Moving is always associated with disorder, even chaos, the usual course of life is disrupted, and things are sent from their rightful shelves to carton boxes, in which they will then stand in a new place for weeks, waiting for you to finally unpack them. Our simple tips will help you move quickly, organizedly and without unnecessary stress.
Moving is a great chance to finally get rid of a bunch of junk. Throw something away, give something to friends, have a sale, but don't carry all this load with you.
Assign each room in the new apartment its own color, for example, the kitchen is red, the living room is green. Mark these colors on your plan.
When packing, stick a piece of colored paper on each box that matches the color of the room where the items from that box will be placed. It's very simple: bring the box into the room where you need to unpack it, and nothing will be lost. By the way, if your friends help you, it will also be very easy for them to explain the principle of operation.
Instead of writing down the contents of each box, make one big table with the box number and what's in it. Be sure to write this number on each side of the box.
It all seems very complicated. In fact, you will be surprised how much easier this system will make your move. If you need something urgently in the middle of the packing process, you can easily find it and then put it back where you got it. I'm not even talking about how easy it will be to unpack things in a new place.
Boxes with items that you will need in the first days after moving (bath accessories, dishes) should be additionally marked with bright tape. Now you will know what to unpack first. After all, there is simply not enough strength to do everything at once.
Don't worry about cooking while moving. Do very simple dishes, for the preparation of which you will need a maximum of one pan. Use disposable tableware. This way you won’t have to be distracted by washing it and you’ll avoid any mess.
If you organize everything correctly, your move will be easy, without unnecessary worries and nerves. Good luck!
Necessary clarification: unfortunately, we are not going to talk about how it is easier to run over a person. These are tips for those who are moving to a new home and don’t know where to start. Sorry if you disappointed.
Alexander Kanygin
If we ignore the hassle, the eternal lack of time and movers stuck in traffic jams, moving is just the movement of things from one point in space to another. In a way, drinking beer with friends is the closest analogy to moving: you simply move it from your mug to your stomach. Let this thought calm you down when it turns out that you left the TV in your old apartment.
Time - main enemy. Due to its lack, something can be forgotten, lost, broken. Therefore, you need to prepare for migration to a new place in advance.
█ Buy a large folder and a notebook for notes (maybe with a unicorn on the cover). You will write down all the information about the move in a notebook, and in a folder you will store business cards, checks and other documents related to the move, as well as telephone numbers and names of workers, drivers, realtors, tenants and buyers of old things. Even if the contacts of a painter or electrician now seem superfluous, let them also be in the notebook. What if everything is not so perfect in the new place?
█ Get 20 cardboard boxes. When folded, they will not take up much space, but this amount should be enough for the entire move. Boxes suitable for carrying and storing things are found in the following places:
grocery stores- this is the most a budget option, you just need to come up from the back door and ask to sell you the extra packaging;
IKEA furniture stores- strong cardboard boxes here cost 40–50 rubles apiece;
moving companies- there are special people there who are ready to take on all the difficulties of moving for a certain amount. As a rule, quite a big one. But you will find boxes of all possible shapes and color sizes.
█ There should be plenty of bags, newspapers, packaging film with bubbles and colorful stickers, especially since they can be useful after the move. Also buy two or three markers so you can write on different surfaces.
█ Don’t skimp on tape! It can be used to secure everything under the sun (our experts, who have been glued to chairs and walls at parties more than once, will confirm this). And stock up on a dispenser for adhesive tape - it will make packaging go much faster.
Moment of truth: you want to take everything with you. However, there suddenly turns out to be an indecent amount of things, as if they had been saving them not for 30 years, but for ninety years, and even borrowed from neighbors.
█ Use the rule that we have already written about: if an item has not been used for more than a year, most likely it is not needed. Take a photo of the item and place an advertisement on the website for sale or gift on a pick-up basis.
█ It is better to disassemble furniture for transportation. It turns out that old chipboard cabinets are unlikely to survive this procedure and it will definitely not be possible to assemble them in a new place: the screws will not want to fit tightly into the holes. It would be better to offer this junk to your neighbors - let them take it to their dacha or feed it to the beavers.
█ Collect documents in one folder and put it in the same folder where you put checks, business cards, etc. If you still have instructions from home electronics, this is a chance to throw them away, they are still available on the Internet.
