and starting to visualize their new room😉❤🙏🏾
Maybe the first mistake is not being in the right mindset for a move. I love packing and getting ready for a new adventure, so this was never a problem for me, but I have seen others struggle with it. I would definitely set aside time to get my head in the right frame of mind. Get excited! This is gonna be fun! A new and better life awaits and we want it to start as soon as possible. Like when we got upset that Col Blake left, but then we got Col Potter who nailed it in MASH. Just saying.
I disagree. I was a military brat so we moved a lot. I believe there’s a big difference between being excited about the move and packing for the move. I have generally loved every move I have ever done, looking forward to new adventures and a new place to decorate. However, I almost never liked to pack up my belongings. It was akin to pulling up my roots and then too I had to purge items while packing which was always a little depressing. It was an interesting dichotomy of leaving some memories behind while looking forward to creating new ones.
@@mythicsagefire I was an Army brat too, moved 19 times in 18 years. Being a child, yes it is hard to pack up and leave your friends and it is scary. But as adults? No, I embrace it and own it, especially since I chose to move. But I will confess, I am also a declutter nerd. Love it and packing. I even enjoy it when I travel. So maybe it is just me.
Great tips, thank you! I always take everything off the walls first. It gets me in the mindset of "we're moving," and helps me feel like I've made big progress right away. :)
Label the contents of boxes on all four sides, so no matter how it's stacked you can see it without moving the boxes around. Saves SO much time and effort when you're looking for that one specific item/box. I also label room and contents on top and sides, same reason as above. Moving is hectic enough, and it's simple enough to do.
Being a preacher's kid I've moved A LOT! I still like the color code method, but I write the room name on the colored tape. I can see at a glance when the correct colors are together, and helpers have a highly visual cue for where to look for room ID. Clothes I leave in the dresser drawers, take the drawers out, put the main part on the truck then put the drawers back in. May take a little extra time, but less than packed them away, then unpacking, refolding and putting away. Also, if you are going a long distance and may arrive late at night, put the mattresses on the truck as the VERY LAST thing. Even if sheets dont make it on them, at least you have a soft place to sleep.
Other tips (because I am also in the middle of packing to move houses) : make a list of your frozen food and fresh food in your fridge in order to plan your meals to empty them and have time to clean them and unplug before you move + plan time to clean the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, and drain the exit water hoses (to avoid the risk of a mess aka flood on moving day...)
I was told to never list contents of a box on the box, if someone wants to steal an item you've just made it easy for them. I had a friend who was moving themselves, and as they were moving boxes into the house, they left the U-Haul doors open, and someone took the boxes marked "electronics." You're so distracted moving you might not notice the boxes are missing until you start to set up your TV, computer, sound system, etc. I do the laundry basket "need stuff" too, I even include a quick change of clothes just in case.
I was a Military wife through multiple moves. Had expensive items disappear each time. Amazingly, they weren't on the "packing lists" the packers created. Keep a list of what's in your boxes and number and keep your own list. Even if movers are putting the numbers on the boxes with those little stickers. :( Necessity and essential boxes, SOOO important! Also, if going to a different region, pack some clothes that are warmer and cooler than what you expect it will be like. Dry or humid climate change can be a huge adjustment.
I moved 15 times in 12 years including overseas and cross country (not military, just couldn’t settle for a while there lol). I have used every one of these tips and vouch they are helpful, especially the clean things as you pack! Took me a few rounds to use that one and it was so much easier when unpacking. Only one I’d add is for the daunting task of starting. I can’t stand boxes hanging around either, so I pick a room, or side of a room, that I’m not needing much or can make empty (ie guest room, formal dining, office if can use dining table for a few weeks. etc). I start there, and that becomes my “storage unit.” I put all my boxes in there as they are done, basically making a box fort and a bag corner. Keeps them out of the way, know how many boxes you have, and with everything except big furniture into one room, you a) don’t accidentally throw away anything because that room is only for stuff you are taking with you so any donations and trash are kept separate b) makes you see progress c) if on 1st floor makes easier on move out day as helpers/movers don’t have to stuff carry up/down stairs, so as to not clog that route for furniture moving d) easier to deep clean/paint touch up all the other spaces over time since will be at bare minimum and only have really one room and some floors to clean on move out day.
As far as point "c." --- As much $$$ as movers cost, I'm not concerned with making things easier on them - they can carry things down the damn stairs! 😂
In case you didn’t mention it, you some masking and tape your remote to the back of the TV. I did this when we moved my mother-in-law. My brother-in-law said we didn’t need the remote taped to the TV and moved it. Guess what they couldn’t find when they got everything moved to the house, the remote was lost in the boxes.
I totally agree with all the suggestions. Last time I moved I also kept four boxes for my precious ornaments. They were the first things I packed and when removal day came, those boxes came in the car with me, not with the removal van.
Thanks for all the tips. I would add a small tote or box for medications and first aid items. Inevitably some one gets themselves cut or suffers a fall, like me☹️
To help with your packing motivation... you could always make "pack/ move/ declutter with me" videos! I'm sure I'm not the only one who would enjoy that! 😉💜 Everyone loves declutter videos and before and afters, right?! 🎉 Best wishes with the process, with the remainder of the buying/ selling/ moving, and with your new house!! 🎉💜 Oooo, then new organize and setting up videos in the new house! 😉🎉
The idea of packing clothes for the first few days, bathroom essentials, etc - Light blub - I have a packing list for long trips/camping and that will work perfectly for a move!
If you number your boxes and keep a clipboard of detailed contents, you can pack in advance but still have access if you need to dig something out before you move. It also allows you to have a plan after the move to unpack and know what still needs space in your cupboard/closet.
The benefit of this is that if you have movers you don’t trust, it’s more difficult for them to identify boxes they want to steal. When we hire movers and use boxes with the contents labeled on the box, a few boxes usually disappear.
Don’t forget coffee and coffee maker in the essentials basket or OPEN ME FIRST box. Also pack a set of sheets for each bed in either the suitcases or an OPEN ME FIRST box. If you’re moving cross country with a moving company and aren’t staying in a motel while waiting for furniture to arrive, you might want to take your camping gear with you (cots or air mattresses) so you can crash when you need a nap during unpacking!
I have 6 days left till we move and yet here I sit watching youtube! I got to get going! Thank you for the tip on packing a basket with cleaning items! Okay, here I go, you too Cas!
@@gannaemad6261 lol I wanna add 1. Keep the tools (screw set/drill etc to unscrew possible furniture) and excessive fabric/towels with you last (for wrapping fragile items), don’t throw them away until the last day. It feels so light and amazing after the move has been completed!!
My late brother-in-law had a great method for packing for moving. He would number each box. Then listed the contents on a index card with the same number. This method works really great when several people are doing the packing. Just assign each person a range of numbers. Also with your essential kits add basic bedding. Sheets, blanket and pillow. Then make the beds first thing so when your finished for the day you can just fall into bed.
I pack a box with the kettle, mugs, teaspoons, tea bags, instant coffee, milk, sugar and of course chocolate cookies. Professional movers drink tea all the time and you want to keep them happy! That's what the chocolate cookies are for.
I agree with just writing the room it goes into on the box but when marking the boxes with different colours I think you are supposed to also mark the room/door/doorframe it goes into with the same colour.
My favorite way to pack glassware is to get free boxes from the liquor store. They have dividers in them for the bottles so they're just perfect for glasses. I do the paper plates between plates too. Good luck with the move. I love your videos❣️
Same! It's significantly easier in the US. I'm in the UK now, and I've found it a lot harder and less accepted here. The liquor shops are more plentiful but much smaller so less boxes and the ones they do have they like to give out for people to take their purchases home.
My go to gift for friends who are moving is a large gift bag of cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, tape, scissors, markers, notepad, pe, garbage bags and bottled water.
That's a nice thought, but I would hate getting all this extra stuff, especially when it comes to cleaning supplies. We are still using all the different "all purpose" cleaners and such that my bf had when we moved together from over a year ago, for toilet bowl cleaning.
