His first piece of advice: \u201cDo not pack the day of moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hopefully, we\u2019re all aware of that rule of thumb. In fact, if you\u2019ve ever moved, you probably felt a jolt of panic just from reading that sentence. Moving is one of the most stressful life events<\/a> we humans experience, so you want to be prepared with plenty of time \u2014 and plenty of useful tools.<\/p>\n Hernandez also shares a more down-to-earth anecdote about DIY moving tools: The moment his dad gave him a dolly.<\/p>\n \u201cMy father made me, I\u2019m gonna say probably 10, 15 years ago, a little dolly that\u2019s made out of two-by-fours and it’s about \u2026 four-by-four, big old wheels on the bottom,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n This dolly, covered in carpet, festooned with thick \u201cdock rope,\u201d and beaten up from several loads of furniture, is such a useful tool that, in addition to using it himself, he offers it to his clients for their<\/i> moves. He likes this practice because it\u2019s \u201canother touchpoint for me to be able to be of service.\u201d This heirloom dolly has utilitarian as well as emotional value: \u201cIt’s cheap, it’s ugly, it’s used, but it’s from my dad, you know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n A moving tool doesn\u2019t have to be pretty \u2014 or even state-of-the-art \u2014 to provide loads of help with your DIY move. In this article, we\u2019ll walk you through a few dozen of the most useful tools for making your DIY move seamless (and as stress-free as humanly possible).<\/p>\n \u201cGive me a lever and a place to stand,\u201d declared ancient physicist Archimedes<\/a>, \u201cand I can move the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Was he talking about moving the world into his new condo?<\/i> History is silent on this detail, but Archimedes would be proud of the simple tools available to help you move in modern times.<\/p>\n These wheeled platforms come in a variety of designs<\/a> tailored to what item you need to move, and where you need to move it. They\u2019re also important to avoid damaging your old place on your way out. If you\u2019ve sold your home, and then you scrape up the floors with your poorly pushed couch legs, \u201cthe seller is ultimately responsible\u201d for any repairs, says Hernandez.<\/p>\n Furniture dolly:<\/b> the simple, low, platform-on-wheels like the one Hernandez\u2019s dad made him, great for pushing couches around.<\/p>\n Utility dolly (or \u201chand truck\u201d):<\/b> an upright, L-shaped dolly, great for more vertical items or stacks of boxes (plus, it allows you to stand upright while you\u2019re pushing).<\/p>\n Stair roller<\/b><\/a>:<\/b> a specialized upright dolly with two sets of three wheels that rotate in tandem to roll your items up and down stairs.<\/p>\n Panel mover<\/b><\/a>: <\/b>a dolly fitted with vertical walls to transport wide, flat pieces, like framed art or glass tabletops or mattresses\/box springs. (A panel carrier<\/i> is a handheld hook to help with lifting this shape of item.)<\/p>\n These are essentially a system of straps that allow two people to lift dressers, appliances, and other items that seem like they should be way too heavy to lift so easily. You and a friend can feel like a pair of super-strong cartoon ants, invading a picnic and making off with a massive sandwich several times your body weight.<\/p>\n Moving straps can be found under various brand names like the Forearm Forklift<\/a> and the ShoulderDolly<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wrap your living room chairs: cushions and all. Keep a rolled-up rug from unrolling. Anything that needs to be kept together for easier moving can be cocooned in this material.<\/p>\n Boxes, boxes, and more boxes. There never seem to be enough of them. Luckily, you can get them free if you know where to look<\/a>.<\/p>\n But a box is just the beginning when you\u2019re doing your own packing. Make sure you have the right accessories so your smaller possessions are sealed in, stacked up, labeled, and cushioned.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want some canned air. In the movie \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life,\u201d a young and optimistic George Bailey says, \u201cI’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Why move into a new house if your electronics and other devices are coated with the dust of your old place? Canned air is a great way to blow the dust off your laptop keyboard, TV cords, and power strips \u2014 and you don\u2019t even need a time-traveling guardian angel.<\/p>\n Your bookshelf, your china cabinet, your 2\/3-size replica of Shakespeare\u2019s Globe Theatre<\/a> \u2026 You might have some large items that can be dismantled for easier transport. In this case, it\u2019s good to have:<\/p>\n You’ll find a wide range of offerings to choose from. How basic or extensive of a set you get is completely up to you.<\/p>\n Maybe your massive TV cabinet is outdated. It\u2019s fitted with slots to hold VHS tapes, and it isn\u2019t going to get any more use. Why lug that thing around?<\/p>\n \u201cBefore<\/i> you move is the time to kind of go through and anticipate what you\u2019ll need, what you don\u2019t need,\u201d says Jennifer Frank of Jennifer Frank Professional Organizers<\/a> in suburban Chicago, who reminds us that sometimes the most valuable moving tip is deciding what not<\/i> to move. \u201cIt\u2019s silly to move stuff you know you don\u2019t need, love, or use.