In the 14 years my ex-husband was home, we moved over 30 times. You most likely don’t know anyone else that can pack a Uhaul as good as me (if it didn’t fit, I didn’t get to keep it!) nor do you know someone who can put up a home as quick (because I’ve literally done it SO many times!)
Moving is hard. It’s a lot of work, you get tired, it’s physically and emotionally draining. Then you get to the new house, look around at all your stuff and have NO IDEA where to put it all. If you are planning your next move, these tips will drastically help you know exactly how to unpack a house in two days!
How to Unpack a House in Two Days
The very first thing you want to do is…
Layout furniture before you move
You have to go to the new house before you move, measure, and figure out where all your big furniture is going to go. Where will you put the couches? Where will the entertainment center fit? On what wall do you want your headboard for your bed? Where will the dresser go?
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Don’t forget the garage. Where will your garage pantries go? Your shelves? Your lawn equipment, snow shovels, bikes, kids cars?
The more you have planned where it will go BEFORE you move, the EASIER it is ONCE you move.
If you want to put things away super quick after you move, plan out everything. On this move that I just made, I already had a lot lined up where it was all going to go, down to the dishes, bowls, plates, cups, silverware, etc.
You absolutely will get overwhelmed with decisions after you move, so the more decisions you’ve already made, the less stressed YOU will feel and the faster you can put it up, because you already know where it goes!
Take pictures before you pack
Over the years, there have been times where I’ve really needed to remember where I had certain things and I can’t.
A good example is my garage pantries. I have everything in a certain order, so that I know where everything is.
Taking a picture of it BEFORE you pack it with your phone, will greatly help you when you want to put everything back! This one tip alone has helped me SO many times and helps me put things back where they belong super quick!
Refrain yourself from organizing
It’s been three days since I’ve moved at the time that I’m writing this and everything is put up, including my garage. Is everything organized? No!
Here’s the trick. I KNOW that things will move. I had an end table in one spot, and it’s just more convenient in the office than the living room. So, I moved it. I put my glasses in one cabinet, but I find myself hoovering over another cabinet to get them — I will move them!
You don’t have to be set in stone on where things are. Throw all your food in the pantry. Don’t worry about organizing it. Just get all those dishes, cups, glasses, silverware, pots, and pans put up in SOME cabinet or drawer where you think they can fit in best. You can fiddle around with the layout of all that later when you’re settled in and find yourself drawn to one area more than another. It’ll all start coming together.
What you DON’T want to do, is have everything in boxes. You’ll never find ANYTHING like that. Seriously!
Then, as time goes on, start organizing the things how you want them, but at least you’ll know where everything is!!!
Do not pack early
I know this must sound so incredibly crazy, but I NEVER pack anything, at all, before 3 days before I move. Listen, even as a single mom, I can pack my whole house in that time-frame, and so can you.
You don’t want to pack early for several reasons…
1) You’ll forget which box you put something in.
2) You’ll need something you packed and never be able to find it. You’ll go out and buy one to replace it, wasting money and time.
3) You’ll pack wrong items with wrong items. There have been many times where I’ll start filling up a box and because I’ve packed early, can’t finish packing the room, so I go on to somewhere else. Then, the boxes are filled with a mish-mash of everything and nothing makes sense. I’ll lose something because I put that can opener with my kids stuff. LOL. I’ll end up buying a can opener because I can’t find the one and have no idea where it’s at.
Speaking of which…
Don’t let anyone else help you pack
Again, this may sound crazy, but goes along with the logic that YOU need to remember where everything is. Every time someone else has helped me pack, I’ve lost things, not known where they are and it’s just a mess. With good intentions, it’s literally sabotaging you.
Note: The only exception is if that same person is helping you put the same boxes they packed away in the new house.
Pack the things yourself, so you know where everything is.
Never take clothes off of hangers
A little known trick is that if you take about 10 articles of your clothing with the hangers in them and fold them in half, only the very middle clothing piece will even have a chance to get wrinkled.
I can get about 20-30 clothes in a 13-gallon trash bag and call it good. At the new house, throw the few wrinkled clothes in the dryer with a wet washcloth and bada-bing-bada-boom, you’re done! If you’re me, you just hang them up and they get the wrinkles out all by themselves…most of the time. Yeah, I’m not an ironer. 🙂
Do this with everyone’s clothes. Seriously, it saves SO much time.
The only thing I would say about this one, is that if you have stairs, roll the bags down the stairs, don’t throw them. It’s much easier to NOT have broken hangers. We always liked to have a soft landing for them like a pillow or something and they all rolled down like a snowball. This will help pack the Uhaul much faster and you will save some energy!
Label your boxes well
For pete’s sake, label those boxes. If you pack misc. items all together, make a list on the box lid. I’ve listed like 10 items on the outside of a box before. You want to know where everything is quickly!
Pack a suitcase
One of the BIGGEST TIPS you need to know is to pack a suitcase for your entire family for 5 days. All clothes, socks, undies, toothbrush, toothpaste, shower stuff, hairbrush, etc. Anything you’d pack to take on a trip or vacation, have it all there in suitcases.
Don’t forget pets! They need a zipper baggy of food for 5 days too, along with two bowls, one for water and one for food. Anything else they may need, like a bed, leash, etc. have them all packed too.
This will ensure that you’re not scrambling after you move to get your kids to school on time or to bed at a decent hour.
Everything is there in the suitcases and you have FIVE days to unpack and find things! This one tip will literally change your moving experience and I can’t recommend any other tip higher than this one! It’s absolutely crucial!
Are you planning on moving soon? What is your biggest challenge when moving? How has this article helped you and what could you add to it to help someone else save time in unpacking a house?
This is perfect! I did not think any single mom moved like me. We have moved 21 times soon to be 22 in 13 years….