Moving across town is different than moving across state. We had limited space for our stuff in the POD and decided to sell most of our furniture and start over. Keep the memories (Christmas ornaments), but if you can buy it again, do that!
First of all, that top is so pretty! Secondly, one of my friends moved a few months ago; she was downsizing from a good-sized house to a smaller condo. She didn't declutter anything! She literally just threw everything in boxes and brought it with her. I wanted to scream! It's now taking up the entire bottom floor of her new place. 🙄😤
I like the packing tips of not using peanuts or bubble wrap. How about all those odd socks for your breakables? Also, wrap the dishes in dishtowels, then you just put away the dishes and fold the towels as you go and everything is ready to put away! These tips are also good for organizing your storage areas. I have my mother's things, mother-in-law's things and husband's things to sort and organize. Once I know what's worth keeping, I can label and store in the garage or basement as space allows. I also saw a website that said to put room labels in the upper right corner of all four sides of the box. Then, I added to put a sign on each door, "Child's room" "Office" "Master Bedroom", etc. No one can miss those signs and you make them match the labels on the boxes. And last of all, if you can rent your moving van for a whole day, move furniture first, then reload with boxes, you will take a lot less time to get it all done and things won't fall out of pick up trucks when you have to make LOTS of trips. Oh, and for dorm movers, this time of year. I had friends who were sisters who had a car they shared while at school. Then, when moving in and moving out they borrowed a family pick up truck. Clothes went in the car, and everything else went in the truck. I think these girls were professional movers because their dad was in the military. Just a few ideas from experience; hope it goes well for you.
Great tips. My only suggestion about using bubble wrap.....super fragile items, especially old heirlooms, definitely use bubble wrap. And it makes a difference if you are moving cross country versus across town. When we moved across town I took the most fragile things in the car. I think I would do that if we moved cross country as well. Plus you can give away bubble wrap and boxes on marketplace. Great tips Cass and everyone else too!
I have some glasses etc. that need bubble wrap. I always save the same bubblewrap in one plastic box, been using the same wrappers for 15 years now, and it's only one box that takes space in storage (the plastic box also contains a couple original little boxes that the dishes came in).
When I moved I put all of the packed boxes in one room so that the house wasn’t cluttered. This made it super fast for the movers to grab everything and load it up. And as long as you have all of your supplies, the actual packing doesn’t really take that long. Two weeks is plenty of time! :)
If you have kids in school, especially if it’s close to back to school time, pack a box with all the school supplies, lunch boxes, backpacks, etc! It’s a time saver and keep it in a spot you can find it easily. We did that the year we moved a few weeks before school started. It was a life saver! The night before the first day of school, we just pulled the box out of the closet and loaded up the backpacks with their things. Lunch boxes were out on the counter ready for the mornings
Thanks Cas! I don’t like loading all the boxes that will go in a room right away. It’s nice to have a staging area to unload to. Then grab a box from staging area to unload at its final destination. That way you have enough room to work in the space that you’re trying to unpack. It’s also easier to see how to outfit/decorate the room without all the boxes kicking around. Not always possible but when option is available it’s great!
I wish I had these tips when I was moving. They would have saved me some time, money, and stress. I'm going to save this video for anyone I know who will be moving.
What helped us a lot when moving into a two level plus a basement was to color code with 1” round stickers. We had friends & family helping as I was waiting on back surgery - GREEN - top floor ORANGE - main floor RED - basement Worked like a charm 😊😊😊
I think the best moving tip advice comes from military families, because we have to do it so much. A funny story from when we were overseas that turned into a great tip. The movers that were hired didn't speak really good english, and we have to look at every item as it is coming into the property from the truck. So they ended up labeling each room with numbers, and they asked us which room each box went in. It was such a smooth move. The funniest part of the story is that we actually forgot to take the post it notes down, so when we moved 4 years later, the post it notes were used for moving out as well.
I've moved many times. I drop a box in each room. I'll start dropping a few items, momentum picks up and it always gets done. I pack a carry on, for my Pup & Myself. Moving is stressful. Have fun & enjoy your new home.
I made a 3d drawing with a free home planner app, gave that to the movers and i was done. Ofcourse i did label the boxes with the location they needed to go. And on the map i made the names the same as on the boxes. It was especially usefull for the furniture, they didnt needed to ask me anything, because the furniture (or look a likes) where all drawed out in the exact location where i wanted them, it saved a lot of time.
I ‘m so happy for you getting a new home while you’re children are still living at home . Best surprise news I’ve heard in a while ,you’re new home dream came true .
I am reminded of a recent video of yours, Cas, when you mentioned the idea of GETMO (good enough to move on). As a person who naturally wants to do everything perfectly, and has often been frustrated when things don't go that way, I have been really trying to adopt the GETMO way of doing most everything, especially when feeling like there is just so much to do. Remembering that acronym really helps me put things into perspective, and I actually end up accomplishing more things on my to do list because it takes off the paralyzing stress and pressure that used to get in the way of getting things done.
God bless you Cas on your move. I have moved whole households 7 times in the past 30 yrs. It's never fun!! Thanks for showing us how to make it easier. Pack, breathe, rest, relax, repeat. 🥰🦋🙏🏽💖
One hour and close to 5,000 views!! I love watching great peeps succeed!! Personally, I find you to be relatable more than other organizers because of your ADHD! Your compassion comes thru on all your videos and podcasts. Plus you calm my brain a bit after listening to other news!!
Another tip is to have a small First Aid kit handy on moving day. Our helper cut his finger on something and it bled. I was able to get him a plaster/bandaid easily and quickly.
I totally get it!!! We've sold our house and moved into an apartment in June 2021 to transition into a new house. We moved into our new house in February 2022!!! It's a lot but you learn so much!! I agree about labeling boxes for the room they go in and cleaning as you pack!!! Now, stop reading comments and get to pack in!!!! 😅
I always start with pictures on the wall. I go around the whole house and take down all pictures, remove hooks, fill the holes, sand and touch up the paint. Then all decor throughout the house, decluttering as I go. Then I go through every room decluttering and packing things that will not be used over the next few weeks such as entertainment dishes, etc. This way, the house is like a blank slate with just items you use such as clothes etc. I pack all the boxes into an empty room, so it is all in one spot and not all throughout the house which can become overwhelming. As each room is packed, I clean windows and window coverings. On the day of moving, as each room is emptied of furniture, I follow along with a bucket of soapy water, wash the skirting boards, window sills, vacuum the floor and as I leave the room, I close the door, so everyone knows that room is empty and clean. Best wishes on your move Cas xx
Great tips! In South Africa though, you cannot write the content on the boxes. It will be gone before you know it. I made a list and numbered the boxes. On the list every box number and it's content was written and everyone got a list. It was great and worked well.
We haven't moved in 23 years. Having said this, we moved 28 times before the last move. WHERE were you THEN! (not military)! This is awesome as you are also. Thanks for all the encouraging info and the "realness" of YOU.
Congratulations on your new home!!! I’ve always left the clothes in the dresser drawers. If it’s to heavy take the drawers out move the dresser and put the drawers back in. Saves time and boxes. Happy packing!! 🎉
Hang in there Cas & Joe, you'll be in your new home in a month and then your dreams will continue! Congratulations 🎉 So many practical tips for moves - reminds me of the 8 times in 20 years my husband & I moved before we bought our home. Our moves went pretty well overall. When we moved into this house, my husband offered movers. We'd always done it ourselves so this was a treat. The day the movers came they helped pack the very last items in black trash bags. I knew what they packed so those bags were in the garage for a few days. When we went to unpack the bags, the movers had been very thorough. They had packed the trash from our last apartment & nicely brought it with them! Gratefully there wasn't anything that was too smelly. Remember: *family medicines (inhalers, pain meds, bug repellent, bandaids, etc) *pet needs, leash, collar, water, bed, litter box & scoop, food, treats, favorite toy, meds, carrier * take pictures, bring snacks & water, sense of humor & dose of patience Have the most fun you can (even though it doesn't feel like it could ever be fun) ❤❤❤
We just moved state and it was so stressful. But, I too, put it off until the last minute - sort of ... In the end I just went through with trash bags and threw it all away LOL! Couple of tips as well. In your bathroom essentials basket, put a dollar tree shower curtain liner ... you all want to shower off the sweat but not have to find the bathroom decor. (We were so lucky that the apt that we moved into had a roll of TP and a shower liner in each bathroom, as well as some plastic cups on the kitchen counter - so sweet). For those that are organized, there's these QR Tote scan stickers. These were so amazing and especially for those that are very organized and are not time wasters. But they are just stickers that go on the totes/boxes. You download the app, scan the sticker and then either list or take photos of whats in the box. And you can have multiple people working off of the same account. There's search features, etc. I ended up using them for the items that were more for long storage and my business. We did use the blue trash bags with the vacuum but also wrapped them with shipping tape so they didn't lose the suction. Good luck with the move. It's crazy!
