10 Moving Tips for Families
Moving is no joke, you guys. We’ve been planning this move for a while now and it’s still incredibly overwhelming! We have to be out of our Cali house by July 1st, so it’s almost here! Hopefully, we will be ready! I’ve learned quite a bit in preparing for our move, so I have to share my top 10 moving tips for families!
If you haven’t heard, we are moving back to Utah after nine years of living in California! My oldest was 18 months old when we moved to California, so Cali is literally all my kids know. We are super excited about moving though! It will be fun living close to family and living somewhere less expensive. (It’s crazy trying to afford everything as a family of six in California!)
Casey had a spot open up for his company located in Utah, which never happens, so we jumped on that! Although we are sad about leaving California (it has been my favorite place to live so far!) we are all super excited for this new adventure.
We were lucky enough to find and buy a house in Northern Utah. It is seriously so cute! I’ll be sharing details on the closing and posting pictures of it on Instagram soon, so be sure to check that out in my stories! Our plan is to live there for 2-3 years and then buy a lot where we will build a house for our more permanent situation.
It has been insane trying to pack and plan our move all while juggling four kids’ schedules. I’ve learned quite a few things in this crazy process, so I thought I’d share a few things to help your moving experience be a bit easier! I hope these 10 moving tips for families will answer some of your questions!
10 Moving Tips for Families
Tip #1: Plan ahead & write it out.
Like I said, moving is completely overwhelming. The sooner you get all your thoughts and plans out of your head and onto paper, the better off you will be. There’s a lot of details that go into moving, so it’s best to write it down and refer back to it later.
Some things to plan ahead on is scheduling your move: reserving a moving truck or company, reserving a storage unit if needed, buying plane tickets or getting your car serviced so it’s ready for a road trip, or reserving a car transport.
It’s a lot less stressful to decide these things as soon as you can and not last minute when you’re trying to just get everything moved out. Another helpful piece of advice is to write down your moving out plan. What you plan to get boxed up each day, so you know what to expect each day and what needs to be done by your due date.
Tip #2: Don’t wait to pack everyday items.
Am I the only one who wishes I could just pack everything right now and not wait? The only problem is I still need a lot of my things up until the week I leave. One tip is to go ahead and pack up your kitchen dishes, maybe two weeks in advance. You can use plastic ware for the rest of the days, so you don’t have to think about it anymore.
Think of other items that could be packed up early, like things you could live without for a few weeks and just have it done! You’ll feel so much better to have another box checked off your list.
Tip #3: Ask for help.
Ask for help from friends, family, or neighbors with anything you need! Moving is a ton of work and it’s a lot easier when you have someone who could watch your kids for a few hours, bring you dinner, or bring you some more packing tape when you’ve run out right in the middle of a power hour of packing.
Especially when it comes down to your last couple of weeks and you’re feeling the pressure of meeting your move out date, don’t turn down offers to help. Eating is especially tricky because you don’t want to eat at home, but you’d also not want to eat out because you’re saving money for the move. This is when you find a friend that could either bring you dinner or help you make some freezer meals that you have prepared for your last week!
Tip #4: Declutter & give away items first.
Before you even think about packing boxes, go through every room in your house and declutter. It’s amazing how many things you don’t want when you have to think about moving it to a new house. You will feel a million times lighter seeing loads of donation items dropped off at your local thrift store.
If there’s some items that make you feel sick to your stomach thinking of just giving that away, use your Facebook marketplace to sell it! This is one of the main ways people purchase second hand items now, and you could make quite a few bucks from selling these products that mean a little bit more to you.
Tip #5: Give yourself at least 3 days to clean.
When moving, we mostly think about getting all of our stuff out of our house and onto a moving truck. What we don’t think about is cleaning our house before we leave. Give yourself at least 3 days to clean your home before you leave. You could even space out some of the cleaning along the way, so you’re not overworking yourself on the last day to wipe down the walls and mop the floors.
You don’t have to go crazy in this part of moving, but you do want to leave your house in good shape for the ones moving in next. Your house has taken care of you and your family for years, so you want to treat it nicely as you say goodbye!
Tip #6: Use vacuum bags & moving blankets.
Vacuum bags are a game changer! They save so much space. Plus, they protect your pillows and blankets from getting dirty in the move. You could use vacuum bags for all sorts of things. You could put thicker clothing in them, bedding, throw pillows, etc. Just whatever could be shrunk down and kept fresh for when you open it again!
Moving blankets are also a great idea. Cover all your furniture like dressers, hutches, tables, etc. with blankets to keep them from getting banged up or paint chips from the move. You can just expect a little wear and tear on your things when you move, so protecting them as much as you can is a great idea.
Tip #6: Consider a moving company and/or transporting your car.
Consider which method for moving is the best for your situation. Do you want to sell most of your things and drive the rest out yourself? Would it be better to keep almost everything and hire a moving company? Should you transport a car to your new home instead of driving it out?
These are all questions to ask yourself as you prepare for your move. I recommend hiring a moving company, especially when you’re moving more things. It’s much easier and way less stressful. It will probably cost more to hire a company (be sure to compare quotes with multiple companies) than to move everything on your own, but to me it’s worth the investment. You just have to figure out what’s best for you and your family!
Tip #7: Decide the best moving method ahead of time.
What type of situation are you in? Are you moving long distance with a few kids? If so, you may consider flying to your new location rather than driving. It also depends on the ages of your kids and how well they do on a road trip. That is definitely something you decide because you know what’s best for your family!
Another option to weigh is if it’s better to spend money on moving most of your items or selling them and then replacing them once you get to your new home. These are all things to think about and the more you think about it, the better chance you have at saving some money! And I love to save money, especially when we’re doing something expensive like moving!
Tip #8: Be aware of your kids’ emotions.
Moving can be A LOT in every category: physically, emotionally, and mentally. There might be a lot your kids don’t understand when they see you packing up everything and expecting them to say goodbye to everything they know, for maybe forever.
Be aware of your kids’ emotional needs throughout your moving process. Make sure they are OK and your attention is there for them when they need it! I know it’s hard to split your attention, especially when working toward a big deadline, but you’d want to give your attention to your kids no matter what!
Tip #9: Prepare entertainment for the road trip.
If your move is going to be a fun family road trip, prepare games, snacks, and entertainment beforehand. Run to your local favorite stores and pick out some books, toys, and snacks that you don’t pull out until the day you leave. That way it will be brand new to your kids and the activities will last them longer on the ride!
Another tip is to leave early in the morning if you can! It makes a huge difference if you leave before the sun is up, because your kids will hopefully sleep for the first few hours and feel like the traveling isn’t as long for them, and for you!
Tip #10: Organize what goes where according to when you’ll need it.
Be sure to mark each and every box with what’s inside and what room it’s intended for. This will make your moving a million times easier. Along with that, be sure to pack you and your kids a carry on with what you’ll need for the nights leading up to moving into your house. That way you can have everything organized into one bag, rather than trying to remember where you put what or trying to bring three bags with you everywhere you go.
Those are my 10 moving tips for families! I can’t wait to show you my new Utah house! Follow me on Instagram @latishaspringer to see it! Also, send me any tips for moving to a new home or living in Utah! I’m excited for this new adventure and I’m so happy you’re here to see it!