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you haven\u2019t used an item in the last six months or a year, you can probably safely let it go,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Frank offers an obvious exception for valued heirlooms (like Hernandez\u2019s homemade dolly cart!). \u201cIf it\u2019s … a kitchen tool that you use once a year to make your grandma\u2019s famous whatever-kind-of-cookies, that<\/i> is understandable [to hold on to],\u201d she tells us. But gadgets you\u2019ll never use again? \u201cThose are safe to let go.\u201d<\/p>\n What if the item in question was a gift? It\u2019s still ok to get rid of it.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t give you gifts to make you feel guilty,\u201d Frank says. \u201cThey want you to be happy, and if it doesn\u2019t make you happy and it\u2019s not useful, it\u2019s not going to hurt their feelings if you let it go.\u201d<\/p>\n The bottom line, she says, is that if you don\u2019t use an item in your current home, you\u2019re unlikely to use it in your new one. So maybe you can use those hand tools in a cathartic stress-relieving ritual of dismantling a huge, no-longer-useful item and leaving it behind to begin your new life!<\/p>\n This brilliantly low-tech tool is recommended by Laura Tatar of Laura Tatar Coaching<\/a> as a way to keep track of tasks \u2014 and to visualize your progress. \u201cWrite out lists of items you need to buy, folks you need to get in touch with, errands you need to run, or scheduling you need to finalize,\u201d she tells us. \u201cAlso, as you cross things off the list, you can see the things you are achieving and are likely to feel more motivated and accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n If you need a little help, you can turn to the pros for a premade checklist<\/a>. Just print it out, grab your lucky pen, and you\u2019re ready to go.<\/p>\n Yes, those green slips of paper people in bygone eras used to pay for things. They can come in handy for moving-day water bottles, snack breaks, quick trips to the hardware store, and tips for whoever\u2019s driving the van.<\/p>\n \u201cMake sure [you] get cash on hand when [you\u2019re] moving that day, because you always are going to need cash,\u201d Hernandez tells us.<\/p>\n \u201cKnock on the door, because you want to know your neighbors,\u201d Hernandez advises, sharing another less-than-obvious moving tool. \u201cThey’re around, they’re seeing you, it’s just better \u2026 if you go meet them.\u201d Human interaction is a valuable tool for the people you\u2019re going to share a block with.<\/p>\n While a rule of thumb is that it\u2019s a good idea to start planning your truck rental about eight weeks before you move<\/a>, Hernandez has a word of caution: don\u2019t schedule your truck \u201cuntil your Realtor\u00ae says yes, it\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n He says he\u2019s seen buyers \u201cschedule their moving truck \u2026 and the timing doesn’t add up because there are things that happen during the transaction, or it just doesn’t close at the exact time.\u201d<\/p>\n The bottom line: Make sure you time it right. Rent a truck too early, and you could end up sitting on a truck full of furniture, waiting for your closing to go through. Rent it too late, however, and you could find yourself scrambling at the last minute to find an affordable truck \u2014 or any truck at all.<\/p>\n Renting a truck for a small, local move should cost an average of $130. A long-distance move can cost about $1,780<\/a>. For comparison, hiring movers to make these same moves could cost more than twice that<\/a>: up to $1,500 locally and up to $5,600 long distance.<\/p>\n While you wait for the go-ahead, equip yourself with these tools to get things on that truck \u2014 and secure them in place.<\/p>\n Once the move is done, your journey is only half over. Now it\u2019s time to make yourself at home in your new place. These items will get you set to take apart your boxes, hang up your art, and write your new chapter.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/moving-tools-boxes-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Tools for moving big stuff<\/h2>\n
Dollies<\/h3>\n
Moving straps<\/h3>\n
Stretch wrap<\/a><\/h3>\n
Tools for moving small stuff<\/h2>\n
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![\"Tools](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/moving-tools-tools-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Tools for turning big stuff into small stuff<\/h2>\n
A set of hand tools<\/a><\/h3>\n
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A consideration: move or remove?<\/h3>\n
Checklists<\/h3>\n
The tool of cash<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/moving-tools-community-666x381.png\")
<\/a>The tool of community<\/h2>\n
The biggest tool of all: a truck<\/h2>\n
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![\"Scissors](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/moving-tools-scissors-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Tools for un<\/i>packing<\/h2>\n
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