I like to move one room in at a time...bedroom and home office first, kitchen second living room last. I always pack one suitcase for the bathroom with shower curtain, towels, soap, tp and all the essentials like toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes floor mat.
Unpacking clutter that I should have gotten rid of as I watch this video. I didn't start packing early enough!! Ran out of time!! Good luck,Cas, I know the struggle well.
Totes are actually great for Military moves especially when moving overseas. I love having them because I can see my things and know they're being protected a little better than just being tossed together in random boxes. It makes unpacking on the other end of our moves super easy and if we can't fit some items, they are easy to store for the time until we move to somewhere else.
When we moved out of our house, downsizing to a small apartment, we had decluttered a lot of stuff and had a bunch of empty totes that were no longer needed for storage. Knowing how hard it is to scrounge boxes for moving, we saved every last one of those totes, and were glad we had them. They've been used for three more moves since then, each time decluttering a bit more, and so I think we've made good use of them. I agree that I wouldn't buy new ones for a move, though.
Same. We are also military and have lived all over. We are in Korea now. The “moving totes” we have are over 20 years old, and have gotten a lot of use. I definitely think totes are the better way to go for people that move frequently.
@darleneh608 I found some on Facebook marketplace for a pretty cheap price and 2 of them were from a woman who was moving back to the U.K. and selling everything that wasn't going in her suitcases.
I like that there are lots of packing choices. For instance, I've got some stained, ripped bath towels. Instead of tossing them now, I'm using them as packing. I'll toss them when I'm done!
Really good tips for packing, ready for moving house. I have moved house 7 times in 10 years, and all of my "stuff" has all come with me I am afraid! Which is why I have been watching your videos, as I have two whole rooms full of things that I am finding hard to get rid of. It does not help also, that I am on my own with my dog, so can not lift some heavy stuff, and do not have the room really to sort stuff out here, due to the clutter! I am having to pay someone to come in and help me, with a van to take stuff to the tip, Oxfam (charity shop) etc. I got rid of my car, and live in a rural spot. But I am gradually trying to clear stuff. Thank you for all your videos, you are such a lovely person, and I love your new puppy - not so new now I know! Love and hugs from Jilly & Madge the rescue greyhound, from a sunny West Devon, England. xxx
Great video. I like the part about packing plates. I’ve moved more than 50 times! Yes 50,and I am just 60. No we weren’t in the military. Here’s my trick: stack the plates on their side in the box. The weight of stacked horizontal are much more easily broken.stacked on sides= much sturdier surface strength. Happy packing😊
For college kids, put things in packing cubes so you can pull them out, put them in the drawers, and same when you go to move out. Also, use either a sporting wagon or large rolling luggage to move in and out with. It is so much easier.
I'm preparing for a move in 8 days. Thanks to you and the other you tube organizing gurus, it won't be as traumatic as it could have been 😮 I've been decluttering for about 3 years, but since I started packing, I have taken boxes to the charity shop nearly every day. I'm so grateful to the organizers on here who helped me prepare for this, even though I didn't realize it at the time. Thanks again, Cass. I'll be using several of these tips😅
A tip for those interested in the color coding method - make corresponding index cards with a swatch of color for each room, and tape them above each doorway. For upstairs rooms, make a key of those rooms and tape them next to the staircase downstairs. Thanks for the great tips!
I color coded our boxes with painters tape. But we wrote the room and what was in it. Ex GREEN tape - kitchen - pots and pans, RED tape - living room - kids books. This way I could quickly see by color tape if that box belonged in the room, but I could also know what inside and choosing which boxes to open first.
One thing about paper in filing cabinets: paper is heavy. My advice is to actually taking it out and packing them separately! It may sound like extra work, but once (we move a lot!) the movers didn’t, and the legs of our expensive and fancy filing cabinet got bent. We could never straighten them completely and now every time I look at it, I get reminded of this.
This video came at a strangely specific and perfect time for me😮 Thankfully, I’ve been packing slowly while waiting for my move-in day and I’ve learned to label boxes for what’s inside. Now I have the date and less than a week to finish and I’m overwhelmed by the kitchen, clothing, books and bathroom I still have left 😅 These tips are encouraging me to keep at it rather than sit here with it feeling impossible. Thanks for making this video!
Cas, 284 / 5 000 I want to thank YOU for your honesty, naturalness and all your real-life advices. I felt so overwhelmed and lost, and thanks to you I believed that I could handle it all easy and calmly, without unnecessary stress and self-blame. I thank you with all my heart :)
Wow great video, I have definitely made mistakes when moving, but labeling the box that way and having a tidy tote would have definitely made things easier.
Excellent advice, Cass! Congratulations on your new home and upcoming move! Pray all goes well with that. I love your stories at the end. They are always so relatable and encourage us.
I'm definitely decluttering well before I move in the future. Even down to more petite/simple/lighter furniture that's easier to maintain with that dusting tip especially. Never doing the mess again lol. It sounds exhausting!
I think one important thing is to acknowledge THAT you are moving! It's a big, stressful thing (i don't think mini-minimalists watch this), so let go of the thought that your home should look nice. Accept that you're breaking up your current home.🐌 Also, spare your back! When packing a box, put it on something so you don't have to bend to the floor (unnecessary). Dining table to high, but coffe table, protected?📦 And, heavy things like books, check lift the box now and then while packing, and fill up with pillows, lamp shades and other light stuff. After 20 boxes you wish you had packed every box lighter! 📚📚📚📚 - pack for the back! - your friends, the moving company, and yourself when you lift it to unpack in the right area.🦕 Have a secure area, like at the end of your bed för your suitcase with necessities like Cass said, valuables, first aid for family and for the new home (Tpaper etc.). 📝🎻📱📿👑🚽⛑️💊👓🕶️🧥👕👖
We just emptied the storage unit yesterday, so just completed our move. We moved the contents of our house(3 kids, 25 years) ourselves and got movers for the big stuff(we are 60, so this was a lot of work). Since we did it this way having some random smaller boxes to fill in the space in the car helped(think breakables). I watched a bunch of moving videos and what I have learned is each move is unique, so just like everything else, figure out what work's for you.
We have gone through 8 big moves. I have had movers hired just for the day of bringing stuff into the new house who cannot read. I have successfully used sticker pictures of something like kitchen utensils on all the kitchen boxes and a full size matching picture on the kitchen wall. May sound crazy but it worked great for the past 3 moves.
I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU ARE SAYING IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES ABOUT PACKING. i had to talk to my life coach to break that procrastination paralysis and get started earlier! 😂 I also have 3 weeks left to pack, with 2 babies under three. But I greatly appreciate this wonderful video! It felt like a direct answer to my question to you about packing organization and I love you so much for this! I am actually going to be replay this about 7 times until every tip feels natural and assimilated into my packing flow 😅🎉
Tip 1 label on the side of the boxes, never the top. Tip 2 never lay plates flat. Tip 3 use standard boxes. Tip 4 if you can't carry a box don't expect someone else to.
I literally JUST finished unpacking the LAST few boxes that we had in our attic and garage from when we moved almost 5 years ago! My big project this summer has been to declutter the whole house. We made all the mistakes when we moved. I didn’t clean or declutter anything beforehand. AND because we literally moved four streets down from where we were, it took over a month to move everything! We would just drive car loads over when we had the time. Got the essentials there and then took our sweet time with all the extra crap😂 I never plan on moving again. But if I do, I know exactly what NOT to do now😂🙈 As always, great video Cas!
