The first step is the “come to Jesus” moment. It is time to dig out all your stored stuff and give it a good look. The first question to ask is why you have it stored? Seasonal things like decorations are obviously okay to keep, but what about all the other stuff? Why would you store things like cookware? If you aren’t using it now, you probably never will. In short, we are talking about pitching all your junk. If you haven’t used it in the last twelve months, it should be in the discard pile.
The good news is you don’t have to throw away most of your junk these days. No, you can make money off it. At this point, you are probably thinking eBay. Don’t. It is too much work for someone as lazy as me. Instead, use Craigslist. You can list things for sale from $0 to as much as you feel you can get away with. I just moved and sold enough stuff to pay for the moving truck with extra money to boot. Thank you Craigslist!
The next step is equally simple. It is called box and note. As the name implies, you need to start packing stuff. When you fill a box, then note where it goes on it in a big black marker. This makes life infinitely easier when you get to the new destination. Boxes will end up in the right rooms, which is half the battle when unpacking.
Finally, we come to the mode of transportation. How do you get the stuff from point A to point B? You go big. Some people like to rent small trucks and make many trips. I don’t. You are going to be tired at the end of the day, so just do it all in one big go. I strongly suggest getting a big truck, fill it up with everything and head on out. That way, one trip will do it all.
Will the above make moving fun? Not on your life. That being said, it can simplify things and seriously ratchet down the pain involved.
Thomas Ajava writes about frugal moving tips and other issues related to moving your office or home for MovingCompaniesforYou.com.
