OPTED Magazine

I’ve been through some hellish moves in my day, and one in particular that involved 15 hours of lugging boxes, returning a moving truck, hauling heavy furniture, rearranging everything so it would just fit in the apartment, and finding myself at 11:00pm at night with no food, no bed set up to relax in, clothing “who knows where,” and a full day in the office the next morning.

Part of tasking and to-do lists is planning for the unexpected and thinking ahead for unforeseen circumstances that might throw a wrench in your plans.  Planning ahead and organizing for your moving and relocation process will make all the difference to reduce stress, but one particular strategy could make or break a successful relocation.

Create a moving necessities box

A necessities box for moving is your must-have essentials, the bare bones if you will, for what you will need when you reach the other end of your move.  If you have a moving experience like mine, with boxes covering every surface, time running out for the day, and feeling utter exhaustion at what you’ve just gone through, a necessities box will save the day.

I’ve come up with ten priority items for a moving necessities box.  Each item was selected based on my terrible moving experiences and digging deep down to figure out “if I unpacked no boxes, was too exhausted to move, and had work the next morning, what ten things do I absolutely need?”  Here they are:

1. Jug of water — after a day of moving, stay hydrated by drinking water and your body will be much happier in the morning.  Another reason to have this is if for some reason the water or shower is not working, you have a crude option for having a basic wash in the bathroom to freshen up
2. Phone charger — there is nothing worse than a phone running out of batteries and especially in a move, having no access to the charging unit.  Make sure this is separate from everything else and included in your necessities box
3. Set(s) of clothes — for each person making the move into the new place, have a complete set of clothes from undergarments to clothing to shoes/socks.  If you’re really prepared, you’ll have sleepwear in there as well to get out of your sweaty clothing.  The set of clothing should be appropriate for anything you need to rush out to do the next day, such as a day in the office or an important appointment.  Don’t get ambitious and think you’ll have the time or strength to pull together an outfit from your boxes!
4. Power bar or cereal bar — with your cooking supplies packed and the late evening already upon you, even making a trip to a fast food joint may be out of the question.  Have a protein, fiber or cereal bar handy in case of emergency or needing a snack to fuel up.  This has been a life saver for me in the past…
5. Shower curtain — if you scrapped the old one when you moved and you bought a new one, or if you have an old one, make sure this item makes it to the box.  Many houses and apartments are not stand up showers with a door and require a shower curtain so you can bathe when you’re finished moving.  How terrible would it be to feel grimy and sweaty, craving a shower, when you had no idea where the shower curtain was?
6. Towel(s) — for the same reason as listed above
7. Travel toiletries bag — the easiest way to make sure you have your grooming essentials without unpacking an entire box is to include your travel toiletries kit.  You’ll only need small amount of the products and it works in a fix.
8. Alarm clock — you’ll need a clock to orient yourself to the time, especially since many people now depend on VCR’s and microwaves to give them the current time.  It also doubles as your wake up device in the morning to make sure you make it to work on time
9. Flashlight and batteries — I’ve moved in torrential downpours and storms, moved into apartments without electricity because the power is out, and dropped my single key for the new place into a thicket of grass.  You name it, if something bad could happen during a move, it happened to me.  Having a flashlight with you in a car or readily available at home is always a good idea, but especially for a move.
10. Last, but certainly not least, a blanket or sheets — nothing feels better than a long shower and a good nights rest after a day of moving.  Even if you have no time to assemble a bed, can’t fit a pillow in your box and you’re relegated to the couch or the floor, having something to sleep on or cover you is perhaps a “luxury essential” but definitely one item worth adding in your necessities box

What would you include in your moving necessities box?

This week is “moving week” on OPTED Magazine and this post is part of a 5 article series.  Check out the previous post about a survey of iPhone apps for moving and relocation and check out the next post in the series!

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