How to Move
at the Last Minute .

In a perfect world, you’ll have plenty of forewarning to prepare for a move. Of course, as we all know, this is not a perfect world and sometimes you just don’t have the kind of time to move out. That doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of what little time you do have. So no matter whether your last minute move is a result of very little lead time to you knowing you were going to move or just plain procrastination now has you starring at your unpacked home with now precious little time remaining before you have to get out. With these last-minute moving tips, your move will at least be made a bit easier.

Organize Your Move

Create a checklist of everything you might need, including to do items, supplies and any kind of hired help. It is much easier to see everything written out than to try and recall it on the fly.

What Are Your Logistics Going To Be

Moving is a stressful project. A last-minute move needless to say is a stress escalator. At first you may think this is just not going to be pulled off. Try to stay calm and work on crossing items off your moving checklist. First things first. Are you going to be using a moving company or is this a DIY move? Either way, commit to whichever process and get the quotes and the decision made. The sooner you can get your last-minute moving logistics nailed down, the sooner you can get to work on the rest.

Start Packing Now

Face the fact that you need to have your packing finished as fast as you can… or even faster. You can’t afford to pack a few boxes or a room at a time over several weeks because time is simply something you just don’t have on your side. So, start packing the moment you know your move is eminent because the packing process is going to last through the entire pre move day time.

Get Rid Of What You Don’t Need

Some quick purging decisions will probably be in order here. Remember, the less stuff you have to actually pack the easier packing for your move is going to be. And for a last-minute move, easy packing is definitely a goal to have. With this in mind, go through every room in your home and separate your things in to three piles: donate, recycle, toss. Once you’ve got your piles all sorted out, get rid of them. There are any number of ways and organizations that will accept donations and drop-offs. Unopened and non-expired food items can be dropped off at your local community food pantry.

No Sentimental Journeys

Now is not the time to become sentimental. A move (regardless of how much time you have to prepare) is the perfect time to purge and downsize the amount of stuff you’ve accumulated. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you’ll just pack everything for now and you promise you’ll do the pruning and purging once you get settled into your new place. Getting the purging done now will save you money, time, and energy. And once you get to your new home you’ll want to get into the settling in process, not getting caught up with what you didn’t get done before the move.

Essentials First

Actually, before you begin packing, make sure you set aside a couple of boxes or backpacks that you have filled with personal essentials. These are the everyday things that you cannot afford to get misplaced during the packing process. This could include prescriptions, documents, toiletries, and any clothes you’ll need for the moving trip… especially if it would involve overnights. Once you get your essentials taken care of you can start the general packing.

Where To Start Packing First

One of the keys to getting your home packed quickly is knowing where to start. Random packing is an absolutely no-no and will lead to lost time… something you don’t have to lose.

Start with the most difficult room(s) first. Storage rooms, attics, and garages tend to be the most difficult to deal with and are often underestimated in terms of how long they’ll take to get packed. Since these areas will be the most exhausting and mentally draining, you’ll want to get them out of the way first and build momentum from there.

Next would be the kitchen. Or, the kitchen could be first if you have none or very little in terms of storage and garage space. The kitchen is time intensive due to all the fragile items that have to be hand wrapped. The kitchen is also the room with many different small appliances and pot and pans with different sizes and shapes that have to be worked into the boxes. And if you happen to also have a lot of cookbooks, the kitchen will also have boxes that will be heavy.

Ready To Pack – Don’t Think Just Pack

Remember the idea behind this article is the lack of (or very little) time. Rapid packing means less time spent of organizing and categorizing. The goal is to get what you have let to pack after you’ve purged from your old house to your new intact. If this means keeping your organizational OCD at bay in order to keep you on task and on time, then so be it. So, here are a few power packing tips that should help.

Your Packing Work Area

Set up an area in your home where you can spread out a bit and have all your packing materials staged and ready to go. This is your packing assembly line so to speak. Keep it as organized and clutter free as possible. The last think you want to have happen is constantly tracking down where you last set your utility knife and packing tape. Make sure you have plenty of packing paper, bubble wrap, etc.

Don’t Overthink Sorting

Don’t obsess over having the content of your boxes all nice and themed or categorized. Put things in boxes where they’ll best fit. Getting them packed safely and securely trumps organization when moving on a last-minute timeframe. You can forego labeling or marking the box with everything inside it. Use a quick general description, but do mark the box if it contains fragile items.

Anything Soft Works For Breakables

For boxes with fragile items in them you can pad and fill them with anything soft. Things like towels, socks, sweatshirts, your undies… anything… and you’ll save on packing materials as well.

You Workflow MoJo

Set up boxes as you need them so you can keep your aforementioned workspace as clean and organized as possible. Once you have a box packed and taped move it out of the way to the finished area and set up your next one.

Clothes Go As They Are

Pack your clothes just as the hang. Wrap your clothes on the hangers as groups using strong garbage or leaf bags. Simply pull the bag down over your clothes and use the tie pulls of the bags to tie around the hangers. You’ll have all your clothes on hangers, draped with a plastic bag and ready to transport in no time. Keep your dresser drawers intact. If you do have to remove them due to overall weight, just remove the drawers and wrap them up to keep the contents inside.

Ask For Help

Packing up a place on short notice is rarely a one-person show. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember two people for eight hours is one person for sixteen. That’s a lot time savings. Even if you can’t get everyone over for the whole time, make use of what you can get and use them to help you get the most difficult rooms done and out of the way first.

Stay Calm

When you don’t have much time to prep, it’s easy to panic. A million things might flow through your head, which can cause unwanted stress and anxiety. Stay calm and take a moment to breathe now and then. Stay focused on the goal of just getting your stuff safely and securely packed and getting it to your new place. Unpacking will take longer, but you won’t be up against the clock and the stress level will have dropped dramatically once you have all your stuff safe and sound at your new place.

You’ll finish everything you need to, and you can always call in professionals.

Whether you have a year to plan for a move or a week, you likely can use a little help. At Muscular Moving Men, you can purchase all the packing and moving materials you need. Our pros then handle every aspect of getting your belongings from point A to point B. Everything you need, even at the last minute, is a single call away.