“The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.” -Ivy Baker Priest.

It has been said that nothing is permanent in life but change.

That said, moving is an inevitable part of life.

A move to a new city or place is often inspired by a change in the course of your life. It may be that a new and better job opportunity has presented itself, a better career option has opened up, or maybe you recently got married and wished to settle down. Indeed, moving may sometimes be an inescapable event in our lives.

Unfortunately, not every move goes as smoothly and as conveniently as we wish it to be. Whether you move often or are packing up your bags for the first time in a long time, moving is notoriously stressful. Needless to say, it takes its toll on everyone—even on the most meticulous and thorough of planners. However, just because moving is not easy on anyone does not mean that there are possible ways to make your move easier and smoother. With the tips below, you can pack and unpack faster and reduce the amount of work to do which culminates in a moving process that is just a little bit convenient and easy for everyone.

It may seem too good to be true. After all, if you are making a move to the city for the first time, packing up your entire life and establishing new roots in an unfamiliar city may seem like a daunting task. But if you prepare well ahead and know what to do, you will find that there will be fewer things to stress and be worried about on the day of the move itself.

So, if you are thinking of moving to a condo in Quezon City or elsewhere soon, below are some of life’s tried and tested hacks to make your move smooth, easy, and stress-free.

HOW TO MOVE: Getting prepared

A tried and tested way to improve your move and make it easier is to start earlier rather than later. So, before we dive right into the packing tips and tricks, below are some helpful moving hacks to get your feet wet and help you get started.

a.) Figure out the logistics early

As there is a myriad of tasks involved during the move, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Sure, there is a lot that needs to be accomplished but let us start with the basics first. One of the very first things that need your consideration is whether you will hire a professional moving company or a rental truck. That said, you need to ask yourself whether you are going to need professional help or if you can make the move by yourself.

If you need professional moving assistance, be sure to find reliable and reputable movers. However, if you are doing it yourself, be sure to look for a good rental truck company. The sooner you get done with this, the sooner you can begin other tasks. Ideally, it is recommended that you research and scout the companies you wish to employ at least eight weeks before the move. This way, you will know about their availability and compare their quotes with other professional movers.

b.) Create a checklist

It should go without saying that you need to create a checklist when you move. Once you have hired movers or rented a truck, you need to figure out what you need to do next. Create your own checklist or research one online. The list will serve as your guide through the entire process. The moment new tasks come, be sure to add them to the list.

Keep in mind that while there is a universal structure to moving checklists, not all of it will be the same. What you need to do depends on what your circumstances are. Some of the things you need to do are transferring or canceling utilities in your old home. If you are moving with pets, you may need to collect your pet’s veterinarian records.

c.) Set your budget

Moving is expensive. That said, have an estimate of what you are going to spend on the day itself so that you would not be shocked with the grand total of your expenses. Apart from that, be sure to get a good idea of just how much you need in terms of packing supplies. In this way, you can be sure of what you need to get on the first run to the supply store.

LIFE HACKS BEFORE MOVING TO THE CITY

1.) Go through each of your belongings room by room

When you pack, do it per room. Start in one room before you proceed to the next. Open the closets and the cabinets of each room. Be sure not to skip any drawers. Get an idea of how much you have and make notes of what can go. Also, take an inventory of what pieces of furniture are not worth taking with you to your new home.

2.) Do a closet purge

Go through the clothes in your closet. If there is something that no longer fits, is out of style, or you have not worn it in a year, consider getting rid of it by donating it to charity, giving it to friends, or selling it. Of course, the same goes for everyone’s closets, linen cabinets, and bathroom shelves.

3.) Get rid of items you would not buy again

A golden rule in deciding whether an item should be packed or discarded is determining whether you would ever buy it again or not. So first, ask yourself whether you would go out and spend money to purchase it if you did not already have it. If the answer is no, then you no longer need it.

4.) Consider short-term storage

There are instances wherein you cannot make the decision to get rid of an item yet. For example, suppose you cannot commit to discarding some household items just yet and are considering holding on to them. In that case, you may want to put them in a short-term storage facility temporarily. In this way, you can buy yourself more time to evaluate your decision later.

5.) Use your suitcases

Make smaller decor items or appliances portable by packing them in your suitcases. You can pack heavy household items inside suitcases as the wheels make them easy to move. However, if you have any suitcases, use them to pack stuff that cannot be easily transported in boxes, such as heavy serving dishes, small kitchen appliances, and books.

6.) Set up boxes as you need them

Do not buy boxes ahead before you need them, as you need to keep your space as clear and manageable as possible. You can do this by setting up boxes only when you are ready to fill them. Then, once you have filled a box, be sure to take it to the packing station for taping and labeling.

7.) Color-code boxes

You can save time with box labeling by attaching colored stickers and assigning each color a room in your new home. In this way, you will easily identify which box needs to go in which room quickly. Also, you do not need to look for a marker every time you seal up a box.

8.) Indicate the room on boxes

Alternatively, if you do not wish to color-code your boxes, you can save time by putting the name of the room the box is going on every box. Another thing you can do is to label the boxes with their contents. However, this may confuse the movers, so do this only when you are doing a DIY move.

9.) Take a picture of the box contents

After you have packed the boxes, be sure to snap a quick photo of the contents inside just in case you may need to jog and refresh your memory later on about what is inside them. While you may not be able to capture every item in a snapshot, it can help you get a general idea of what may be inside or what you can find in each box.

10.) Have a moving essentials bag

An important thing you should never miss when packing is to put together a moving essentials bag. Pack a small backpack or duffle bag with personal items or other stuff you may need access to during your move. These are the things you will immediately need once you are in your new place. Some of the things that should be in this bag are important documents, medications, cellphones, chargers, basic toiletries, change of clothes, money, etc.

BOTTOMLINE

Moving may be a little stressful for everyone, but you can make it easier and stress-free by planning early and knowing what to do. Keep in mind that moving hacks are meant to take some of the burden off of yourself and make the process a little easier.

By following the ones above, you may just see that your move is not as bad as you initially expected it to be.