I am here overwhelmed. I am not moving, but I am procrastinating. This video is helpful and helping me. Thank you for sharing and of your wonderful knowledge and experience❣️
In my last move, I had already done 2 major decluttering sessions of my 4 bedrm .. I labeled 2 sides of boxes, so that no matter how it was stacked, I could easily see what was inside. Anything going to someone else, was labeled w/their name on it. I saved space by using towels, etc as padding for breakables, but i always wrapped in plastic first. I didn't want glass breaking inside of clothes, towels, etc.. I sectioned half of rm for donations & the other half for already packed items. .. I delegated & also paid professionals for repairs & painting, but I also had family & friends volunteering to help w/ different things. .. It was all done in a month, buyer in less than 24 hrs & closed on the house 2 wks later. I had a great team & very little stress. 😊
Another suggestion is packing the bedding separate and making the bed as soon as you set it up so at the end of the day when you are tired you can fall into bed and not have to make it first. 😃
YES! AND set the beds up first so that you can have a place to rest when you were exhausted or done.
I always unpacked my room first. It was so exhaustive to unpack. I can order pizza. I can't order a place to sleep. #militarywife
Absolutely💯, I pack the bedding in a suitcase, so it is all together. I do the same for bathroom items: towels, bathmat, toilet paper etc
Absolutely 💯
Absolutely 💯
As someone who's moved 38 times in 33 years, I strongly agree with ALL of these!! My additions:
-use empty suitcases or duffel bags to pack clothes! I find this keeps them cleaner. Plus you have to move your suitcases and bags anyway.
-people are ALWAYS giving away free boxes and bubble wrap online! Also, your workplace is likely to have empty boxes they'll be happy to let you take if you ask.
-if you have camping gear, it helps to keep it handy in case by the time you get to your new home you're too tired to assemble a bed. We've been known to plop down on our sleeping pads and sleeping bags the night before and after a move :)
-if you're too young/broke to hire movers and are asking your friends to help you, PLEASE feed them.
people have friends who help them move??? ☠️
@@dontdiefoxMy fiance and I helped our friend move into a new apartment
38 times?? God bless u
38 times in 33 years is insane. Speaking of, how are you still sane?? I moved three times in 2 years and stayed at a bad apartment for 9 years because I didn’t want to move 😅 thanks for the tips
@@dontdiefoxyes! 😊
My father-in-law gave the best advice. He said to move the cars into the garage first (and keep them there). For over 30 years, our cars have had a home, and we have minimal clutter in the garage.
That is embarrassingly profound wisdom that I wouldn't have thought of!!!
my husband would just back my car out
We park both of our cars in the garage every day. This eliminates clutter. However, we have way too many shelves in the garage that my husband has filled up with stuff we "might need someday". Now we have to get rid of all of that but it's better than loads of stuff.
😂😂😂 love this!!!
You’re right, there’s no time for gift baskets, but we left our buyers toilet paper in the bathrooms, hand soap, paper towel, a few trash bags, and some basic cleaning wipes and dish soap. Just some common sense kindness to pay forward, hopefully. I also recommend packing smaller and lighter boxes than you think; it’s so much easier on your back when the movers and helpers are all gone and it’s just you moving the boxes around as you settle in (for weeks on end…).
I did same...I left house immaculate also...they were very appreciative.
So thoughtful!
And a bottle of champagne in the fridge
I hope your move goes smoothly. Your suggestions are all good. Keep packing!
@@angelaromolo6517they could be recovering alcoholics. I wouldn’t do that.
Don’t scrounge a bunch of randomly-sized boxes to save a little money. Uniform boxes made for moving in a few sizes will stack better and make the best use of space, and are more likely to be strong enough. Make sure the boxes have handles! When I last bought boxes a few years ago, the ones Home Depot sells didn’t have handles; the ones from Lowes did.
The local groceries where I live deliver in egg box sized boxes that have handles and are overall great quality (if nothing spills during delivery 😂) and we even have some people that allow everyone to donate their boxes to them and those who move can get them for free!
Local alcohol/wine store save boxes! They are great for small heavy things like books and CDs/vhs tapes and not be so heavy!
Pack a child’s smaller favorite toys/electronics in a small take along box in your car. They can put it in their new room in a closet. After they help with some moving, give them a snack and time for playing with their favorites for a few minutes before helping again!
Kids love to help but can’t
do as much as adults. So I
always made sure to have a few smaller boxes so they can feel a sense of helpfulness.
It’s a lot less stressful than dealing with whining kids !
Princess auto/harbor freight sells a box handle cutter tool. It's really neat
Banana boxes all the way!!! Uniform, Strong, with handles, free from the supermarket
(Only half fill with books, as too heavy when full to top with books)
When I start packing, the first thing I pack is walls. There is nothing I need on the walls. I go room to room and pack everything on them. Since it is also decor it's the last you put back up. So first down last up. The bad thing about procrastinating is if you wait till the end then your going non stop packing then unpacking. Give yourself a few days at the end where you can chill a little bit makes all the difference!! I have moved so many times in my 69yrs it's crazy!!
I always encourage people moving over a weekend, to first pack everything they will need to get ready for work on Monday in a suitcase so all they have to do is find the suitcase and it eliminates a world of stress if you know that you can manage getting ready for work. Bath towel, soap, shampoo, toothbrush & toothpaste, deodorant , hair products, & toiletries.
Also, set up and make your bed right away. When you’re tired, it’s the last thing you want to do.
Everything else is gravy. I’m grateful I haven’t had to move in over 20 years, but I know I’ve accumulated “stuff” that needs to be purged. Sometimes I want to pack as if I’m moving for a good reality check. I’m certain I would be surprised at what I no longer need but am continuing to store/manage. Funny how packing makes you realize this.
Yes! Great tips for moving, but I also want to pack and unpack like I'm moving because when I moved last it was in a rush and I didn't really declutter. Maybe in the winter when the weather isn't so glorious that I just wanna sit outside all day
We've always moved locally so we normally try and get a week overlap between places (rent not owned) so we can take our time and clean up the old place over a couple of days if needed.
The “packing for work” lesson was a hard one to learn and definitely was not an acceptable answer to my boss when I said I had nothing appropriate to wear to work.
I suggest taking 2 weeks off, so you have time to move out, move into your new space & enjoy your new surroundings 😊🎉
Another tip, avoid large grocery shops, just buy essentials and work through that pantry. Makes packing up the kitchen easier.
Great tip! I'm moving in a few weeks and desperately trying to work through my overgrown pantry. I do NOT want to be moving loads of heavy canned goods! :)
Good tip!
Paper plates between plates and socks for glasses. mind blowing Makes so much sense
Right!? I Never would have thought about doing this!
use up all those random one only sock that lost it's mate.
I have a priority plan for unpacking.
First priority: The day you move into your new place, you first clean and set up your bathroom(s). Toilet paper in place, backups accessible, towels on the rods, shower curtains hung, and the basics of your everyday care stuff in place and easily found and used. With that in place you can take care of basic needs plus get showers and such to keep yourself going.
As soon as that's done, start setting up the beds, with kids beds being the first priority and adults after that. With that done, you have a place to sleep.
Once those necessities are taken care of, I tend to go on to a complete unpacking and setting up of the bedrooms, followed by the kitchen and then last, the living room.
Last time my husband and I moved, which was around our 15th or 20th time, we moved into our one bedroom apartment and were completely unpacked, right down to pictures hanging on the walls, in two days. I love being a minimalist.
Awesome!
Awesome tip for local moves, which is mine this time for a change. Really, greatly appreciate the suggestion! Love it.
Minimalism is boring.
One of the best packing tips I have I got from a professional mover-when packing plates, put them in the box vertically not horizontally. I’ve done this for 33 years over seven moves and haven’t had one broken plate. Happy moving!
no way, it doesn't even make sense
@@MahmoudMohsab it's amazing how people freely share their wisdom that has worked for them, and then have rude people poop on it!