█ Start packing your things. Remember that heavily loaded boxes have a habit of losing their bottom at the most unexpected moment, so it’s a good idea to add bulky but light blankets or pillows to heavy books, for example.
█ It is tempting to invite friends to help. This, of course, is great, but the move risks turning into a fun drinking session with a random ending, and you will have to blame yourself for a broken iron. We recommend using the services of professional carriers (available on the Internet). And in general, after you have said goodbye to student life, inviting friends for repairs, moving and meeting at the airport is a shame.
█ You will have to enter into an agreement with the moving company, according to which it bears full financial responsibility for items damaged during transportation.
█ On the websites of some carrier companies there are convenient calculators for calculating all services, including packaging, delivery and rental of transport. But the final cost will still need to be clarified: non-obvious factors may arise, such as “lifting a piano to the 15th floor without an elevator.”
█ If you already had experience communicating with the carrier company, you should have kept the telephone number of the team leader. Call him and try to agree to do the work bypassing the cash register. In this case, the money will go directly into the pockets of the movers and the price will be approximately 50% lower, but you will not enter into a formal contract.
█ Prepare stickers for all areas of the home: kitchen, bedroom, operating room. Each one will require stickers of a different color, on which you will write down the contents of the boxes.
They say moving is worse than a fire. They're lying. Moving is a real disaster. Especially if you don't know how to do it right. We have prepared a plan for you, following which you will be able to keep your thoughts clear and make the move less disastrous.
Moving can be done in two ways:
So in general view looks like the slogan of a moving company. And most companies try to stick to it.
You enter into a transportation contract with the company. This can be either a turnkey move or several separate services. For example, you pack things yourself, and order loading and transportation from a moving company.
The moving company takes full responsibility for your move. You don’t worry whether the movers will arrive on time, whether the car will be late, etc.
Even if you order a turnkey apartment move, you need to prepare for it. Some things need to be folded yourself, and you also have to carry them yourself. Make a list of such things in advance and collect them in your treasured bag. Here you should find:
Moving with the help of a moving company (read about this in our next articles) is minimal stress for both you and your family. But moving on your own is more difficult.
Planning and organization apartment moving start no later than two weeks before the expected date.
Start with the mezzanines and back closets - as a rule, the least needed items are stored here.
Place the books in boxes or collect them in stacks of 10-15 pieces, cover them with plastic wrap or wrap them in hard paper (not newspapers!).
Large items such as pillows, blankets, mattresses or winter clothes, conveniently packed in large plastic bags.
Place clothes in suitcases and travel bags.
The night before your move, pack your kitchen utensils. Pack fragile and breakable dishes separately from durable ones, first carefully packing them in bubble wrap.
Advice. Place packed items in zones: large boxes closer to the exit, fragile items further into the corner.
Advice. If the area of the apartment allows, leave one room free of boxes. This way you will be able to fully relax and will not be constantly stressed.
In fact, if you approach the organization of your move wisely, most unpleasant moments can be avoided. And then, moving is a joyful event, the beginning of a new stage in life.
The main thing is, don’t leave the move to chance, plan everything in advance, stick to your plan - and everything will work out for you!
Text: Anastasia Vernaya
To prevent the stress of moving from killing all the joy of life in a new place, you need to properly organize the process and plan your time. The Village tells where to start if you... important day There is no more than a week left, and moving experts and gurus are sharing useful tips and personal experience.
The first question: do everything yourself or delegate? Many transport companies offer services not only for transporting things, but also for assessing their quantity and preparing for shipment. Yes, you will still have to collect your personal belongings, clothes and books yourself, but at least you won’t have to worry about furniture and large household appliances. Carriers also have services for delivering boxes and other necessary tools- you won’t need to waste time and nerves on shopping runs. An alternative is to involve relatives and friends in the process: this way you will have more time and also enlist moral support. It is better to send the children to their relatives so that they return to a new home.
Choose transport company The easiest way is to use recommendations from friends and a banal search on the Internet. Private owners with vans also offer their services - this is more cheap option, but various risks are higher here. When ordering a car, pay attention to how it is equipped. The van must not only match the amount of cargo in terms of capacity, but also be prepared inside: have guides for furniture fasteners and the fasteners themselves (belts), a non-slip floor, soft pads on the walls, and ideally, a hydraulic lift for quick loading of heavy objects.
