Disclaimer, My husband and I are members of the military and just did what we call a DITY move. In other words, we moved all of our own belongings from our last duty station to our current one. We graduated from our specialty training, and of course, had not yet begun to pack. That gave us two full days to pack a two bedroom apartment into two vehicles. Is it possible? Yes. But you must have patience with yourself and with whoever you are living with. You’re BOTH human, and will get exhausted with so much packing.

Although we saved packing for the last minute, we did prepare by purchasing the UHAUL and packing materials early, and by figuring out where we were going to stay while we searched for a home. For any move these are a must. The last thing you want is to come down to the wire just to realize that you don’t have the necessities for moving.

TIP 1: Set a reminder on your phone to check in at your local truck rental site in order to secure a vehicle a month before you plan to move. Results are usually better if you go to these offices in person, i.e. better quotes. On that note, remember that being kind will get you much further than being rude. The lady at our local store was kind enough to give us 2 extra days and 60 extra miles for free, just because she liked us. Most people treat employees poorly; if you’re the exception it’ll likely pay dividends. Keep in mind your timing, as well. If you go during a time when they are slow on business, the rental sites will usually be more willing to work with you and quote you better prices. So if you can go during a slow season, do it. Competing companies will also try to beat out quotes given by a competitor. Don’t go with the first price you get; take a print out of the quote to a competing company and see if they can offer you a better price.

TIP 2: Buy supplies about a month early, as well. You do not know how many people may be moving around the same time as you are and you want to make sure you get all the supplies you need.

TIP 3: When picking supplies, make sure to take care of all of your glass and fragile materials. You can do this using t-shirts to wrap them in (but your TEE’s will likely get bent out of shape so use ones you don’t mind getting a little roughed up), paper towels are also an option (you will need a lot of paper towels to thoroughly wrap the fragile materials), bubble wrap works as well (YAY BUBBLE WRAP!!!! *POP*), or you can buy some of the item specific wrappings (UHAUL sells ones specifically for plates/glassware,etc. it can get a little pricey). Any of these options work, it depends on what works best for you and your budget. The options above are mentioned from least to most expensive. You can also do a combo of these. My husband and I used paper towels for larger dinnerware, TEE’s for our least expensive glasses, bubble wrap for our expensive crystal/large mirrors, and item specific wraps for our dinner plates and TV. It’s all up to your personal preference.

TIP 4: If you don’t have a place when you get to your next location, you should make plans for interim lodging a month out from your moving date. Whether it be staying with a friend, at a hotel, or asking your job if they have a place for you to stay until you find a home, you need to know what you’re doing because it will affect your packing. Having these plans set is also the first big CHECK on the list of things you have to have done for a big move. Call that friend/hotel/boss and get your plans in order…take a deep breath. You’ve got a plan.

TIP 5: When packing, make sure you LABEL EVERYTHING! Organize your boxes by room, items, etc. Whatever works best for your lifestyle. I usually pack by room, so that upon arrival to our new home we can put the boxes in their respective rooms and not have to feel overwhelmed by how much stuff there is and where it’s all supposed to go.

TIP 6: You’ll also want to make a bag of things you’ll need when you first arrive (work clothes, laptops, hygiene bag, hair products, accessories, shoes, make-up, PJ’s, undies, etc.) You want this bag to be as efficient as possible so pre-plan your outfits, down to hairstyle and shoes, to make sure you have everything you’ll need in that bag. Once you’re done, put this bag in an easily accessible spot.

If you’re packing on a short timeline, there is not much to say other than keep going. Have patience with others and with yourself. Enlist the help of friends, especially if they’ve already offered their help. Remember that if they’re offering they WANT to help you and likely have experience with organizing/lifting heavy things. You aren’t a bother, and there is no such thing as too much help from trusted family/friends. Remember that others before you have felt overwhelmed with the task, others after you will also have to overcome the feelings, just keep moving forward! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!! Also, coffee.

At this point, you’re all set and ready to go. Travel safely! If you’re driving and get sleepy, pull over. Being a bit late isn’t the end of the world.

If you’d like to read about hunting for a place to live while staying at interim lodging, look for my next article titled “5 Helpful Tips When Searching For a New Home.”