@@TheLordsSister not cool
My favourite tipp: make freezer meals for the whole last week AND the whole first week in disposable pans. You can pack and unpack all spices, pots and utensils in these two weeks AND you don‘t have to worry about dinner while unpacking. You will be fine with oatmeal, fruit cups, sandwiches and a freezer meal for two weeks. And it is a Great way to use things up.
Good tip! Any favorite freezer meals that work well?
BEST Tip: You don't have to remove & box clothes from dressers!!! Just leave the clothes in the drawers. Most dressers have a 'lip' on the front. Movers have to remove the drawers to move dressers anyway. They take the drawers and stack them in the truck alternating back to front so the front lip of each drawer is wedged against the back of the one beneath it which keeps the stack steady as the truck moves. Place a layer of packing paper or cardboard over the contents of each drawer to keep contents (like underwear) from view and keep dust from settling. This is mostly achieved by one drawer stacked on another anyway except for the one that ends up on top.
ALWAYS keep valuables (expensive jewelry, electronics, financial & ID info) and move it in your car yourself. If this isn't possible due to distance, etc., label the boxes with something obscure that you will recognize, or note the code in your phone. For example, 'Jess' for jewelry or 'Elmer' for electronics or 'PPR' for paperwork with sensitive info. If you have to stay at a motel/hotel in transit, always bring the valuables from the car in with you, even if they're hidden in the trunk.
Having a suitcase of clothes is a good idea, but if you're going to include toiletries, make sure they're in a ziploc bag!
yes!!! or taped closed
Always remove valuables from sight before the movers come too. I have had tools, money, Swiss army knives stolen. They don't care! You don't know who they are! Don't give them the opportunity to just nick things.
The more you pack for yourself in advance, the better
Whoa that vacuum sealing hack on a normal bag… mind blown. 6:17
When moving I decluttered and reused a Christmas decor box. It wasn’t adequately relabeled. I couldn’t find my kitchen utensils until the next Christmas and we moved in January lol😂.
😂
I'm ALL FOR hiring a cleaning crew to clean out the old house and also the new.
I'm moving too. My chiropractor recommended that I "kick" a box to see how heavy it is before trying to pick it up. Good luck with your move, Cas.
Great tips, Cass! For overseas moves I also set up a 'gift room' - filled with all the things I love but can't take (food, pot plants, electrical items that don't match the overseas plugs etc) and each person who visits my house in the lead up to the move gets to (has to!!) take something. Anything that's leftover can be donated, but offering it to friends first is a nice way for them to keep a piece of you after you move.
A tip for anyone who doesn't move with a truck/moving company but with cars: only use a few boxes for breakables (preferably packed with all your towels, sheets and throw blankets in between) and use sturdy reusable shopping bags for everything else. Borrow them from friends, if you live in EU everyone will have more than they need. Bags are way easier to squish into a car. We even skipped boxes for books and opted for ikea bags from family and friends.
Discovered this truth when moving my son to his college dorm room.
Yes I love the big laundry bags with zips as I can use them after for storage anyway
When you're done packing a room, clean it right away! We always have the first week's essentials separate and it goes in the car! First thing is to set up beds, so they go in the moving truck last so they are first to be pulled out and set up..then the kids can be occupied making beds and starting to visualize their new room😉❤🙏🏾
That’s a great idea to load the beds last, so they unload first.
Maybe the first mistake is not being in the right mindset for a move. I love packing and getting ready for a new adventure, so this was never a problem for me, but I have seen others struggle with it. I would definitely set aside time to get my head in the right frame of mind. Get excited! This is gonna be fun! A new and better life awaits and we want it to start as soon as possible. Like when we got upset that Col Blake left, but then we got Col Potter who nailed it in MASH. Just saying.
Love the analogy!! And yes Colonel Potter brought a whole new level to MASH
I disagree. I was a military brat so we moved a lot. I believe there’s a big difference between being excited about the move and packing for the move. I have generally loved every move I have ever done, looking forward to new adventures and a new place to decorate. However, I almost never liked to pack up my belongings. It was akin to pulling up my roots and then too I had to purge items while packing which was always a little depressing. It was an interesting dichotomy of leaving some memories behind while looking forward to creating new ones.
@@mythicsagefire I was an Army brat too, moved 19 times in 18 years. Being a child, yes it is hard to pack up and leave your friends and it is scary. But as adults? No, I embrace it and own it, especially since I chose to move. But I will confess, I am also a declutter nerd. Love it and packing. I even enjoy it when I travel. So maybe it is just me.
I am indeed struggling to corral this cluttered apartment
Omg thank you for this....perfect timing because I always feel some type of way but yet I prayed and wished myself out of these horrible places!
Great tips, thank you! I always take everything off the walls first. It gets me in the mindset of "we're moving," and helps me feel like I've made big progress right away. :)
Label the contents of boxes on all four sides, so no matter how it's stacked you can see it without moving the boxes around. Saves SO much time and effort when you're looking for that one specific item/box. I also label room and contents on top and sides, same reason as above. Moving is hectic enough, and it's simple enough to do.
Yes. It makes deciding what to steal from the UHaul that's being unloaded REALLY easy.
Being a preacher's kid I've moved A LOT! I still like the color code method, but I write the room name on the colored tape. I can see at a glance when the correct colors are together, and helpers have a highly visual cue for where to look for room ID. Clothes I leave in the dresser drawers, take the drawers out, put the main part on the truck then put the drawers back in. May take a little extra time, but less than packed them away, then unpacking, refolding and putting away. Also, if you are going a long distance and may arrive late at night, put the mattresses on the truck as the VERY LAST thing. Even if sheets dont make it on them, at least you have a soft place to sleep.
Other tips (because I am also in the middle of packing to move houses) : make a list of your frozen food and fresh food in your fridge in order to plan your meals to empty them and have time to clean them and unplug before you move + plan time to clean the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, and drain the exit water hoses (to avoid the risk of a mess aka flood on moving day...)
Thank you! I had "unplug fridge" in my planner but have now added washing machine to that 😊 life saver
This! We are moving next week and I looked up “meals to make with ____” for all our food we still have
I was told to never list contents of a box on the box, if someone wants to steal an item you've just made it easy for them. I had a friend who was moving themselves, and as they were moving boxes into the house, they left the U-Haul doors open, and someone took the boxes marked "electronics." You're so distracted moving you might not notice the boxes are missing until you start to set up your TV, computer, sound system, etc. I do the laundry basket "need stuff" too, I even include a quick change of clothes just in case.
That is such a good point about not advertising what's in the boxes.
I was a Military wife through multiple moves. Had expensive items disappear each time. Amazingly, they weren't on the "packing lists" the packers created. Keep a list of what's in your boxes and number and keep your own list. Even if movers are putting the numbers on the boxes with those little stickers. :( Necessity and essential boxes, SOOO important! Also, if going to a different region, pack some clothes that are warmer and cooler than what you expect it will be like. Dry or humid climate change can be a huge adjustment.
I label them according to room so all the items…including electronics are put into boxes according to their location.😊
I moved 15 times in 12 years including overseas and cross country (not military, just couldn’t settle for a while there lol). I have used every one of these tips and vouch they are helpful, especially the clean things as you pack! Took me a few rounds to use that one and it was so much easier when unpacking.
Only one I’d add is for the daunting task of starting. I can’t stand boxes hanging around either, so I pick a room, or side of a room, that I’m not needing much or can make empty (ie guest room, formal dining, office if can use dining table for a few weeks. etc). I start there, and that becomes my “storage unit.” I put all my boxes in there as they are done, basically making a box fort and a bag corner. Keeps them out of the way, know how many boxes you have, and with everything except big furniture into one room, you
a) don’t accidentally throw away anything because that room is only for stuff you are taking with you so any donations and trash are kept separate
b) makes you see progress
c) if on 1st floor makes easier on move out day as helpers/movers don’t have to stuff carry up/down stairs, so as to not clog that route for furniture moving
d) easier to deep clean/paint touch up all the other spaces over time since will be at bare minimum and only have really one room and some floors to clean on move out day.