That is definitely a lot. Now that I am single, I do not move near as much, and I am very thankful of that! lol
I’m so glad I found this post. I will be moving in a few months, and these tips will definitely help me plan and unpack swiftly. Thanks!
Yes, that’s awesome. Perfect timing. 🙂
Brilliant moving tips! Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom 🙂
Absolutely. Glad you like it Debbi. 🙂
This is great! Now I need the “how to pack in three days” article! Lol
Easy…pack a suitcase with 5 days worth of all the stuff you’ll need (as if you’re taking a trip with your family). Then, throw EVERYTHING else in boxes the day before and just label them by what room they go in! It’s what I do every time. Works like a charm! 🙂 Handy hint: pack clothes STILL ON the hangers (just fold them over in half and put in garbage bags- they won’t get wrinkled if you do it right!)
This is a really fantastic article. Such a good idea to list everything on the box. Also, you’re amazing for being able to pack in 3 days.
Glad you liked the article Emily. 🙂 Packing in a short amount of time helps me remember which boxes everything is in. lol.
Thank you so much. Hope it will ease my entire process soon!
Absolutely Lina…all the best in your move. 🙂
Thank you for putting this together Sarah! We are moving to another state in a couple months and it is getting overwhelming. I will follow your tips for sure!
Absolutely Shirley. All the best in your move. I moved over 30 times within a 14 year period of time. I got REAL good at it. lol. Here’s how to unpack a house in two days!
Some good tips, but I do not agree with the don’t pack early part. I begin packing from the moment we anticipate moving. However, I label every box with a number and I have a notebook that has everything that is in that box listed.
Definitely you want to do what works best for you and your family. For me personally, even though I write down ALL the contents of each box/bag as I’m packing early, there’s always SOMEthing I need and have to go back through everything and it’s just such a huge time suck. So, it works better for me to write what’s on the box on the outside of it and what room it goes in, so I’m not scrounging around looking for that one item I packed and need. Usually, it’s more than one item and it just becomes a hassle. I can pack a whole house in a day and unpack completely in two days. The garage is super simple. I have pantry shelves in there and take pictures of how I have it before with all the stuff in it on my phone. Then, I label each shelf with masking tape with a number and each box has those corresponding numbers on them. So simple. I’m not reinventing the wheel each time I move, just putting stuff back where it’s supposed to go. Kitchen is the same way. BEFORE I move or pack, in my head I’m figuring out where cups will go, where plates will go, etc. Once you have everything “mapped” out in your head (put notes on walls where couch goes, etc. for movers), then it’s just about putting things where they go right from the get-go. Less moving stuff around. Put the couch here, where it’s going to go…put the ET center here, where it’s going to go as they are unloading. A little prep works makes things so much easier. 🙂
I can’t imagine how hard that must be with kids! I’ve only moved three times as an adult, and that was nightmarish with NO kids at the time! You’re amazing & this will help so many people! May I ask WHY you moved so often?
Sue, at the time (my ex-husband) was just very discontent with everything and he had us move a LOT! Different states, different cities, just always on the go. Now that he is gone (he abandoned us), I have been in one house. I love not moving. 🙂
I’m so sorry to hear that, Sarah, and I hope that you know that, as hard as it may be, you are better off without him in your lives. I’m sure that there are times that you question that, because being a single parent is a VERY hard job, it is, in fact, the hardest job you can do. But a poor example of a husband and father would never be a positive influence on your children.
Congratulations on moving on and doing what you do! You’re really helping other people and setting a great example for your kids!
Thanks for sharing, in the middle of moving myself and your tips will come in handy! Good luck with everything, and good for you in rising above the lemons you were handed and turning that into something positive!!! Very inspiring
Jenn, thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. Moving can be overwhelming, and I’m glad you found tips in the article to help you with your most recent move. Good luck to you as well in your new house! Enjoy it! <3
Thanks for this! I have to move in a little over 3 weeks time. We have been in our current house since I was 19, I’m now 31! I moved out of my parents house that I had lived in my entire life, in with my husband and then into the home we are in now so I have no real idea how to move and pack! Last time I moved I had a 9 week old baby and my mother and mother in law basically packed my house for us! I’ve only moved twice before.
This will definitely help. 🙂 All the best in your move. Praying it’s an easy one! <3
Lots of great info. I haven’t moved much and have always had issues getting everything unpacked. I like the idea to unpack and organize later. I in no way could do all our packing in 3 days though. I’ve been de cluttering and packing for a couple weeks. We have a lot of stuff we don’t need regularly. We are moving this summer, so I’m looking for every tip I can find. To make it complicated on ourselves, we’re downsizing, likely an apartment for a few months while we find land and build our house. So some of our stuff will be in storage.
Downsizing is rough, but if you have the time, definitely getting rid of stuff NOW (selling it if at all possible) is the best way. If the downsize is permanent, consider how much you’d pay for a storage unit ($30/month x 12 months = $360) and if the stuff is REALLY worth it. Can you just replace some, things like a couch, etc.? Better to have cash in your pocket than stuff in a storage unit. I know it can be hard to let go and definitely depends if the downsize is permanent too. Definitely just do what you can before the move. Sounds like you’re doing great! <3
The best thing we’ve done is use the Uhaul service called “helping hands” or something like that. It’s 2 (really strong!) guys for 2 hours for $200. And they will have the truck emptied and carried up two floors (with no attitude!) in less than that time, but they are yours for two hours, so if you need help repositioning, putting together the bed or bookcases- they’ll do it till the time’s up. Our experience was so good we’ll never move without them!
Wow, really?! That’s so awesome!!! If I move again, I’ll definitely keep that in mind for sure! Thank you for sharing. 🙂 <3