Write. Read. Repeat.

Here we go again…

For any one who themselves have a job or a spouse who has a job that makes relocating common, you know how much of a bitch moving is. It doesn’t matter how many times you coordinate a move, any plan usually goes a bit screwy at some point.

This will be our 5th move in 5 years, and while I am still not the moving expert, there have definitely been tips and tricks I have picked up through vicious trial and error. The following tips are ones that work for my family specifically so take what helps you and leave the rest.

For all of the military folks reading, we always opt to do a DITY move (we move ourselves). We have never done the type of move where the movers come in and touch all your stuff and then you don’t see it for months.

Also, we have a large dog, two cats, and no human children so I have no tips for the humans, but advice for the superior critters at the end.

1. Start Early

Friends, family, coworkers, and even my husband always make fun of me for how early I start the packing process. I will begin to sort out and pack things that we do not use commonly/will not need in the next 3 months starting at around 5 months out (if we have that much notice). When my husband was on his most recent deployment, the ship was doing a home port change so I had all deployment (7 months) for this.

The main point of starting early is that going through everything you own can be overwhelming. You are literally going to touch every single item in your entire house, box them up, and throw them in a Uhaul. That is overwhelming and I have a lot of shit.

Starting early gives me the time to carefully sort through my stuff, one room or section at a time, donate or trash whatever we no longer need, and consciously pack what we are going to keep. By doing anywhere from 30minutes to 3 hours a day of this, the massive task is broken up into much small pieces.

2. Pack It Tight

I am very proud to say that every box I have ever packed has never had anything inside break during the move. Now, I cannot say the same for the things my husband has packed, but I ensure that our things make it to our new home safely. Have a tape gun, cheap masking tape, a good sharpie, and a fuck ton of packing paper ready when you do start packing.

Walmart sells a pack of 250 sheets for less than $10 dollars. Unless I get it from work, I do not buy plastic or bubble wrap. The amount of plastic from the tape hurts my soul already, so I only use paper packing material. Depending on how big your house is, 3 or 4 of these packages should be enough.

For boxes, I start saving them from work as soon as I know when are moving. Shipping boxes used by veterinary suppliers are sturdy and usually only come in 2 or 3 sizes, making packing the truck easier. The boxes from Home Depot are nice, but expensive, so I use all the recycled boxes first, then just buy the Home Depot ones as/if needed.

*pst, save the receipts for boxes, tapes, and other packing material as you can submit them for reimbursement in you moving packet.

We always get a dolly from Uhaul. They are $10 additional (I can’t remember if the Navy will reimburse this, I don’t think so, but it is really worth it) and makes packing the Uhaul so much easier. Having a dolly is not only beneficial for appliances, but with it, I pack the boxes to the top. Yes, some will be very heavy, but they are usually not ones I plan on moving to the second story (if we have one) and I always label them with a red dot as to prevent any injury by those helping us.

Packing the boxes to their fullest also saves on boxes, truck space, and time as far as less boxes to move. Taking out the dead space in a box will also make it’s contents more secure and less prone to breaking.

3. Easy Box Labels

Listing every single thing in a box on the lid works great for some, but even though I pack like items together (by room), there is sometimes still way too many things to list out. That is why, I only put a 2 letter indicator of the room, an F if it is particularly fragile, an up arrow for the direction the box goes, and a red dot sticker for notably heavy boxes. Sometime I will write a word or two about what is in a box, but not often, takes too much time. Every box will be opened so as long as your Open First Boxes are easily available, then there is no rush when unpacking and thus no need to label everything in all the boxes.

An example of what I would write would be “bells” written on a box of decor as we have a collection of old Swiss cattle bells that are wrapped well, but still make noise in the box. Knowing myself well enough to know that if I heard a box making noise, I will instantly panic thinking something is broken. We have a lot of family heirlooms and antiques so yes, panic. Writing bells on the box will let me and others know that some sound is fine.

4. Open First Boxes (OFB)

You will see in most moving/packing hacks, to have an “Open First Box” that has a little cleaning supplies, paper plates, plastic silverware, and don’t-forget-the-bubbly bullshit. Most of the things on those lists are unhelpful or not something most people would use right when moving in.

