{"id":13421,"date":"2019-12-31T07:43:17","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T15:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=13421"},"modified":"2026-03-31T13:02:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T20:02:01","slug":"buyer-moving-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-moving-hacks\/","title":{"rendered":"32 of the Best Moving Hacks We Could Find Across the Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do a dentist\u2019s chair and a desert island have in common? They\u2019re both preferable to the absolute chaos and agony of moving. Research shows that 6 out of 10 people<\/a> rank moving as the most stressful life event. More stressful than a divorce, even! And no amount of coffee runs, to-do lists, or yoga breaks will 100% alleviate the pain of getting your stuff from points A to B.<\/p>\n

However, there are ways to work smarter, not harder, over the course of a daunting move. Lots of people have survived this before. Some of them have even shared their lessons and secrets, like tricks to avoid a shampoo-related crisis or how to use household items as packing material (how kind of them!).<\/p>\n

So we scoured different corners of the internet \u2014 including chat boards, YouTube videos, and moving and organization blogs \u2014 to bring you this amazing list of 33 moving hacks, or simple tricks and shortcuts, to make some of the challenging parts of your move a little easier.<\/p>\n

1. Pad heavy boxes with toilet paper and paper towels at the top<\/h2>\n
\"Toilet<\/a>
(Source: Emma Diehl)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ideally your boxes shouldn\u2019t exceed 50 pounds<\/a>. But when you\u2019re moving, box space is precious, and you want to use up every inch before moving on to the next box to save on cardboard.<\/p>\n

So instead of packing a large box filled to the brim with heavy items alone, put your books or gym weights or massive rock collection in the bottom half of the box, do a test lift to get a feel for how heavy it is, and once it starts to feel unmanageable, pad the top of the box with extra rolls of toilet paper or paper towels from the economy pack taking up space in your bathroom and pantry shelves.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll make the most of every box you have, and you\u2019ll be happy when you don\u2019t need to designate a separate box for paper products. Plus, this arrangement protects the heavier box contents by cushioning them during the move. Just be sure to set aside some TP and paper towels for your \u201cfirst day\u201d box <\/a>with essentials for your first 24 hours.<\/p>\n

Source: <\/i>Reddit<\/i><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

2. Shrinkwrap lightweight objects together<\/h2>\n
\"Shrink<\/a>
Source: (msbcc\/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Use vacuum-sealable bags<\/a> or industrial strength stretch wrap<\/a> \u2014 also known as mover\u2019s wrap \u2014 to pack light, bulky items. Shrinkwrap piles of pillows, blankets, and bedding into small manageable bundles which you can carry in a single trip.<\/p>\n

Source: Reddit<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

3. Cover toiletry bottles with plastic wrap<\/h2>\n
\"Containers<\/a>
(Source: Emma Diehl)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unscrew the lid of toiletries and other liquids, cover the opening with plastic wrap, then reattach the lid. This keeps liquids from breaking open or slowly leaking all over items during the move.<\/p>\n

Source: Buzzfeed<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

4. Pack your toaster in a bag to catch crumbs<\/h2>\n
\"A<\/a>
(Source: Emma Diehl)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Put the toaster in a bag before packing it with the kitchen appliances. This will keep crumbs from making a mess in the box.<\/p>\n

Source: Simply Self Storage<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

5. Pack dishes sideways so they\u2019re less likely to break<\/h2>\n
\"A<\/a>
Source: (Kristen Lewis\/ HomeLight)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pack plates vertically, like a record collection, to evenly distribute pressure across the box and make it less likely that the dishes will break in the move. Line the box with bubble wrap, then wrap each individual plate with packing paper, laying a foam sheet<\/a> between each plate in the box.<\/p>\n

Source: Apartment Therapy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

6. Keep necklaces from tangling using a toilet paper roll<\/h2>\n