Soberly assess the number of things that need to be transported and contact the chosen company: in some cases you need to order a car in advance, in others right on the day of the move. They will also be able to tell you how long loading/unloading may take and how many movers you will need. If you are worried that you will not meet the time-limited tariff of the transport company, and the additional payment for an extra hour does not suit you, choose complex tariffs, which many carriers have: prices usually depend on the number of rooms in the apartment. This will also protect you from dishonest workers who can deliberately stall for time and then persuade you to pay new hour cheaper past the cash register.
Knowing exactly the scale of the “disaster” is necessary not only for contracts with transport workers: if you are not a minimalist, it is unlikely that a couple of evenings after work will be enough for you to get ready (when you will already be tired) - it is better to take a couple of days off.
You will need a variety of packaging to ensure your items reach their destination safe and sound. Basic set: boxes different sizes, tape, scissors and bubble wrap. To pack furniture and large equipment you will need corrugated cardboard, stretch film and foam blocks, for small and breakable items - plastic bags, polyethylene foam and craft paper, and for clothes and textiles - vacuum bags. And don't forget a marker to label the boxes.
With this list you can go to the hardware store or hardware store. If this is not your option, then online stores and websites of carrier companies will help. It is difficult to calculate the number of boxes without experience, so estimate how many you will need and take a decent supply.
There are two approaches to collecting things: by storage location or by type of items (first the entire bedroom or first all the books from all rooms). It is better to start with things that are used least often and definitely will not be needed before moving; Load more necessary things into the next group of boxes, and leave the last few boxes for the last day - there you will put the most necessary things from this room. For example, if the child is staying with his grandmother before moving, you can start with the nursery and collect it all. Often what is not most necessary is stored in the living room and office. This also includes seasonal items: clothing, sports equipment. The first aid kit and favorite frying pan will go into the last batch.
Besides, moving is the most the right time get rid of unnecessary things: the idea that you won’t have to pay for transporting thrown away or given away things is motivating. Set aside the unnecessary things and organize something like a garage sale: throw a cry in groups specializing in the transfer of things on social networks - let people come and take what they need. There are also services that are ready to take away unnecessary items in bulk and then resell them at flea markets, for example Locus Solus or “Dump”. Display the most valuable items on Avito or Yula, and what was not taken by the time of the move, put it in a box and send it to the entrance to the mailboxes. Those things about which you are in doubt about whether to leave them or not are also easier to put together: perhaps the decision will be easier to make in a new apartment.
Collect boxes in small batches, securing them securely with tape. The main thing when packing things in boxes is safety, in second place is compactness, in third place is the convenience of subsequent disassembly. It is important to monitor the weight of the box because an overloaded box can easily be dropped or damaged.
Boxes must be signed on several sides. Ideally, this should include the box number, the room where the movers need to take it, and the type of contents. Using the box number, you can write down its contents in more detail in a notebook or take a photo of it and sign it on your phone - this will make it easier to find the right things in a new place. Mark boxes with breakable items large exclamation point. It should always be clear from the boxes where the top is and where the bottom is.
Clothes can be placed in large boxes or tote bags. When packing clothes, place them in vacuum bags first - this will protect the clothes from dirt and save space.
Wrap breakable items, such as fragile dishes, tightly in bubble wrap and secure with tape. Fill any voids inside glassware, such as glasses or bowls, with crumpled up craft paper, as well as any voids inside boxes. More durable dishes can simply be wrapped entirely in kraft, and polyethylene foam can be placed between the layers of products in the box. For dishes, take small boxes or drawers, the bottom of which is stronger.
Place small items in bags so they don’t get mixed up or get lost, and wrap them in craft paper.
Wrap large items and small equipment in several layers of bubble wrap or polyethylene foam and wrap them with tape, also placing them in large boxes.
Large equipment is not always transported in boxes, but it is better to be on the safe side. If the original boxes remain from the moment of purchase, great. If not, choose the right size. Attach non-removable wires to the case with tape, and also seal opening elements, such as refrigerator doors. Wrap the body itself in polyethylene foam and place it in a box, filling the voids with foam blocks. TV and monitor screens need additional protection corrugated cardboard and air bubble film.
