Top Ten Moving Tips. We just moved and bought our first home! It’s a little fixer upper on the northwest side of Chicago. We actually moved two weeks ago, and it’s taken me until now to get this packing post up. Yes, the house is still a mess! We aim to fix it up over the next six months and I’ll document the progress here on the blog. Later this week, I’ll start by sharing the before pictures of the interior. Here’s the outside, which also needs some updating. First step will be to paint ALL the trim, windows and shutter. I’m thinking a dark black/brown color.

But back to the moving part! As we began to prep for the move, I had some new challenges as this was my first real move post marriage, i.e., accumulating lots of dish ware, glassware, artwork, holiday decorations and the list goes on. I wanted to be more careful then in my younger days of packing with only garage bags, boxes and little furniture. I did some research, got a few referrals, and asked my friend and professional organizer Danielle Reidy of Sadie Road to help condense all this knowledge into her top ten tips for moving! This comprehensive list from Danielle is AWESOME, and I did just about everything Danielle advises. I’d say the three things that made the biggest difference in our move were the following:

• Get a referral for movers from someone you trust. We used the company that recently moved my parents and felt they went above and beyond.
• Get movers who provide hanging boxes for all your hanging items. I never knew this existed! Our movers brought in tons of hanging storage boxes and took everything directly out of our closets.
• Splurge on moving supplies when it comes to your important dishware/glassware. We bought the cell kits from Uhaul and it makes so easy to pack tons of glassware and gives you piece of mind.

Top Ten Moving Tips by Sadie Road

1. Purge before you Pack. Gather your items by category (i.e. linens, pots and pans, sweaters, books, etc.) and make piles to donate, sell and toss. Start weeks in advance as this step will take some time, but will make for an easier and less stressful move.

2. Sell and Donate. After you’ve decided you’re ready to part ways with an item, get it out the door as quickly as possible. My go-to resources for selling online:

• Clothing: Thred Up
• Electronics: ebay
• Furniture: OfferUp, Craig’s List
• Donations: For larger pieces that you want to donate, schedule a pick up from Salvation Army weeks in advance.

3. Stock up on Supplies:

• Boxes: check with family/friends, local grocery stores, your office, etc. before purchasing. 
• Cardboard dish pack with partitions for glassware: check with local liquor store or
  purchase at Uhaul
• Hanging clothes boxes: If using a moving company, ask if they will supply. Or use a tie/tape to group the hangers and pull garbage bag over.
• Bubble wrap, packing paper for dishes, ziploc bags, plastic wrap, tape, tape gun, colored duct tape (in variety of colors)
  

4. Pack the essential items. What supplies will you need when you first arrive at the new home and the next morning? Transport these in your own car to ensure they don’t get lost.

• Think about the basic items you’ll need to eat, clean and have your morning coffee!
• What clothes do you need handy for the first couple days?

5. Prioritize your bedding. Pack clean sheets and bedding and plan to make the beds early in the unpacking stage before you get too tired from the move. You’ll be so happy you did this at the end of an exhausting day!

6. Pack dishes vertically, not stacked: Boxes with partitions are ideal for packing up your glasses and dishes. Plates and platters are less likely to break if they’re wrapped and stacked vertically.

7. Wrap it Up!

• Use saran wrap to cover liquids and anything that would spill.
• Cover furniture or items with sharp edges with wrap.

8. Don’t unhang your hanging items. Transfer hanging items to box with hanging rod, or tie the hangers together so they don’t get criss-crossed and pull a garbage bag around the items.  

9. Labeling is key. Clearly identify the room, and note the contents and if it’s fragile. If you want to be extra organized, number the box and keep a list of each number with it’s contents. Remember to label the side of the box, not the top.

10. Start Early. Since packing and moving is such an overwhelming thought to many us, it’s easy to procrastinate and wait until crunch time to start the process. If you start on steps 1-3 early, you will find that the packing portion is a way less daunting.

Sadie Road, founded by Danielle Reidy, is a Chicago-based company that offers clients a personalized home organizing and styling experience. Danielle’s mission at Sadie Road is to restore balance and productivity in her clients’ lives by simplifying the space, and introducing solutions that are both functional and beautiful.

Hope this helps if you’ve got a move coming up, or send it along to someone you know because moving season is approaching! Thanks Danielle for the great summary of moving tips!

XO – Claire