Moving Myself Down the Street

[BrianaHartzell]

My husband and I recently purchased a home less than 2 miles from the hose we are renting now. We need to move, but are unsure of the most efficient and effective way to pack and transfer our belongings since it is such a short trip! I don't want to skimp on packing our items up carefully... but also do not want to go over board since I will immediately be unpacking the items! Does anyone have advice for this situation? Thanks!

[Alicebel]

Hi Briana, I was in the same predicament a few years ago. I agree with with the other person who replied. I rented from a U-haul company for 99.00 a day. It took me three trips plus I also packed stuff in both my cars. As for how to pack things up, I suggest you use plastic wrap to cover the drawers of dressers if you are taking them individually. If you are loading the dressers with the drawers in then you should tape them shut. Keep Clothing in hangers and put them in boxes or big plastic bags. Label each bag/box according to their location and when you move in make sure to place the bags/boxes in its rightful place so you don't do double work and then you can unpack easily. Kitchen items should be packed carefully with paper or bubble wrap to avoid breakage. Hope this helps... good luck!!!

[CP6]

I am in the same boat here very soon as we just sold and have to find a place to rent close. Having done this before, what worked for me was to rent a good size truck from a larger truck company that will contract you the truck for the entire day at one set price no miles. You pay to fill up, but use as you wish.. In my case, I believe it was Ryder, and it cost me about 140 for the day. I made many small trips back and forth and it took me about 6 trips. Cost me a bit more in gas as well, but all in all for about 200 for the day maybe a little more, I felt it was worth it. I hardly packed anything well, I had things strapped down, and put stuff in boxes, and drove slowly. You do have to have a couple of friends though on each end unloading and uploading to keep the trips short and maximize the day. It made for a long day, but it worked out! Unfortunately this time around for me, I have no help, so I have to shell out the big dollars and have someone else do the job!

[CR60]

Hi! I have done short moves more than I want to think about. If you can start ahead of time, transport the small stuff via your car. Use large plastic bags to help protect your clothes. Slip the bag around the clothes and tie off around the hangers. Pull the drawers from your furniture, leaving the items in the drawers. I don't bother wrapping these as they are going via my car, just the way they are. For kitchen stuff, I load the laundry baskets (they have handles and it holds about as much as I can carry) up with stuff. You can use socks, pillow cases, and towels as packing materials to keep fragile stuff from breaking. I have 10 days to move our home this time. I will be going room by room to clear as much stuff as possible before I rent a truck. If you have suitcases that are empty, they are great for all the "stuff" you have in your junk drawer. You don't really use most of that stuff, so it is easy to just load up the suitcase and at your leisure, find a new drawer to unload them into at the new home. If you have artwork, I use blankets and comforters to protect them since these items tend to be thicker and provide a little more protection than just sheets. Best of luck to you!

[JSinCA]

We just moved "down the road" in July. It was literally a 3 minute walk from our rental house to our new house. We had to do our move in three days and it was miserable. My best advice is to move one room at a time and take a good week to do so. Take one day to box one room, move it all, then unpack at the new house. Or if you have extra hands for only a day or two, then move the bulk furniture and stuff you can't carry on your own on the first day or two. Then each day after, transfer one room worth of stuff at a time.

[StuartB]

The moving day is always a beast especially as you get to the smaller things that one collects over the years. In every move I have ever made, local, ditty or professional; you will avoid damaged possessions if you plan ahead. I recommend obtaining wardrobe boxes for your hanging clothes, mattress boxes to keep them clean and undamaged and compartment boxes for your fragile items and dishes. Kraft paper is better than news paper but anything is better than nothing. One of the best ways to prevent damage to your chairs, dressers and china cabinets is to use plastic wrap like the kind available at Uhaul. For $15 bucks, this will be the best investment you can make. It will prevent drawers from opening and it provides a buffer from friction. It is also great for wrapping dismantled items into packages that are easier to move as one. Even though a dolly may not seem necessary if you have plenty of help, they are a great load neutralizer and your friends will thank you. As the day winds down and you begin to tire, carelessness with the remaining items becomes acceptable...try to have boxes available that you can use to pack these things loosely and move them in your personal vehicle if possible; don't stuff them among the items in your truck. Finally, leave rags, brooms, dustpan and vacuum for the final touch up to your vacant home...don't forget to have hammer, screwdriver and wrenches for assembly of beds for your first night. Keep your linens handy along with those pillows. Hope this helps, hard knocks and broken valuables teach you many lessons...lol.

[MsSpam]

Try to get rid of stuff you don't really use or want before the move. I bought a new house and moved across town from my third floor apartment and the heat was killer in San Antonio in August. I like to think of a move as a clean start so if you have three fondue pots get rid of them. Who wants to cart stuff you don't use across town? That costs money! I hired movers and it cost me about 200 bucks but they came with a truck and two guys and they had everything moved within two hours! TWO HOURS! Freak out! It took them an hour to get four rooms of furniture on the truck, 30 minutes to cross town in the truck and 1.5 hours to unload. I recommend moving your computer, papers, teevees and anything of value in your car if you hire someone. This way if they get lost or something happens you still have that stuff with you. Try and pack a room a day the month before the big move if you can. Just go into the room and start with a corner or something. If you start on it, it will make you feel like something is happening and make the move so much smoother. I bought plastic storage boxes and trunks with handles to put some stuff in that I use seasonally. I considered it an investment as once I was home I would have it sealed in a safer box.

[sl45082]

wow, seems like you got a good deal, movers and a truck for the prices of a truck, gas and insurance...your approach sounds like it worked well. smart idea moving your valuables yourself. good tips in this topic.