Items you may forget to pack when moving

Put together a list of items you should pack before moving day

While everyone’s hoping for a smooth move from start to finish, the truth is that we often fail to tackle some important tasks. Keep your reminders close all along to keep unpleasant surprises at bay. Since the human brain is incapable of storing infinite pieces of information, it’s always advisable to turn to some traditional resources like creating an exhaustive checklist.

Chances are that you will easily get caught up in the whirlwind of moving activities, so you’ll be better off writing your tasks down instead of trying to memorize them all.

The organization is the key

In the middle of the chaos, it’s extremely important to stay organized and make sure not to leave behind anything that you may need in your new residence. While you may think that it will be easier to access everything you need once you reach your new, unfortunately in most cases, it’s not the case. Depending on the time of day when you arrive, you may (not) have the time or energy to search through your moving boxes to get essentials for the first night at your new home.

Chances are many people have been in that frustrating situation where they find out they haven’t packed some of the essential items. But, guess what? That revelation usually comes a little too late, since you are already unpacking at your new place and your old home is miles away. As a result of a lot of hard work and stress caused by a household move, we all happen to forget some of the (not so) important items.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help you keep track of your treasured belongings so that you can pack everything that really matters to you.

Keep reminding yourself to…

Take care of your personal documents on moving day

Here are some of the commonly forgotten items you should double-check when packing and moving house.

• Collect all your personal documents – medical prescriptions, medical records, vet records, school documents.
• Tackle your storage area. There might be something that you really need among the accumulated clutter in your garage, attic, or basement.
• Safe-deposit box content – since valuables are often kept in well-protected places, make sure to take them out before the day of the move. Also, you may feel more comfortable transporting your valuables on your own instead of entrusting them to your moving crew.
• Get your medications out of the bathroom cabinet and keep your everyday therapy on hand especially when you hit the road towards a new home.
• Return all borrowed and rented items like library books and get back everything you’ve loaned out to friends and neighbors.

Don`t forget about the outdoor items

Sure, you will take everything out of the house and either relocate it, store it, or throw it away. But it is easy to forget about the items that are outdoors, especially if you have a large backyard. Plants in pots, gardening tools perhaps laying around waiting to be picked up, coffee table and chairs, as well as outdoor lamp poles or another type of lightning.

How to pack a survival kit

Pack some healthy snacks before you hit the road to your new home

Prepare your survival kit for the first couple of days in your new home. Typically, it’s the last box to be loaded into the moving truck and the first one you will reach when unloading.

With the essentials, you will need right after you reach your new home on hand you may feel a bit less uncomfortable in the middle of all those unpacked moving boxes in an unfamiliar environment. If you reach your new place late at night, chances are you won’t get far with unpacking. Probably you will be exhausted after a long moving day and you will only want to find the shortest route to your bed.

Since you don’t want to go through all of your boxes to find your clean bedding, make sure to keep your pillow and linens close. In case anything goes wrong during the moving and unpacking process, the content of the essential box will keep you covered until you settle into a new home completely.

Therefore, make sure to pack necessities for the whole family:

• Toiletries
• Snacks
• Kids’ toys
• Beverages
• Clean clothes and towels
• Personal documents – medical records, passports, vet records, bank statements,…

Even if there is a grocery store nearby, make sure to include some foodstuff in your essentials kit just in case, especially when moving with kids. As we all know, children may become very nervous and demanding when exposed to the moving stress, so stock up on their favorite snacks, toys, and other entertainment resources. The essentials you need for moving day mostly depend on your family’s needs. The ideal checklist for the upcoming move is customized according to your personal requirements, so make sure to take all factors into account.

Additional tips: list of items movers won’t pack

While organizing a household move, forgetting or overlooking certain items and tasks is not uncommon due to increased stress and tension. The truth is that even the most impeccable checklists are not infallible.

Dispose of non-allowable items ahead of time

Dispose of non-allowable items ahead of time

A positive outcome of the move depends not only on what you pack but also on how you do it. The truth is that moving is a process no one looks forward to, but either way, you should plan it properly. It’s always a good idea to label your boxes properly so that your movers know exactly how to treat them and where they belong.

Although moving companies keep all relocation stages under control, still there are certain items they cannot transport due to safety issues. As it turns out, some items will be better off if transported with you or left behind. You certainly don’t want to put the rest of your items at risk by transporting some of the following items:

• Aerosol cans
• Batteries
• Bleach
• Car batteries
• Cleaning solvents
• Fuel
• Oil
• Pesticides

Also, perishables do not belong in the back of the moving truck, not to mention that improperly packed food can attract different sorts of insects along the way. The best rule of thumb is to use or donate all perishables before moving day. Start with spotting almost expired food – don’t waste any inch of the relocation truck space transporting items you will eventually toss. After all, if you are concerned about whether or how to pack some of your valuables, ask your movers for more specific guidelines before your moving team shows up on moving day.

Create an inventory list

It is only when we start packing for a relocation that we realize how many items we have. And it is usually much, much more than we expected. While you will certainly pack most of your things, and make sure that nothing is left behind, some of your items may mistakenly end up in a trash bag, or given to someone.

To avoid such situations, it is wise to create a list of all items that you will relocate. While this may sound tedious, it will come in handy on so many levels. You will never have to think twice about which items are in storage, and which ones are on the way to your new home. Furthermore, it will be easy to spot which items are missing, and you will know exactly what to look for. Copy the inventory list, and always have it near you.

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