Moving Tips in Portland | Expert Advice from Lakeford Moving
Planning a move in Portland or surrounding areas? These expert moving tips from Lakeford Moving are designed to help you stay organized, protect your belongings, and reduce stress on moving day. Whether you're moving a small apartment, student housing, or a full home, these professional tips will help you prepare for a smooth, efficient, and stress-free move from start to finish.
1. The best time to pack
Try not to wait until the last minute to get to packing! Start early and set goals for yourself to make it go by faster. If you are getting started early (say 2 months or more), try to pack at least one room per weekend. If you are packing a little more last minute (say about 2 weeks) then you may need to pack 1 room per day. Either way, try to space it out so you take the proper time and care to pack your possessions properly.
2. Pick the right moving box
Trust us when we say, you don’t want poor quality moving boxes. They can make EVERYTHING worse. The typical brown moving box is not a bad place to start. Make sure to upgrade to the ‘Heavy Duty’ for things like books and other heavy items or valuables. It’s better to pack heavy things like books in multiple, smaller boxes so they’re more easily movable instead of one larger, EXTREMELY, heavy box.
3. Pack Lightly
Things like books, movies, and records may not seem heavy individually but pack a full box, full of them and it just might hurt your back. Pack these in smaller boxes so they’re easier to carry and make sure to put these in the bottom when stacking boxes so they don’t squash anything below them.
4. How to protect your breakables
The worst thing to happen is moving into your brand new home, opening your box with all your precious valuables, and finding them all broken. The simplest thing to do is wrap your breakables in newspaper or bubble wrap to keep them from shattering in the back of your moving truck.
Plates, cups, and other dishware can also break easily in a box. Avoid the constant clinging by putting a piece of Dish Foam in between each plate as you stack them and wrap dish foam around each glass. Biodegradable packing material is another great option - Greenwrap and Corrugated Bubble Wrap are eco-friendly and sold on Amazon!
Pro tip: Want to save money AND resources when packing valuables? Use your clothing as a buffer between breakable items! You have to pack your shirts and socks anyway, why not use them to wrap your fragile items. This way, you save space, reduce waste, and pack your clothes at the same time.
5. How to remember where you packed everything
Use labels on your boxes so that you remember what is going in each box and group similar items together to make them easier to find. You can also take a photo of what is inside the box and tape it to the top of the box! That way, you're not struggling to find the important items when you’re unpacking.
6. Pack the silverware and kitchen last
Leave out a few kitchen appliances and silverware when packing so that you don’t have to use paper plates when preparing for your move! You can pack those up last right before you leave.
7. Purge/Donate what you don’t need
Moving forces a lot of people to realize they are borderline hoarders and have collected a decent amount of junk over time. You may realize you have a lot of stuff you don’t really need to take with you.
8.4 million tons of junk is wasted each year. This includes all of the things sitting in cabinets, drawers, and garages that get thrown out. A good rule of thumb – if you haven’t touched it since you moved in, it’s probably good to purge.
8. How to sell things on Facebook Marketplace & yard sales
Getting ready to move? A yard sale is a great way to get rid of stuff you don’t need. Go through your things, set aside what you want to sell, and keep it in one spot. Weekends work best. Bring a chair, be ready to negotiate, and put up signs so people can find you. No time for a yard sale? Try Facebook Marketplace. It’s quick and easy. Take clear pictures, check similar listings for pricing, and be open to offers. Meet buyers in a safe, public place. If you still have things left, donate them. Many charities and donation centers will take items and even recycle electronics.
9. Set up your mail forwarding
Don’t forget to set up your change of address with the post office! This will help make sure all of your mail is sent to your new address starting on your moving day. It’s super easy to do