One thing that is truly inevitable in life, other than taxes and death, is moving. In fact, the average person will move just under 12 times in their lifetime. Whether it be due to a career opportunity, your partners career opportunity, falling in love with a new house or even to get educated, you will one day have to move again. The key to moving effectively is knowing some tips and tricks on how to get all of your contents in order, and out of your house without any disasters. We have compiled for you Ottawa our 5 favourite moving tips and hacks to assure the big day goes as smoothly as possible.

1. Separating the Essentials

Think of what you will need on the first day of your move. A common mistake when moving is that we pack our entire lives away – including the cleaning supplies, garbage bags, toilet paper and the list goes on. To avoid missing any of the first day essentials, pack them in clear storage containers. These can be found at any Ikea, Jysk or Walmart. Having a few of these clear containers will allow you to easily skim through and find exactly what you need when you need it.

We also recommend you pack an overnight bag with toiletries and clothes for the first couple days. This will give you some time to unpack more important common areas like the kitchen and living room without worrying about getting your clothes and dressers in order.

2. Pack Efficiently

Normally you would think to go to the store and buy wrapping for all your glassware, but what if we told you that you have what it takes to get those glasses from point A to point B safely in your own home? Instead of going out and spending money on padding, use some of your less popular shirts and some clean socks. In the end they all will need to be packed, so why not utilize them for something useful? Two birds, one stone.

3. Labels

Labels will save you tons of time when moving into your new home. A trick that works extremely well is using colour coordinated stickers and writing numbers on them. Use the colours to filter out which box belongs to which room, and use the numbers to identify which box they are. Then, using a spreadsheet or any type of list, write down the main contents of each box and indicate which colour and number they represent. This will be very helpful for the friends and family you have helping you with the move. Print one for everyone and keep your sanity!

4. Saran Wrap

The last thing you want to be worrying about the day of your move is whether all those bottles you packed away stayed shut. Save yourself the worry and the potential cleanup by sealing your bottles. To do this, cover the openings of your bottles with saran wrap and put the tops back on. This will help keep your lids tighter, and will create a seal keeping your liquids in the containers, and not all over a box.

Saran wrap is also useful for packing your drawers! Throwing everything in bags will just add to the clutter on move in day. Use saran wrap to wrap each individual drawer to keep it’s contents in one place. This is also useful for keeping jewellery displays full of necklaces and earrings in tact.

5. Use what you have

Ever think of what you’ll do with the dozens of boxes you’ve collected with your move? The most annoying part after moving into your new Ottawa home will be the amount of trash you accumulate. Keep this trash to a minimum by using things you have around the house to pack. Clothes and DVD’s can easily be stored in old suitcases and blankets or pillows can be easily stored away in your laundry hamper.

As for your clothes, put them in garbage bags while they are still hanging in your closet. Doing so allows you to keep all the hangers together in one place, your clothes doesn’t get dirty in the mess of things, and you can easily hang all your clothes back up in your new home.

If you follow these 5 steps, you will see that your move will go smoothly! Moving is all about knowing what you have, and keeping it organized. What are some of your favourite moving life hacks?

Moving into an apartment? Maybe check out these Condos:

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[column size=”1/3″]Richcraft
Richcraft Ottawa Home Builder
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[column size=”1/3″]42280 St. Laurent Blvd
Suite 201
Ottawa, ON  K1G 4K1
Phone:  613-739-7111[/column]

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[column size=”1/3″]Condo Chateau Cartier
Ottawa/Gatineau Condos[/column]

[column size=”1/3″]1170, chemin d’Aylmer,
Gatineau, Quebec
Phone: 819 966-5798[/column]

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