My Number One Moving Tip – A Pretty Happy Home

Between Handy Husband and I, we’ve lived in Oregon (a few different times), Washington, Canada, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Georgia and now Ireland.

We have enjoyed the luxury of being moved by moving companies, domestically and internationally.

We have loaded our stuff in a uHaul.

We have loaded our stuff in my dad’s cattle trailer. Don’t worry, he hosed the manure out.

Just think about that one for a minute.

We have moved our stuff in the back of a car. Yes, a sectional does fit in a Toyota Venza. If you take 3 trips.

If anyone wants to question my moving credentials, I think I have the market cornered on all the ways one can move their stuff.

Just saying.

I don’t need to mention the cattle trailer again, do I? I didn’t think so.

My Number One Moving Tip: Designate a Parts Box.

I can’t take credit for this one. This tip came to me after my experience with moving companies and it’s been one I’ve incorporated into all our moves since.

What’s a Parts Box? A Parts Box is the one single place where all of the random parts and pieces for your furniture and pictures are placed. The only place.

If you unscrew a bed frame, the screws and other small pieces for the bed frame are grouped together, labeled and put in the Parts Box. Same things goes if you remove knobs on a dresser. Secure, label and put them in the Parts Box.

If you are moving a shelving unit with adjustable shelves, for the love of your sanity, take out those tiny silver pegs/pins and place them in your Parts Box.

When we take a large piece of decor off the wall, I always put the screws plus new anchors in a labeled baggie. That bag goes where? In the Parts Box.

The nails that I used to hang various pictures go in the Parts Box too. I’m all about reusing.

When you unpack everything, it makes life so much simpler to have all of those miscellaneous parts and pieces in one place. I cannot emphasize this enough.

Plus, you don’t have to worry about the screws for your bed frame or adjustable pegs for your bookshelf getting lost. You don’t have to expend mental energy thinking, how did I hang this last time? Everything is there waiting for you.

I also use the Parts Box for any last minute finds when I’m doing a sweep of the house. Random pens, Lego figurines, electronics cords, etc. The movers missed a packet of taco seasoning in the pantry? It goes in the Parts Box too. Imagine how happy I was to find that packet in Ireland? Super, duper happy.

Guess what was for dinner that night? My favorite meal ever.

Let’s face it. Moving, no matter how far you are going, is stressful. It doesn’t have to be miserable though. The hero of many of our moves has been the small, unassuming Parts Box.

I hope this tip helps you in future moves. Happy packing and unpacking!

If you want to know more about our experience moving to and living in Ireland, check out these posts:

Living in Ireland: Life Without a Car

Living in Ireland: Inside My Kitchen

Living in Ireland: Christmas in Retail 2017

Living in Ireland: Storm Ophelia

Living in Ireland: That Time a Tree Came Down

Living in Ireland: Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Living in Ireland: Back After A Month in the United States

Living in Ireland: As Seen On My Commute

Living in Ireland: A Trip to the Hardware Store

Living in Ireland: Spring Flowers In Our Yard