Whether your lease is up, you’re relocating for a new job, or you simply just decided it’s time to up and move. Life is full of the unexpected. You never know when you’ll have to move at the drop of a hat. If you’re completing your move in one day, follow these steps.
First and foremost, breathe: take deep breaths and don’t freak out. It’s going to be okay. It may be a rushed move, but you can do this. Now that you’ve mentally prepared yourself, let’s start the planning.
1. Make the phone calls
- Call and reserve a moving truck.
- Determine if friends and family will help you move: if you need to, book moving helpers!
- Notify anyone else that needs to know about your move (i.e. family, employer, friends).
2. Get supplies
- Do a quick run of your house and determine what types of moving supplies you’ll need. Consider what types of items you’ll be packing (i.e. Clothes, vases, wine glasses, canned food, etc…)
- Purchase all boxes, tape, dollies, furniture pads and anything else you’ll need for the move at your local U-Haul center. It’s better to overbuy and return unused items later than to have to run out to the store in the middle of packing.
3. Purge and pack
- Grab a big box and/or heavy garage back for the stuff you want to get rid of before your move.
- If you know you’re not taking some belongings with you, but don’t want to get rid of them, look into renting a storage unit.
- Now grab more boxes and coordinate by room (i.e. a box for the bathroom, boxes for the living, boxes for the kitchen). Stay organized with Smart Move Tape!
- As you start packing your belongings, arrange for your friends to come dig through the things you don’t want or simply drop them off at your local charity.
- Pack quickly and efficiently by tackling it one room at a time. Roll a couple boxes at a time to its specific rooms using that dolly you rented!
4. Load the moving truck
- Make sure you have furniture pads on your tables and chairs so that they don’t scratch and wear in the truck.
- Rent a dolly to move your items quickly. There are specific dollies for certain items that will cut your moving time in half. Stack boxes on a Hand Truck to load your truck quickly. Furniture dollies can move your couches, dressers, and tables. Appliance dollies can help with heavier items and appliances!
- Remember the more organized you are about putting your boxes into the truck, the quicker it’ll be to take unload the truck.
Okay, now take another deep breath. Game face one, half of your move is done!
5. Unloading the truck
- Give your helpers a room to tackle while unloading and get the job done quickly!
- Use a dolly to wheel the heavier items into their rooms.
- Once the truck is empty, double check and make sure that you’re not forgetting anything in the cab (i.e. phone, drinks, paperwork).
Now that it’s all said and done. Return your moving truck, whip out a box cutter and start unpacking. Don’t forget to return any rented furniture pads or dollies! Also, make sure to pat yourself on the back for successfully completing your move. Life may have thrown you some unexpected lemons, but you made that lemonade. And you made it quickly.
What tips do you have for completing a move in one day? Let us know in the comments below.