Before transportation, furniture must be completely emptied and preferably disassembled as much as possible: at a minimum, remove all drawers and shelves, unscrew the doors and remove protruding elements such as handles - pack them separately. Fixed elements (for example, legs) are wrapped with stretch film, the same is done with upholstered furniture and mattresses to protect them from dirt and moisture. Glass doors and glossy surfaces You need to additionally lay it with sheets of corrugated cardboard. The furniture itself is entirely wrapped in bubble wrap.
IN major cities It is better to move in the late evening, at night, very early in the morning or on weekends to avoid traffic jams. At the same time, it is advisable to leave the next day or two free to sort things out. Saturday is the most popular day for moving, so you definitely need to take care of the availability of available cars in advance. The weather on moving day is also important, especially if you are moving in the fall or winter: it is better if the forecast does not promise rain and ice, which can complicate loading and unloading things.
Make sure that everything in your new home is ready: the elevator is working, the locks are working, the passages are not blocked by anything, the crystal chandeliers are not hanging dangerously low. It is also advisable to protect the walls in the corridors with cardboard so that the repair is not spoiled. It is advisable to transport pets in advance by personal transport or leave them with someone for a while. If you are transporting animals with you, provide them with a cage or carrier in the new place - without them, the animals will not only get in the way, but may also run away or get injured.
Valery Mayorov
recruiter in the “Teacher for Russia” project, 10 moves, 3 of them to another city
The most important thing is to sort out the boxes. It is best to calculate the amount by eye, but always increase this figure by one and a half times. For example, dishes (one set) takes up one whole box, and it doesn’t matter whether there is still space left in the box. You can also put old T-shirts or socks there to secure the dishes. Be sure to label all boxes and packages so that you don’t have to walk around for hours in your new place and look for the shoe blade you need or your favorite pillow to sleep on.
It took me two daylight hours to get ready (I lived alone in an apartment for about two years). I was moving with a dog. He is calm and patient. He waited the whole time while I was packing the boxes, then he calmly sat with me in the back of the car and drove to the new place. Later, when I came to pick up all sorts of small things from the old apartment, he was waiting for me in the new place.
Taking things apart is a different story. Here you just need to pull yourself together and do it at once, otherwise you risk living with boxes until the next move. Well, you can really save a lot of time if you sign these damn boxes.
Oleg Amursky
Deputy Director of the Department at Rostelecom, 10 moves
Last year we moved twice. Both - not in one day, but over the course of two weeks. I advise you to do the same if possible. At first, we collected and transported valuable and fragile items and all sorts of small things ourselves, and called a car for large and heavy items.
At the same time, it seems to me that the boxes are more about an office move or something from American films, because both carrying and assembling them is very inconvenient. We used large checkered bags - they hold a lot of things and are convenient for packing both books and clothes.
I studied the market in advance and realized that there were several options. The first is to place an order with a company that professionally deals with moving. This is the most expensive way. The second is to hire a universal moving company: they also provide movers, but they will not have additional services. At the same time, this option is also quite expensive. The third one, which I discovered and have been using since then, is the YouDo and “Lucky Everyone” services. These are private owners who can be selected based on reviews in their profile, and their prices are quite affordable. At the same time, there is competition, different offers come in that can be compared. In my case, there weren’t that many responses, but there was plenty to choose from.
The most exhausting were preparatory activities. The day of the move itself passed calmly: we just stood and watched the movers carry things, and made sure that no one stole anything standing on the street. As for the subsequent disassembly of things, we were unable to avoid living on bales. Our first move was temporary, so we didn’t take apart some of the items. And after the second move, we sorted things out for a month: we waited new furniture where you can put them.
Alexandra Shubina
freelancer, 6 moves
I moved several times from one rented apartment to another. The ideal sequence of actions, in my experience, is this:
Stock up on bags, boxes, packaging material, people (important: at least two people to pack together and it’s more convenient, and moral support in in this case priceless).
Collect things from room to room, walking around them one after another. Don’t forget about window sills, built-in wardrobes, mezzanines, storage under the sofa, balcony, refrigerator with freezer and the like.
Most time is spent on kitchen utensils and dishes: they require careful packaging.
Essential items: hygiene items, towels, essential clothing, bedding - need to be packed separately.