I love the idea of picking a space to become the storage unit for the boxes that are already packed! Thank you for sharing! : - )
As far as point "c." --- As much $$$ as movers cost, I'm not concerned with making things easier on them - they can carry things down the damn stairs! 😂
That tip about storing boxes seems like it might help me! About to start that now 😅
@@npkrn6764 agreed and it keeps the boxes more out of sight. I'd hate staring at boxes everyday.
In case you didn’t mention it, you some masking and tape your remote to the back of the TV. I did this when we moved my mother-in-law. My brother-in-law said we didn’t need the remote taped to the TV and moved it. Guess what they couldn’t find when they got everything moved to the house, the remote was lost in the boxes.
I totally agree with all the suggestions. Last time I moved I also kept four boxes for my precious ornaments. They were the first things I packed and when removal day came, those boxes came in the car with me, not with the removal van.
I love the end rant of overwhelming chaos! We all feel it. Thanks for your tips !! ❤😂
Thanks for all the tips. I would add a small tote or box for medications and first aid items. Inevitably some one gets themselves cut or suffers a fall, like me☹️
To help with your packing motivation... you could always make "pack/ move/ declutter with me" videos! I'm sure I'm not the only one who would enjoy that! 😉💜
Everyone loves declutter videos and before and afters, right?! 🎉
Best wishes with the process, with the remainder of the buying/ selling/ moving, and with your new house!! 🎉💜
Oooo, then new organize and setting up videos in the new house! 😉🎉
:)
The idea of packing clothes for the first few days, bathroom essentials, etc - Light blub - I have a packing list for long trips/camping and that will work perfectly for a move!
The avoiding black trash bag tip is very helpful, wow
We always just put tan tape on the bag and label it with what's in there.
If you number your boxes and keep a clipboard of detailed contents, you can pack in advance but still have access if you need to dig something out before you move. It also allows you to have a plan after the move to unpack and know what still needs space in your cupboard/closet.
#ing boxes - are you an accountant? Easiest is to write Room and Contents on each box, sign on each room in new home
The benefit of this is that if you have movers you don’t trust, it’s more difficult for them to identify boxes they want to steal. When we hire movers and use boxes with the contents labeled on the box, a few boxes usually disappear.
@@kellymccarthy-uy4fn that is sad
I’ve also used paper towels to wrap glasses and mugs because then I can use them after they’re not dirty
Don’t forget coffee and coffee maker in the essentials basket or OPEN ME FIRST box. Also pack a set of sheets for each bed in either the suitcases or an OPEN ME FIRST box. If you’re moving cross country with a moving company and aren’t staying in a motel while waiting for furniture to arrive, you might want to take your camping gear with you (cots or air mattresses) so you can crash when you need a nap during unpacking!
I have 6 days left till we move and yet here I sit watching youtube! I got to get going! Thank you for the tip on packing a basket with cleaning items! Okay, here I go, you too Cas!
How did it go? I move next weekend. Same boat haha!
thanks for the good laugh, 3 days for me haha why am i even searching this
how did it go? im actually moving in two days @@Icemilktea-
@@gannaemad6261 lol I wanna add 1. Keep the tools (screw set/drill etc to unscrew possible furniture) and excessive fabric/towels with you last (for wrapping fragile items), don’t throw them away until the last day.
It feels so light and amazing after the move has been completed!!
Same! Down to 3 days now and I’ve lived here for 20 years raising 4 kids. Lord help me
My late brother-in-law had a great method for packing for moving. He would number each box. Then listed the contents on a index card with the same number. This method works really great when several people are doing the packing. Just assign each person a range of numbers. Also with your essential kits add basic bedding. Sheets, blanket and pillow. Then make the beds first thing so when your finished for the day you can just fall into bed.
I pack a box with the kettle, mugs, teaspoons, tea bags, instant coffee, milk, sugar and of course chocolate cookies. Professional movers drink tea all the time and you want to keep them happy! That's what the chocolate cookies are for.
Best part of the week when Cas releases a new video!! Second best part, Cas's story time! 😂
The "after story" is always my favorite part!
I love that too!!!
I agree with just writing the room it goes into on the box but when marking the boxes with different colours I think you are supposed to also mark the room/door/doorframe it goes into with the same colour.
My favorite way to pack glassware is to get free boxes from the liquor store. They have dividers in them for the bottles so they're just perfect for glasses. I do the paper plates between plates too. Good luck with the move. I love your videos❣️
Same! It's significantly easier in the US. I'm in the UK now, and I've found it a lot harder and less accepted here. The liquor shops are more plentiful but much smaller so less boxes and the ones they do have they like to give out for people to take their purchases home.
Yep where I get a lot of moving boxes
My go to gift for friends who are moving is a large gift bag of cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, tape, scissors, markers, notepad, pe, garbage bags and bottled water.
That's a nice thought, but I would hate getting all this extra stuff, especially when it comes to cleaning supplies. We are still using all the different "all purpose" cleaners and such that my bf had when we moved together from over a year ago, for toilet bowl cleaning.
My mom always bought a new broom and mop when she would move. She I'm not bring the Dirt from the old house to the new house.
I like that
I do new trashcan too for similar reasons!
You could always just clean and sanitize your mops and brooms with disinfectant or soap. Dirt is dirt. It will find you wherever you go.
I was taught this as well. It’s and energy thing. Don’t bring the old dirt into the new home.
Moving across town is different than moving across state. We had limited space for our stuff in the POD and decided to sell most of our furniture and start over. Keep the memories (Christmas ornaments), but if you can buy it again, do that!
First of all, that top is so pretty! Secondly, one of my friends moved a few months ago; she was downsizing from a good-sized house to a smaller condo. She didn't declutter anything! She literally just threw everything in boxes and brought it with her. I wanted to scream! It's now taking up the entire bottom floor of her new place. 🙄😤
I like the packing tips of not using peanuts or bubble wrap. How about all those odd socks for your breakables? Also, wrap the dishes in dishtowels, then you just put away the dishes and fold the towels as you go and everything is ready to put away! These tips are also good for organizing your storage areas. I have my mother's things, mother-in-law's things and husband's things to sort and organize. Once I know what's worth keeping, I can label and store in the garage or basement as space allows. I also saw a website that said to put room labels in the upper right corner of all four sides of the box. Then, I added to put a sign on each door, "Child's room" "Office" "Master Bedroom", etc. No one can miss those signs and you make them match the labels on the boxes.
And last of all, if you can rent your moving van for a whole day, move furniture first, then reload with boxes, you will take a lot less time to get it all done and things won't fall out of pick up trucks when you have to make LOTS of trips.
Oh, and for dorm movers, this time of year. I had friends who were sisters who had a car they shared while at school. Then, when moving in and moving out they borrowed a family pick up truck. Clothes went in the car, and everything else went in the truck. I think these girls were professional movers because their dad was in the military. Just a few ideas from experience; hope it goes well for you.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! : - )
Great tips. My only suggestion about using bubble wrap.....super fragile items, especially old heirlooms, definitely use bubble wrap. And it makes a difference if you are moving cross country versus across town. When we moved across town I took the most fragile things in the car. I think I would do that if we moved cross country as well. Plus you can give away bubble wrap and boxes on marketplace. Great tips Cass and everyone else too!
Definitely agree with you. We are getting ready to move over 900 miles away - I'm using bubble wrap!
Bonus, you can pop the bubble wrap when you need to relieve some stress. 🙃
I have some glasses etc. that need bubble wrap. I always save the same bubblewrap in one plastic box, been using the same wrappers for 15 years now, and it's only one box that takes space in storage (the plastic box also contains a couple original little boxes that the dishes came in).
When I moved I put all of the packed boxes in one room so that the house wasn’t cluttered. This made it super fast for the movers to grab everything and load it up. And as long as you have all of your supplies, the actual packing doesn’t really take that long. Two weeks is plenty of time! :)
Did this too and the movers were so thankful-and said so.
