Move Around- Moving Successfully During a Pandemic

I think we can all agree that whether you are moving up the street or across the country, moving sucks. The sorting, packing, hiring movers or, god forbid, moving yourself, the unpacking…it’s all so much. I’ve been in this place for two years now and I’m moving to new, bigger space on a new side of town. While it is exciting, taking on this arduous task and in the midst of a pandemic, is something I’m ready to be done with.

When I move, I never want help packing. To me, packing is the easy part. Having people around to help sounds ideal, but I’d rather pack and organize without having to give instruction. Keep in mind, I’ve only ever done it on my own, so I’m sure some help would work out, I’ve just never done it. Control freak much? This place is small, and thankfully I did a lot of purging over the last few years. I moved into this place from across the country and before I left that state, I purged a lot. I literally moved to Charlotte with what could be fit into the backseat of my car. I haven’t accumulated a ton of furniture since I’ve been here either and have tried to be good about donating or tossing unwanted items.

One thing I am hard and fast on is hiring movers. Listen, save yourself the drama of multiple trips, unreliable friends and family, and wrangling furniture and heavy items on top of your car. Movers are the best investment ever. They are paid to move you and your items in one trip, and within a certain timeframe. They have the tools and equipment to disassemble and reassemble your furniture, can pick up heavy things, and did I mention it’s done in one trip? In my opinion, hiring movers is money well spent. As a single woman in a new city, it makes my life so much easier to hire someone to do the job for me. When the movers get done, that’s when the real work begins for me.

Unpacking is probably my least favorite part of this process. I hate clutter and I don’t want to see random items in various places for too long. I tend to run myself ragged unpacking because I want it done and over with. However, the beauty of it is, once you’re in the new place you can unpack essentials to make yourself comfortable in your new space and then take your time with the rest. Sounds easy enough right?

My tips for moving successfully: *It should be noted thatI am single with no kids so…*

1. Purge before you pack. Go through things before you throw everything in a box. You may not need to take everything with you. If you haven’t used, worn or seen it for two years, consider tossing or donating.
2. Pack the non-essentials first. Items such as a crockpot, rarely used pots and pans, take the pictures off the wall and begin wrapping them. Clothes and shoes that are not in season can be packed up first in storage bins or suit cases.
3. Get estimates for at least 3 moving companies. Word of mouth and social media will be helpful with this as well. Read reviews and look for any bad trends like timeliness, management and care of items.
4. If you have weeks or a month before you move, pack something every day. I like to designate two days a week where I pack some things. This way you won’t be overwhelmed the day of trying to pack when the movers are coming.
5. Start cleaning your old place as you go. You can do things like cleaning out the old cabinets, dusting, and cleaning the oven and fridge. Your old place needs to be clean upon move out so you can make sure to get your deposit back if you are owed one.
6. Clean your new place, if possible before you move anything in. You should be able to do a walk-through and at that time it would be good to get a head start on putting your own personal cleaning touches on your new place. I know in apartments they hire cleaning services before a new tenant moves in. However, I’ve always felt better when I could disinfect and clean to my satisfaction.

Moving isn’t easy for anyone, I don’t know one person who gets a thrill from moving. I try and make it as easy as possible. I’m hoping for a smooth move and that this new place will fuel my creativity, be safe and a nice place to call home. Stay tuned as I’ll be posting updates on the blog and on my Instagram account about my move and my decorating of the beauty room.

XOXO-Lydia Marie