Moving Timeline: What to Pack When

I was inspired to share this moving timeline when I received so many messages from all of you about how well orchestrated our move has been. The truth is, we haven’t always been this organized when moving and we have learned through trial & error what to pack and when. It’s amazing the what a difference this can make so I’m happy to pass on these tips to help make your move as stress free as possible.

First To Go

First and foremost, I suggest getting started early. We began packing right after accepting the offer. Time is so nice to have and depending on your escrow.. the more time the better for packing as far as I’m concerned. ;) The first thing we packed was all our kitchen/dining room glassware. This is a pretty big project because everything is fragile and the boxes can get quite heavy. I love to entertain so I happen to have tons of different dish collections, wine glasses and seasonal glass items that require special care when wrapping. It’s always so nice to get this out of the way first since it takes the most time! Huge tip to make this job even easier? Throw on a favorite movie to help pass the time! :)

To use in the kitchen in the interim, we ordered melamine plates and glassware on Walmart+. The plates are light, durable, and inexpensive so you don’t have to worry about them during the move. I love that they are also reusable and inexpensive. Perfect for this situation. Even paper plates and cups will work if you’re on a tight turnaround.

If you don’t yet have a Walmart+ membership, it has saved Jeff and I on so many occasions.. you need to sign up! If we forget or run out of an ingredient, or we just don’t have the time to run to the store, we can order from our local Walmart store and get everything delivered the same day for free. They offer so many options and the groceries are always high quality & fresh. There is no markup online to cover the cost of delivery either, you get the same everyday low prices you’ve come to expect in stores. Walmart+ is not just for groceries either, everything in this post I ordered using my membership.

Room by Room

Once we were finished with the glassware and dinnerware we decided to tackle each room one at a time. We packed up our guest room first because we knew we weren’t going to use it during our last month in Pleasanton. We began with the knick knacks/bedding and left the gallery wall picture frames/artwork up until later on.

One trick we used and love is to dedicate a tape color to each room then use 2 pieces on opposite corners of the box so you know which room it goes it without even reading anything. This helps you and the movers so much! It’s honestly the best time saver ever. I still like to write what is inside each box but at least the tape helps the box find the correct room.

Another trick we used that made life easier is to leave one room/space exactly as is. This brings a sense of comfort in a time of big change. For us it was our bedroom. While the house was turned upside down and emptying out, my bedroom became my safe haven. Whenever I would feel a bit overwhelmed I knew I could pop into my bedroom which still felt like home and it made a world of difference.

Remove your Artwork

Once I removed the art from the walls the move began to really felt real! It’s crazy how different a home can look with bare walls.

I avoid packing any picture frames, large art and mirrors until the last minute because the pieces are usually fragile and require special handling. We use bubble wrap or cardboard between the small and medium size art to prevent them from breaking and if the pieces are really large then we’ll leave them leaning below the spot we removed them from so we can patch the holes left behind with spackling paste. If you use drywall anchors for art, your TV or a headboard there are drywall repair kits that can make the wall look like new! We were able to get everything looking good with the spackling we ordered from Walmart+.

Last to Leave

Currently our home is almost empty and it feels surreal. This home has hosted so many memories and I am so grateful for each and every one of them. All that’s left is our everyday necessities.

Other than clothes, my makeup and a few pots and pans the only thing we have left to pack in the house is our cleaning items.

Cleaning supplies are so important during the last month of the move. You’ll find that pulling everything out will require you to dust and vacuum even more. I loved that I was able to order any extra cleaning supplies I needed from the sofa using using my Walmart+ membership.. All the products I’m sharing below were available for delivery from my local store. I love that I was able to find all the name brands I use at great prices. Getting high quality cleaning products that do the work for me was so helpful this leg of the journey.

I can’t believe our move is just days away! Now that the house is fully packed up I’m excited for our next journey. This home that we’ve renovated and lived in over the past 5 years has built my confidence in my design abilities and my business. None of this could have happened without all of you and your support! Thank you to every one of you who has followed along with us throughout this process and shares in our excitement for what’s in store in Santa Barbara.

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This post has been sponsored by Walmart.