You know your IKEA hacks, you’ve got your kitchen hacks down pat, and your small-space design hacks are on point. But now it’s time to move, and when it comes to hacking your way through packing up and transporting everything you own, you’re fresh out of tips. Enter Reddit, the hive-mind of the internet, where folks with moving day-phobia have turned for years to get the best moving tips and moving hacks. We’ve compiled the absolute best moving hacks from Reddit, so whether you’re moving out for the first time or you’re moving to a new city alone, we’ve got you covered.
Reddit’s Best Moving Tips & Moving Hacks
Figure Out How Many Moving Boxes You’ll Need Using the Rule of Three
“Go by the rule of three: take a look around your place and estimate how many boxes you’ll need. Then multiply by three. That’s how many boxes you will really need.”
Photograph Your Sentimentals Instead of Keeping Them
“Purge HARD. Take pictures of anything you feel any sentimental attachment to, then throw it away or donate it. Every pound of stuff you can NOT move makes the process exponentially easier.”
Save Your Back with Smaller Boxes
“Use the smaller [moving] boxes that are easy to carry, because you will be lifting and moving a lot of them. Trust me, you do not want to hurt your back moving big boxes full of little things.”
Don’t Ask Your Friends to Be Your Movers
“Please for the love of god, don’t ask your friends. Yes, they’re your friends, and they’d probably be willing to help and enjoy some pizza and drinks, but nobody likes to be the guy who constantly gets phone calls to use their truck for moving, or use their labor to help. Of course, if times are tough and you’re counting coins to eat, then yes, call your friends and be sure you repay the favor somehow. This also goes for painting and other household chores.”
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Keep Yourself Organized with an Old-School Spreadsheet
“Label everything! I know this may sound tedious, but it helped me with my cross-country move. I labeled each box with a number, and in an excel sheet, I detailed what went inside each numbered box.”
Shrink Wrap is the Original Moving Hack
“SHRINK WRAP. Not the kind you buy at the grocery store for food, get the big rolls they sell at Home Depot for the explicit purpose of moving objects. Get a bunch of bulky but light objects, like pillows, rolled up posters, anything light but large. Shrink wrap them all together, that way you can carry a lot of light items in one trip. You have no idea how much effort this saves you until you use it.”
– bacon_is_just_okay on Reddit
Use Duct Tape to Keep the Little Things Together
“Attach any cables and/or screws to their appliances with duct tape. Helps keep everything in one place. If you’re moving any drawers or cupboards, use duct tape to keep drawers closed, as they can get damaged if they swing open or fall out in transit.”
Accept That There’s No Moving Hack to Get Around Making a Mess
“Keep in mind that you are going to make a mess before things get done. Don’t be discouraged when you see stuff everywhere. Just keep on working and everything will get done on time. A lot of people panic when they see a mess and make things worse by shoving things into boxes that don’t belong there because they think they’re not moving fast enough. Just be patient.”
IKEA Bags Are a Great Last-Minute Packing Trick
“IKEA BAGS! $11 got me 21 huge huge bags that held everything from my pots and pans to my kitchen appliances to clothes to all the dry food in my pantry. They were cheap and fantastic and I think we used maybe 10 boxes and all the rest Ikea bags, to move our 2 bedroom apartment!”
Pack a First Night Box to Avoid Unpacking Nightmares
“Pack all of your essentials in one box and take it with you in your car or the cab of the truck. I usually pack things like my toothbrush, toothpaste, phone charger, paper towels, hand soap, toilet paper, etc. and this is the first box I unpack. Then you can use your new bathroom as you’re moving and if you don’t finish unpacking you don’t have to dig through boxes to find the stuff you need to shower, eat, or whatever.”
– korsola on Reddit
When Unpacking, Start With Your Bed
“Set up the bed first. Then make it. Then do everything else. It’s a pain to have what might be a long day and no bed to fall into. At least this way when you are over the whole thing, you can just give up and go to sleep.”
Purge by Keeping Things Packed
“Once in the new place, if you can, don’t upack the non essential stuff. After a few months, throw out or donate what is still in boxes.”
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