Sure, moving can create a lot of extra work in your world. However, some advance planning can help your day go much easier! We’ve compiled some of our favorite moving day hacks (in no particular order) to help ease your transition into, and out of, the big moving day.

1.    Donate whatever you can. Schedule a free donation pick-up to local charities. Purge that heavy furniture and excess clothing.

2.    Clean and de-clutter your home, so there are fewer items to move into or out of storage.

3.    Choose a mid-week, mid-month move to ease the budget. If you’re closing on a new house, consider closing the month prior and tackling any painting, carpet, or basic updates before your move.

4.    Take pictures of your special valuables and fragile goods.

5.    Use sticky notes and/or different colored Duck tape to color-code your moving boxes.

6.    Wrap the breakable goods inside of bubble wrap or in a foam pouch.

7.    Build extra time into your budgeted calendar. (In an ideal world, there’s no need to do any packing or shipping on moving day.)

8.    Prepare your car for a move, particularly if it’s a corporate relocation or a long-distance move. Check the oil, add air in the tires, etc. so it’s ready to go when you arrive.

9.    Transfer your utilities and your mail well beforehand.

10. Decide how much to pack on the truck, and how much to ship ahead. Consider using a professional moving company to avoid doing the heavy lifting and transport on your own.

11. If you’re moving with young children, create an activity bag with snacks and a change of clothing, just in case.

12. Have snacks and cash on hand for tipping the movers. (A general rule of thumb is $4-$5 per mover, per hour.)

13. Use vacuum storage bags to cut down on the space you need for heavy blankets and comforters.

14. Try to have a “one room, one box” guideline to avoid having to empty boxes in multiple rooms.

15. Keep plenty of water bottles on hand for the big day.

16. Pack like-items together, when they’re from the same room (assuming you’re not downsizing and there’s no need to combine items after you’ve moved in). For instance, keep the kitchen utensils and sports equipment together with similar items.

17. Prep some freezer or crockpot meals in advance. (This will be especially key when you’re in the final stage of packing the kitchen!)

18. Wrap sharp knives in paper towels, tucked inside potholders — this keeps them from slicing through a box.

19. Use Ziplock bags for packing up a drawer’s similar contents. Then when you arrive in the next home, you just empty the items back into a new drawer.

20. Have your “day one” box ready to go with bedding and kitchen essentials like your favorite instant coffee and some to-go cups.

If you’re looking for more ways to save time and money on your next move, check out our previous post.

Whether you’re new to the area or a longtime Steel City resident, whenever you need to find movers or relocation services in any pocket of Pittsburgh, southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia or eastern Ohio, we’d love to talk! At George Moving and Storage, we offer free estimates — whether you’d like in-person or virtual, depending on your schedule. Just visit our website, or give us a call today at 800-810-2635.