If you have kids in school, especially if it’s close to back to school time, pack a box with all the school supplies, lunch boxes, backpacks, etc! It’s a time saver and keep it in a spot you can find it easily. We did that the year we moved a few weeks before school started. It was a life saver! The night before the first day of school, we just pulled the box out of the closet and loaded up the backpacks with their things. Lunch boxes were out on the counter ready for the mornings
Thanks Cas! I don’t like loading all the boxes that will go in a room right away. It’s nice to have a staging area to unload to. Then grab a box from staging area to unload at its final destination. That way you have enough room to work in the space that you’re trying to unpack. It’s also easier to see how to outfit/decorate the room without all the boxes kicking around. Not always possible but when option is available it’s great!
Packing clothes in suitcases is a good tip too.
I wish I had these tips when I was moving. They would have saved me some time, money, and stress. I'm going to save this video for anyone I know who will be moving.
What helped us a lot when moving into a two level plus a basement was to color code with 1” round stickers. We had friends & family helping as I was waiting on back surgery -
GREEN - top floor
ORANGE - main floor
RED - basement
Worked like a charm 😊😊😊
I think the best moving tip advice comes from military families, because we have to do it so much. A funny story from when we were overseas that turned into a great tip. The movers that were hired didn't speak really good english, and we have to look at every item as it is coming into the property from the truck. So they ended up labeling each room with numbers, and they asked us which room each box went in. It was such a smooth move. The funniest part of the story is that we actually forgot to take the post it notes down, so when we moved 4 years later, the post it notes were used for moving out as well.
I called it "The First Night" bag/box for the bathroom and kitchen essentials!
I've moved many times. I drop a box in each room. I'll start dropping a few items, momentum picks up and it always gets done. I pack a carry on, for my Pup & Myself. Moving is stressful. Have fun & enjoy your new home.
I made a 3d drawing with a free home planner app, gave that to the movers and i was done. Ofcourse i did label the boxes with the location they needed to go. And on the map i made the names the same as on the boxes. It was especially usefull for the furniture, they didnt needed to ask me anything, because the furniture (or look a likes) where all drawed out in the exact location where i wanted them, it saved a lot of time.
Yes! Movers appreciate this.
I ‘m so happy for you getting a new home while you’re children are still living at home . Best surprise news I’ve heard in a while ,you’re new home dream came true .
I am reminded of a recent video of yours, Cas, when you mentioned the idea of GETMO (good enough to move on). As a person who naturally wants to do everything perfectly, and has often been frustrated when things don't go that way, I have been really trying to adopt the GETMO way of doing most everything, especially when feeling like there is just so much to do. Remembering that acronym really helps me put things into perspective, and I actually end up accomplishing more things on my to do list because it takes off the paralyzing stress and pressure that used to get in the way of getting things done.
Love that.
You go Cas! You can do it! Let the excitement of moving to your new home give you a boost. 🎉
God bless you Cas on your move. I have moved whole households 7 times in the past 30 yrs. It's never fun!! Thanks for showing us how to make it easier. Pack, breathe, rest, relax, repeat. 🥰🦋🙏🏽💖
One hour and close to 5,000 views!! I love watching great peeps succeed!! Personally, I find you to be relatable more than other organizers because of your ADHD! Your compassion comes thru on all your videos and podcasts. Plus you calm my brain a bit after listening to other news!!
Another tip is to have a small First Aid kit handy on moving day. Our helper cut his finger on something and it bled. I was able to get him a plaster/bandaid easily and quickly.
I totally get it!!! We've sold our house and moved into an apartment in June 2021 to transition into a new house. We moved into our new house in February 2022!!! It's a lot but you learn so much!! I agree about labeling boxes for the room they go in and cleaning as you pack!!! Now, stop reading comments and get to pack in!!!! 😅
I always start with pictures on the wall. I go around the whole house and take down all pictures, remove hooks, fill the holes, sand and touch up the paint. Then all decor throughout the house, decluttering as I go. Then I go through every room decluttering and packing things that will not be used over the next few weeks such as entertainment dishes, etc. This way, the house is like a blank slate with just items you use such as clothes etc. I pack all the boxes into an empty room, so it is all in one spot and not all throughout the house which can become overwhelming. As each room is packed, I clean windows and window coverings. On the day of moving, as each room is emptied of furniture, I follow along with a bucket of soapy water, wash the skirting boards, window sills, vacuum the floor and as I leave the room, I close the door, so everyone knows that room is empty and clean. Best wishes on your move Cas xx
I like this a lot! You've inspired me, I shall follow your method 🎉
@@kathysteele4303 Glad to help Kathy, goodluck on your move. :))
Great tips! In South Africa though, you cannot write the content on the boxes. It will be gone before you know it. I made a list and numbered the boxes. On the list every box number and it's content was written and everyone got a list. It was great and worked well.
We haven't moved in 23 years. Having said this, we moved 28 times before the last move. WHERE were you THEN! (not military)! This is awesome as you are also. Thanks for all the encouraging info and the "realness" of YOU.
I love that tip you just gave on and essentials basket including paper plates, toilet paper, personal suit cases.
Congratulations on your new home!!! I’ve always left the clothes in the dresser drawers. If it’s to heavy take the drawers out move the dresser and put the drawers back in. Saves time and boxes. Happy packing!! 🎉
Hang in there Cas & Joe, you'll be in your new home in a month and then your dreams will continue! Congratulations 🎉 So many practical tips for moves - reminds me of the 8 times in 20 years my husband & I moved before we bought our home. Our moves went pretty well overall. When we moved into this house, my husband offered movers. We'd always done it ourselves so this was a treat. The day the movers came they helped pack the very last items in black trash bags. I knew what they packed so those bags were in the garage for a few days.
When we went to unpack the bags, the movers had been very thorough. They had packed the trash from our last apartment & nicely brought it with them!
Gratefully there wasn't anything that was too smelly.
Remember:
*family medicines (inhalers, pain meds, bug repellent, bandaids, etc)
*pet needs, leash, collar, water, bed, litter box & scoop, food, treats, favorite toy, meds, carrier
* take pictures, bring snacks & water, sense of humor & dose of patience
Have the most fun you can (even though it doesn't feel like it could ever be fun) ❤❤❤
We just moved state and it was so stressful. But, I too, put it off until the last minute - sort of ... In the end I just went through with trash bags and threw it all away LOL! Couple of tips as well. In your bathroom essentials basket, put a dollar tree shower curtain liner ... you all want to shower off the sweat but not have to find the bathroom decor. (We were so lucky that the apt that we moved into had a roll of TP and a shower liner in each bathroom, as well as some plastic cups on the kitchen counter - so sweet). For those that are organized, there's these QR Tote scan stickers. These were so amazing and especially for those that are very organized and are not time wasters. But they are just stickers that go on the totes/boxes. You download the app, scan the sticker and then either list or take photos of whats in the box. And you can have multiple people working off of the same account. There's search features, etc. I ended up using them for the items that were more for long storage and my business. We did use the blue trash bags with the vacuum but also wrapped them with shipping tape so they didn't lose the suction. Good luck with the move. It's crazy!
I like to move one room in at a time...bedroom and home office first, kitchen second living room last. I always pack one suitcase for the bathroom with shower curtain, towels, soap, tp and all the essentials like toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes floor mat.
Unpacking clutter that I should have gotten rid of as I watch this video. I didn't start packing early enough!! Ran out of time!! Good luck,Cas, I know the struggle well.
Totes are actually great for Military moves especially when moving overseas. I love having them because I can see my things and know they're being protected a little better than just being tossed together in random boxes. It makes unpacking on the other end of our moves super easy and if we can't fit some items, they are easy to store for the time until we move to somewhere else.
When we moved out of our house, downsizing to a small apartment, we had decluttered a lot of stuff and had a bunch of empty totes that were no longer needed for storage. Knowing how hard it is to scrounge boxes for moving, we saved every last one of those totes, and were glad we had them. They've been used for three more moves since then, each time decluttering a bit more, and so I think we've made good use of them.
I agree that I wouldn't buy new ones for a move, though.
