“Moving Day is not Packing Day”
I’ve never been a fantastic planner, but that saying above has stuck with me since I first heard it over a decade ago.
The truth is that Moving Day goes so much faster and easier when you can gather your moving helpers and immediately begin loading the truck. Otherwise, you end up with folks either standing around while you toss things into boxes at the last minute, or worse yet, your hasty packing ends up leaving your belongings vulnerable to damage and overall disorganization.
It’s also true that we don’t often realize how much stuff we’ve accumulated, until it’s time to move. All those books, movies and board games that stay neatly organized in your shelves and cabinets will take up more boxes than you might expect, and I’ve never once moved without packing up my kitchen and wondering how I got so many gadgets and appliances. During one particularly poorly-planned move, I ended up going to buy boxes (and tape) three different times because of how much we underestimated our needs.
Having vowed to never let that happen again, let’s take a look at some of the options available for getting our necessary moving supplies.
Shop In-Store
If this is one of your first major moves, or you just need some extra help picking out the right moving supplies, a visit in-store is your best bet. While online resources, such as Moving Insider of course, can be a big help, it’s tough to beat the expertise you can receive from talking to someone who helps families plan their move everyday.
Buy Online
Of course, if you’ve booked your rental truck online, you’d expect to be able to buy your moving supplies the same way. Lots of sites will sell you anything from boxes and tape to packing peanuts and anti-static covers for your electronics. Most online sellers should also help you with your decision making process, either by offering a tool that helps you plan the move, or at least showing you what products other customers commonly bought. Plus, when you order supplies online, you basically get a bonus box, since the seller has to package everything up to ship it to you.
Order Online & Pick-Up In-Store
What if you enjoy the ease of picking out moving supplies online, but you work all day and can’t have the package waiting for you to come home? Lucky for you, U-Haul’s Moving Calculator offers the ability to buy online and select a location in your neighborhood where you can stop by to pick-up your supplies. Simply enter a few details about your home, and the handy tool will generate a list of suggested supplies, and even check to make sure the suggested items are in-stock at your preferred location right then. All that’s left to do is head over to the store at your convenience and everything will be bundled up and ready to go.
On a trip to Boston this Spring I heard about students from the nearby universities using this last option, even in combination with ride-sharing services, as an easy way to order ahead and pick-up their supplies between final exams.