Starting with the last move and now this next one, we have had multiple OFB. One for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom/living room, pets, and one for cleaning. On my Moving Clipboard, I have lists with exact items and amounts of what we really do need and use on the first day. In the last week before moving, these boxes are usually what we use last too and once they are filled, the rest of the house can be packed. Below is a list of common things I recommend adding to your OFBs:

• CLEANING: trash bags, tool bag, multipurpose cleaner, window cleaner, magic eraser, laundry soap, dust cloths, broom and dust pan, vacuum, paper towels, and towels.
• KITCHEN: plates, bowls, glasses, mugs, silverware, paper towels, hand soap, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, dishcloths, a new sponge, dish gloves, coffee (Keurig, pods, and coffee), a few snack, and easy meals.
• BATHROOM: Shampoo and conditioner bottles, body wash bottles, q-tips, wipes, make up (I don’t wear any during moves as they are usually cross country and who gives a shit), lotion, new shower liner, shower curtain and rings, hand towels, bath towels, hand soap, garbage bin and liners, and toilet paper (usually 2 or 3 rolls).
• PETS: Rest of pet food (see car packing), treats and catnip, medication and prevention back stock, extra beds and blankets, litter container (same as food) and scoop, and the rest of their toys.
• BEDROOM/LIVING ROOM: cords for the TVs and their remotes, my college work, a book or two (great for when internet cannot be set up right away), our Switch and Xbox, DVD player and 2 or 3 DVDs (again, no internet), a candle or two (helps make your new place feel a bit more homey), clothes and shoes (not everything, but just a day or so of fresh ones), fresh sheets, comforter, pillows, and our important documents.

All of these boxes are packed separately of course, and last to go in the Uhaul. There is usually a bit of cleaning to do before all the stuff comes in so after the walkthrough, looking for damages, etc., I get the cleaning box out and run through every room. Then, each of the OFB go into their respected rooms, the bathroom box first, unpacked, then the rest can come in. Doing this has been very helpful to get through the last day of driving, leading up to unpacking the whole truck in one day, because the Navy doesn’t like to pay for extra days if they can help it. These boxes ensure easy access to the essentials before the rest can be unpacked.

5. Moving Clipboard and Binder

We have only done two moves fully on our own and the houses were within 30 minutes of each other, so our only experience with moving long distance has been a DITY move. There is a whole ass package that you get with a list of expense to track in order to be reimbursed properly. This goes in the binder.

There is also all the move out and move in information that comes with moving, especially into military housing (which we are this time) so having a place to keep all these trees-worth of paperwork is essential to not loosing or forgetting anything. This goes in the binder.

Clipboard

The moving clipboard is a literal clipboard that contains a move out check list, a move in check list, the OFB lists, a pack in the car list, expense tracker sheets (one for gas, one for food, and one for hotels), and a zip bag with rubber bands for receipts.

The move out page has a list of utilities to cancel, reminders for address change and bank notification, move-out walkthrough information, and Uhaul information (pick up date and time, size, license plate number, empty weight and full weight).

The move in page has the new address, reminders for utilities to set up, walkthrough check list, and orders of operations. I am moving back to my home state and my sister and mother wanted to be there to help, so having an order of operation will help keep everyone on the same page as to not get overwhelmed or forget anything.

See Tip 4 for Open First Boxes and Tip 6 for car packing list.

The expense trackers are just simple charts I made in Microsoft Word with the date, what is is and the amount spent. The Navy will reimburse you for very specific things and receipt proof is a must. For example, they will pay for your gas, but you have to list gas for a personal vehicle separate from that of the Uhaul. Having a bag with rubber bands on the back of the clip board is a quick way to store the receipts, making the packet easier to fill out and turn in later.

BINDER

This is where we keep housing documents and anything else related to that specific move. I have another, larger binder for all home-related stuff, that stores all of our moves, but the current one gets it’s own. More on this in another post.

6. Pack In The Car

My husband drives the Uhaul and I drive our Subaru with the animals and personal items following behind. I create a list similar to that of the OFB, where it is a list of specific items with specific amounts to be pack in the car. Our items go in a suitcase and personal backpacks and the pets things go in their own backpack.

