In most cases something goes wrong: even with the best preparation, chaos and bad luck can’t be avoided. Most of the time, however, those problems can be resolved without much effort or special tools. Read here how ice cubes, rubber bands, plastic wrap, colored adhesive dots and other moving tips can help to make the relocation easier.
Moving tip no.1: Special boxes for books
When you pack your stuff, if you put 20 books into one box, some of the moving helpers won’t be able to lift the box. Heavy cardboard boxes simply aren’t back-friendly. One solution: trolley bags. Those good holiday companions can carry at least 20 kilograms if not more. Transporting books on wheels is a lot easier. Another solution are special book boxes. You can find them at the hardware store and they are a bit smaller than normal moving boxes. The advantage: Even if they are full, they can be carried without difficulty and they save space in the moving van.
Moving tip no.2: Screw heads and rubber bands
Just a few minutes to dismantle the cabinet, but you’ve made the calculation without the frayed screw head. There’s no grip and it can’t be removed from the screw hole. Then it’s good to have a rubber band at hand. One of the wide ones used for jars. Put it on the screw head, put the screwdriver on and try again. Works wonderfully, doesn’t it?
Moving tip no.3: Small colored dots for furniture parts
Since we’re already dismantling the cupboard: it is really tricky when you are standing in the new apartment and no longer know which base plate belongs to which cupboard or shelf. It’s easier with this trick: get lots of colorful adhesive dots and create a list of furniture that need to be disassembled. Then you assign a color to each piece of furniture. All individual parts now get a corresponding adhesive dot. In the new residence, the individual parts can be sorted very easily. Also pack the accessories (such as screws) separately in plastic bags (preferably with a zip fastener) and mark them with the colored adhesive dots. Mission completed!
Moving tip no.4: Cartons also want colorful dots
The trick with the colored adhesive dots can also be applied to the moving boxes. Simply create a list and assign a color to each room. The adhesive dots can be bigger and more conspicuous. Questions like “And where does this belong to?” are now a thing of the past.
Moving tip no.5: Souvenir photo for cables
Not all of us are computer experts. For laymen it is often impossible to figure out which cable belongs in which buxe. The simplest method you could possibly come up with: just take a photo and use it as a guide to rebuild. In our smartphone world really no problem and only a matter of seconds.
Moving tip no.6: From parcel to moving box
Super life hack to save money: maybe you still have “normal” boxes at home that used to be a parcel or other packaging material. You can convert them into moving boxes in no time at all by providing them with handles. Make three cuts with a cutter knife. On the fourth side, the cut out part is folded inwards, done!
Moving tip no.7: From garbage bag to garment bag
Actually, it’s not always a good idea to use garbage bags for moving. There is too great a risk that they will be accidentally disposed of. Nevertheless, they are simply unbeatable when it comes to transporting clothes. Everything that hangs on the clothes hangers on the bar goes into the plastic bag. Knot the straps of the garbage bag to the hangers. This means that you can pack all your clothes quickly without having to pack each shirt individually.
Moving tip no.8: Better than newspaper: towels and socks
Before you pack all your clothes in garbage bags, it’s best to start by putting fragile things away. Towels or bed sheets are wonderfully suited for securing vases and other fragile items. Smaller fragile things can be stuffed into your (washed) socks. This saves you a lot of packaging material.
Moving tip no.9: Securing drawers with stretch wrap instead of adhesive tape
Your helpers carry the sideboard through the staircase, it tilts to the side and bam, the first drawer falls out. It is best to remove drawers from the furniture in the first place. If this is not possible, they must be fixed. Some of you might use tape. This keeps things safe, but you won’t have any fun removing the adhesive residues at the new place of residence. Stretch wrap is an easy alternative. It can be easily removed after the relocation and doesn’t leave any residue.
Moving tip no.10: Extra round: adhesive tape in the microwave
It’s still best to seal moving boxes with adhesive tape. But if the adhesive tape is a old, its adhesive strength decreases considerably. Before throwing it into the bin, give the tape one last chance: put it in the microwave for a short time. After that it should be in top shape again. Did it work?
Moving tip no.11: Walnuts for small scratches
Oops, Grandma’tage dresser has scratches after the relocation. The staircase was really narrow, though. As long as is vint isn’t too deep, there is no reason for despair. Do you happen to have any walnuts? Rub the scratched area lightly with it. Walnuts contain a lot of fat. Because of that there will soon be no sign of the mishap. Alternatively, you can also use olive oil. But don’t use too much of it because it will become rancid at some point.
Moving tip no.12: Remove pressure points in the carpet
You are just about to leave when your former flatmate calls you back: “What about those pressure marks in the carpet your chair left behind?” You can now stroll confidently to the freezer and take out some ice cubes. Put them on the pressure points. Once melted, the flattened areas can be raised with a spoon. The cold melted water soaks the fibers and straightens them up again. This does not even require any chemicals.
Moving tip no.13: No more searching: the box for all purposes
It is by now quite known that packing a box with all the important essentials for the first few days is very useful. But instead of using a normal moving box it makes sense to organize a transparent plastic box. That way you always know where that important box is.
Moving tip no.14: Smart solutions for small problems
A thorough plan for the relocation combined with these life hacks will definitely help to prepare your boxes. As always, don’t immediately despair or panic when a small problem occurs. Most problems can be solved easily if you think about it for a moment.