It is better to put important documents and valuables in a backpack and take them with you.
It is quite inconvenient to transport flowers, especially large ones: firstly, they are relatively heavy; secondly, you need to cover the pots so that they don’t hit each other, and wrap the plants themselves (so that they don’t break, and if you move in winter, then so that they don’t freeze). This is where strong plastic or wooden boxes come in handy.
I ordered freight transportation a couple of times. As a rule, the standard three hours with one loader were enough: about an hour for loading, travel and unloading (there were from half to a full van of things). Some sites have an inconvenient booking system: you seem to order a car with a loader, but a driver arrives who did not expect to be a loader - I’ve encountered this a couple of times.
Marina Bogoda
coach, consultant, 10 moves
If you are not traveling to another country where every centimeter matters, then there is no need to try to cram the boxes tightly. Just fold it as you see fit. Full, but not overcrowded. Label boxes with fragile items so that you don’t have to read the text on the box, but can see it right away. For example, I used yellow or red tape.
For those who are having a really bad time with sorting boxes, you can use this technique: write the date large on the unassembled boxes - say, in a month. And agree with yourself that if you do not disassemble the box and put things in their places before this date, then it will be sent to friends or put out in the yard for others. Because if you haven't used things in a month, you probably don't need them.
Photos before packing are a way to try on a design project for an existing apartment if it is to be renovated, not to lose anything during the packing and transportation process, and to save your nerves. In the photographs, objects that do not fit (or no longer fit) into the interior will be clearly visible - and you can part with a bedside table, vase or collection of glasses from travel without sentimentality, leaving photographs as a souvenir of them.
The key to a successful move is properly packed items. The weight of one box should not exceed 12 kilograms, otherwise moving it will be problematic, and the cardboard itself is unlikely to support more weight. All detergents, flammable or toxic liquids must be carefully closed and packaged in polyethylene, preferably hermetically sealed. In addition, use a printer and sticker sheets to print detailed description what is in the box. Develop your own tagging system. For example, the name of the room comes first, followed by the name of the contents, then, if necessary, a list of items. When you move, this will significantly save time looking for cutlery or cosmetics.
Loaders can provide additional services: as a rule, the cost of their services includes packing things, disassembling/assembling furniture and assistance with loading. For an additional fee, they can take your old one for recycling. household appliances, furniture, construction waste. Discuss these tasks in advance.
When moving to a new apartment, it is worth considering in advance where the furniture and equipment will be located in order to quickly orient the movers and reduce their work time. Don't skimp on packing the things you care about, especially if the travel time is long.
Arrange the boxes in the truck bed in blocks, depending on the room they are intended for. For example, clothes and hangers - in a box for the bedroom, dishes and tablecloth - in the kitchen box.
Photos: cover, 5 -
You no longer need to be afraid of moving, because before your eyes are instructions for its proper organization. IRR.ru will tell you how to survive this event and preserve your nerve cells.
Get rid of things and earn money for arrangement next apartment You can use IRR.ru and other online message boards.
After this, tape the boxes for different rooms tape different color: let blue be for the bedroom, and red for the nursery. At the new location, place stickers in the appropriate colors on the doors. This way you can easily distribute the boxes around the apartment without having to explain to the movers “where to take it.”
To make it easier to navigate the contents, keep a notebook and make a classification of the collected things. For example, 1 - dishes, 2 - books, 3 - bed linen, etc. Write the assigned numbers on the boxes on all sides and indicate the front and side sides, if necessary.
It is advisable to carry out general cleaning before moving, especially in places where you will not get to after assembling the furniture. You also need to clean the windows, check the plumbing and take care of the lighting. Think in advance about how best to carry large objects so that they don’t get stuck or block the path.
Glass in truck it should be placed on its side, and the furniture should be covered with cloth or polyethylene. Transport fragile items and flowers by personal transport. Carry large items using straps.
First install the stove and washing machine, connect the refrigerator and assemble the beds. After this, you can begin assembling the cabinets and kitchen set, unpacking upholstered furniture. Once you’ve arranged and collected everything, start arranging things and first of all take care of your clothes so that they don’t get wrinkled in bags and bags.
When placing things in a new place, take a break every 1–1.5 hours, then the positive attitude will remain with you until the last box.