Same. We are also military and have lived all over. We are in Korea now. The “moving totes” we have are over 20 years old, and have gotten a lot of use. I definitely think totes are the better way to go for people that move frequently.
@darleneh608 I found some on Facebook marketplace for a pretty cheap price and 2 of them were from a woman who was moving back to the U.K. and selling everything that wasn't going in her suitcases.
Don't look at packaging as such a horrible task...look at it as an exciting task the quicker you get it done the quicker you can move out...😊
and everything ends up cleaner than it has in years, love that part furniture wise...
Will you text this reminder to me everyday until we are loafing the truck please!
I like that there are lots of packing choices. For instance, I've got some stained, ripped bath towels. Instead of tossing them now, I'm using them as packing. I'll toss them when I'm done!
Love the positivity vibe
Really good tips for packing, ready for moving house. I have moved house 7 times in 10 years, and all of my "stuff" has all come with me I am afraid! Which is why I have been watching your videos, as I have two whole rooms full of things that I am finding hard to get rid of. It does not help also, that I am on my own with my dog, so can not lift some heavy stuff, and do not have the room really to sort stuff out here, due to the clutter! I am having to pay someone to come in and help me, with a van to take stuff to the tip, Oxfam (charity shop) etc. I got rid of my car, and live in a rural spot. But I am gradually trying to clear stuff. Thank you for all your videos, you are such a lovely person, and I love your new puppy - not so new now I know! Love and hugs from Jilly & Madge the rescue greyhound, from a sunny West Devon, England. xxx
@jillychandler
Thank you for inspiring me! Wishing you good health and good luck in your new home.
Greetings from Chicago ❤
Great video. I like the part about packing plates. I’ve moved more than 50 times! Yes 50,and I am just 60. No we weren’t in the military. Here’s my trick: stack the plates on their side in the box. The weight of stacked horizontal are much more easily broken.stacked on sides= much sturdier surface strength. Happy packing😊
Thanks for sharing!
For college kids, put things in packing cubes so you can pull them out, put them in the drawers, and same when you go to move out. Also, use either a sporting wagon or large rolling luggage to move in and out with. It is so much easier.
I'm preparing for a move in 8 days.
Thanks to you and the other you tube organizing gurus, it won't be as traumatic as it could have been 😮
I've been decluttering for about 3 years, but since I started packing, I have taken boxes to the charity shop nearly every day.
I'm so grateful to the organizers on here who helped me prepare for this, even though I didn't realize it at the time.
Thanks again, Cass. I'll be using several of these tips😅
A tip for those interested in the color coding method - make corresponding index cards with a swatch of color for each room, and tape them above each doorway. For upstairs rooms, make a key of those rooms and tape them next to the staircase downstairs.
Thanks for the great tips!
I color coded our boxes with painters tape. But we wrote the room and what was in it. Ex GREEN tape - kitchen - pots and pans, RED tape - living room - kids books.
This way I could quickly see by color tape if that box belonged in the room, but I could also know what inside and choosing which boxes to open first.
One thing about paper in filing cabinets: paper is heavy. My advice is to actually taking it out and packing them separately! It may sound like extra work, but once (we move a lot!) the movers didn’t, and the legs of our expensive and fancy filing cabinet got bent. We could never straighten them completely and now every time I look at it, I get reminded of this.
This video came at a strangely specific and perfect time for me😮 Thankfully, I’ve been packing slowly while waiting for my move-in day and I’ve learned to label boxes for what’s inside. Now I have the date and less than a week to finish and I’m overwhelmed by the kitchen, clothing, books and bathroom I still have left 😅 These tips are encouraging me to keep at it rather than sit here with it feeling impossible. Thanks for making this video!
You got this!
Cas,
284 / 5 000
I want to thank YOU for your honesty, naturalness and all your real-life advices. I felt so overwhelmed and lost, and thanks to you I believed that I could handle it all easy and calmly, without unnecessary stress and self-blame. I thank you with all my heart :)
If you have nice large luggage, you can use that to transport your clothes. I've done it a few times and it's worked out great.
Same!!
Great tip!
Deep breathes! Follow your own advice- step by step. It all will work out and be great! Will send prayers and positive vibes!
Wow great video, I have definitely made mistakes when moving, but labeling the box that way and having a tidy tote would have definitely made things easier.
Excellent advice, Cass! Congratulations on your new home and upcoming move! Pray all goes well with that. I love your stories at the end. They are always so relatable and encourage us.
I'm definitely decluttering well before I move in the future. Even down to more petite/simple/lighter furniture that's easier to maintain with that dusting tip especially. Never doing the mess again lol. It sounds exhausting!
I think one important thing is to acknowledge THAT you are moving! It's a big, stressful thing (i don't think mini-minimalists watch this), so let go of the thought that your home should look nice. Accept that you're breaking up your current home.🐌
Also, spare your back! When packing a box, put it on something so you don't have to bend to the floor (unnecessary). Dining table to high, but coffe table, protected?📦
And, heavy things like books, check lift the box now and then while packing, and fill up with pillows, lamp shades and other light stuff. After 20 boxes you wish you had packed every box lighter! 📚📚📚📚
- pack for the back! - your friends, the moving company, and yourself when you lift it to unpack in the right area.🦕
Have a secure area, like at the end of your bed för your suitcase with necessities like Cass said, valuables, first aid for family and for the new home (Tpaper etc.).
📝🎻📱📿👑🚽⛑️💊👓🕶️🧥👕👖
We just emptied the storage unit yesterday, so just completed our move. We moved the contents of our house(3 kids, 25 years) ourselves and got movers for the big stuff(we are 60, so this was a lot of work). Since we did it this way having some random smaller boxes to fill in the space in the car helped(think breakables). I watched a bunch of moving videos and what I have learned is each move is unique, so just like everything else, figure out what work's for you.
We have gone through 8 big moves. I have had movers hired just for the day of bringing stuff into the new house who cannot read. I have successfully used sticker pictures of something like kitchen utensils on all the kitchen boxes and a full size matching picture on the kitchen wall. May sound crazy but it worked great for the past 3 moves.
I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU ARE SAYING IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES ABOUT PACKING. i had to talk to my life coach to break that procrastination paralysis and get started earlier! 😂
I also have 3 weeks left to pack, with 2 babies under three. But I greatly appreciate this wonderful video! It felt like a direct answer to my question to you about packing organization and I love you so much for this!
I am actually going to be replay this about 7 times until every tip feels natural and assimilated into my packing flow 😅🎉
Same
I had no idea you could vacuum pack without a special bag. Genius, Cass!
Tip 1 label on the side of the boxes, never the top. Tip 2 never lay plates flat. Tip 3 use standard boxes. Tip 4 if you can't carry a box don't expect someone else to.
I literally JUST finished unpacking the LAST few boxes that we had in our attic and garage from when we moved almost 5 years ago! My big project this summer has been to declutter the whole house. We made all the mistakes when we moved. I didn’t clean or declutter anything beforehand. AND because we literally moved four streets down from where we were, it took over a month to move everything! We would just drive car loads over when we had the time. Got the essentials there and then took our sweet time with all the extra crap😂 I never plan on moving again. But if I do, I know exactly what NOT to do now😂🙈 As always, great video Cas!
I am here overwhelmed. I am not moving, but I am procrastinating. This video is helpful and helping me. Thank you for sharing and of your wonderful knowledge and experience❣️
You are so welcome!
In my last move, I had already done 2 major decluttering sessions of my 4 bedrm .. I labeled 2 sides of boxes, so that no matter how it was stacked, I could easily see what was inside. Anything going to someone else, was labeled w/their name on it. I saved space by using towels, etc as padding for breakables, but i always wrapped in plastic first. I didn't want glass breaking inside of clothes, towels, etc.. I sectioned half of rm for donations & the other half for already packed items. .. I delegated & also paid professionals for repairs & painting, but I also had family & friends volunteering to help w/ different things. .. It was all done in a month, buyer in less than 24 hrs & closed on the house 2 wks later. I had a great team & very little stress. 😊