• ANIMAL SUPPLIES: figure out how much food each animal eats per day, multiplied by the amount of days you plan to be on the road, plus the day you leave, and plus 2 extra days in case of something catastrophic happening. You can separate out each meal into its own ziplock bag and pack the scoop or fill up gallon bags and keep the scoop. For wet food, don’t forget lids and a spoon. Other items include 2 water bowls (one of my cats won’t share with my dog), 3 cat food bowls (2 wet, one dry), dog food bowl, small litter box, bag of litter (measure out like food; obviously I dump out the whole box each day in hotels and do not need a scoop), grocery bags for dirty litter, their medications with 2 extra days worth of chronic medications (see tip 7 about medications for pets during travel), dog poop bags (don’t be a dick), towel for potential wet paws, dog bed for in the car, cat carriers and an extra blanket for each, a toy for each cat, a busy Kong toy for our dog, and of course treats.
• CLOTHES: Amount of each is dependent on how long your trip is, but try to keep it as light as possible, but without having to do laundry. We usually just wear t-shirts and sweats or shorts, with a jacket or sweatshirt available. We go for comfort, not looks when moving cross country. You also only need one pair of comfortable shoes. I always pack for any type of trip a pair of underwear and socks per day, plus two extra. On our trip from Washington to Virginia, I spilled coffee all in my lap not once, but twice and had only packed one extra set, like a fool. Plan for mess and pack extra. We also keep a dirty laundry bag handy.
• TOILETRIES: Travel sized and meant to share. Yes, some hotels provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, but that is not something I am risking by packing none. Nothing feels better than taking a shower after 10 hours of driving in a car, so be sure you pack what you need to make it the best part of the day. We share shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, moisturizer, and toothpaste. We have our own tooth brushes, razors, and deodorants. I also pack hair brush with extra scrunchies/hair ties on it, my own hair dry (more common to find a hotel lacking), and two bath towels (I don’t like people so if there are not enough in a room, I would rather have my own already, than ask for more, but these are more for emergency anyway).
• PERSONAL ITEMS: There is not much time or energy left after driving all day, but I keep somethings on me such as my iPad, chargers, planner and pens, external battery pack, a water bottle, the moving binder and clipboard, snacks, and a set of extra keys. A Subaru key goes with Kyle and any extra Uhaul keys go with me. It has never happened, but I do not want to get locked out of our vehicles or worse, lock the pets inside.

7. Advice For Pet Parents

For background information, I have done 4 moves with 5 animals and have worked in the veterinary field for over 8 years. There are many options you can choose from to help keep your pet calm and less stressed during long car rides.

If car sickness is an issue, a sedative can help, but not always be enough. For some pets, Benadryl is enough to help ease their nausea at 1mg/pound of body weight, but if you pet has bad motion sickness, ask your vet about an antiemetic called Cerenia. It is a small tablet you give an hour prior to driving and repeat every 24 hours as needed to help prevent your pet from being nauseous or vomiting in the car. It can be pricy, but it is extremely safe and every effective.

For stress and anxiety, there are a number of medications or combination that can help take the edge off for your pet. One of my favorite vets I ever worked with would describe the medications effects as “drinking a martini before getting on a plane”.

For canines, trazodone with or without gabapentin can help them relax without completely knocking them out. These medications are extremely safe, affordable, and have a wide dose range on them so you can find the perfect dose for your pet. My 65 pound greyhound for example, takes 25mg of trazodone with 300mg gabapentin every 12 hours and is in zonkers land, when a dose for her weight would be 100mg of trazodone (yes, being a greyhound means it hits her harder than other breeds). Start lower on the dose so that you can work up as needed.

For felines, gabapentin is the best, but in severe cases, trazodone can also be added on.

CBD can also be helpful in both felines and canines.

Always consult your vet before giving you pet any medications or supplements. Some over the counter supplements labeled for pets are not good for them. There are shitty companies out there that don’t care about your pet and just want your money so be careful and consult a professional.

Non-medicine options include pheromone sprays like Feliway for cats and Adaptil for dogs, thundershirts, and busy toys. Getting you pets tiered before getting in the car can help as well. Run or play for a bit before packing up can help tire them out and often get them to fall asleep.

Try a combination of things and if given medication by your vet, be sure to try it out before the trip to know how it will effect them and discuss a dose range with your vet.

We use feliway sprayed in the carriers daily, gabapentin for our cats, and gabapentin and trazodone for our dog, plus numerous walks and a busy treat at lunch time.

8. Check Your Car

For the love of everything predictable, if you are driving your own car during the move, get it professionally maintenances and checkout at least 3 weeks, but no more than 2 months prior to leaving. Read the story in Tip 9 for a great example of why this is important.

I also make sure my car is cleaned, take it to get vacuumed, and that all my roadside emergency supplies is good to go. Keeping your car organized with help lower your stress level when you get to each hotel and during the drive. And always, creating a long playlist or having a few audiobooks goes a long way to maintaining your sanity.

9. Know the Plan May Go to Shit

Moving, especially long distances is wild. It is stressful and chaotic even when you have a fancy check off list on an official clipboard. Life doesn’t care, so just know that if you did you best and the plan goes round the bend, then it is just a way to know what you can try out or forgo next time. During the last four states of our Washington to Virginia trip, the wheel bearing in my car went out and we literally pushed her into the dealership. My husband, me, and our 5 animals huddled up in the Subaru waiting room for 3 hours while the mechanic fixed “the worst wheel bearing he has seen in his 20 years of work”. The people at the Subaru dealership were so nice and let us take up a couch and every one loved meeting Sly.

For the record, I did get my car services, but it was during the regular oil change, 5 months prior to leaving, so I recommended doing it as close to leaving as possible.

Conclusion

Not everything will go how you plan, but these tips are what have helped me take out a lot of the stress of all these big moves.

How have your moves gone? What did you learn the hard way?