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Not to be overly dramatic, but moving is a necessary evil. Whether you move apartments every few years, or just once into your forever home, it’s a notoriously stressful process. It’s expensive, there are so many moving parts to keep track of, and at least one thing always goes awry (did I leave my vacuum and just the vacuum on the sidewalk during my most recent move? No comment). But once it’s finally done? You can breathe a sigh of relief and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.Or tip your movers and then pat yourself on the back.
While we can’t promise your furniture won’t get dinged, or you won’t misplace any important documents (folders people!), the best moving essentials will help make the process a little bit easier. Whether it’s advanced organizational techniques better than taking an old Sharpie to cardboard boxes, or getting the good bubble wrap the pros really use to wrap up your stuff, we’ve put together the ultimate moving day checklist of things you need to make getting from point A to point B (almost) a breeze.
1. QR Code Smart Labels
Make your move more technologically-savvy with these QR code smart labels. The labels come in conjunction with a very cool app where you can list or take pictures of everything in a certain box, then link it to one of the QR code labels. If you want to know what’s in each box, you can just use your phone to scan the code. Yeah, you could always just write “KITCHEN STUFF” in marker, but these make sorting through all your stuff much easier, and honestly? Way more fun, too.
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2. Bulk Boxes with Handles
As someone currently in the process of moving, I can promise you now that purchasing bulk boxes with handles on the sides is one of the smartest choices you can make. Even if you have a dolly to make transporting boxes easier (and if you don’t, keep reading. We picked out a great one for you), you’ll still have to hoist boxes to and from said dolly. And then there’s putting boxes on the counter, or moving them to the floor…trust me, getting boxes with built in handles will save you time, and your back will thank you.
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3. Vacuum Storage Bags
I don’t know about you, but I have too many clothes and way too many blankets. Though clothes and other fabric-based items aren’t too heavy, they do tend to be bulky and take up a lot of room in suitcases. That’s where the vacuum storage bag comes in — you stuff the bag up to the line with your textiles, then suck all the air out and voila! Your things are safely pressed down, saving room and making transport much easier.
Pro tip: though using a vacuum to suck out the air is easiest, you don’t actually have to use one. You can also press down on the bag to squeeze out the air, either by sitting on it or pushing down one of your other moving boxes.
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4. Mattress Bags
Moving your bulky mattress can be one of the most stressful parts of a move. Furniture can usually be disassembled, knick-knacks can be packed away, but your mattress? Your mattress is a giant lump that always requires careful maneuvering just to get it out of your old place and into your new one. Make moving your mattress a little less stressful by getting a mattress bag. A good mattress bag will protect your mattress from any damage that could be wrought in the moving process. You won’t have to worry about it possibly getting wet, dirty, or stained in any mysterious ways with these bags.
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5. Moving Labels
Let’s face it — you’re going to have a lot of boxes. And sure, you can do your best to remember what’s in each box, and where they should go, but that’s not a perfect system. Moving labels like these will help keep everything in order and let you more broadly know what needs to go where. I like these in particular because not only do they have each designated room labeled (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc), but they’re also color-coded. Even if you can’t see the words on the label, the color of the label will tell you what goes where.
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6. Tape Dispenser Gun
I know this is going to sound silly, but one of the hardest parts of packing is actually sealing each box. Tape is sticky, okay? If you don’t have long nails, it’s hard to peel it off the strip, and ripping it? Don’t even get me started on how tape can tangle up in itself. With this tape dispenser gun, each sticky hassle becomes a simple and easily repeated process. Sealing up your boxes will go much faster, and you’ll be wasting much less tape.
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7. Foam Packing Sheets
Do you have nice silverware? Beloved figurines? Heirloom porcelain from Grandma’s house? Then you’ll want to have foam packing sheets for your move. No matter how careful you are, sometimes boxes just get dropped. The risk becomes even more pronounced if you’re shipping your items through the mail, or taking them on a long drive. With good foam cushioning, you’ll be able to rest easy and focus on moving without having to worry about broken glass or porcelain.
My favorite thing about these sheets is that you can easily cut it to fit the shape of your box, or whatever shape you need to protect your fragile goods!
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8. Tie Down Straps
Tie down straps are a necessity if you’re going to be using a moving van. These straps will help your boxes and furniture stay in place in your car, truck or van, no matter how tightly you think you’ve packed everything in there. The last thing you need is to open the trunk and have all your boxes fall on you!
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9. Folding Dolly
This folding dolly will be one of your smartest purchases for your move, guaranteed. Hauling box after box is terrible for your back, and this dolly will help relieve some of the pain and just make transport smoother in general. Less trips back and forth, for one, and you can fold it up for easy storage and transportation. Bring it with you in your car, then keep it stored with your tools while you’re not using it.
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10. Paint Patch Up
Moving is already expensive enough, you don’t want to risk losing your security deposit, too. Or worse, pay extra fixing fees. This paint patch up will help you hide any long term stains you can’t clean away, and even fill any holes left during your move or from general living. There will be no shrinking, cracking or sagging in your repairs and your old landlord or new homeowner will be grateful.
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11. Box Cutter
As much work goes into unpacking as packing, including cracking open all those boxes you just moved. Sure, you can try and track down a knife, a pair of scissors, or (gasp) your keys to get the job done. But I can promise you that it’ll be much easier to just have this box cutter ready. This box cutter in particular is great because of its anti-slip technology, as well as its three position retractable blade which offers more cutting options. It’s also such a bright color that even if you lose it, it’ll be much easier to find — just make sure not to pack it away.
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