Moving day! All the things you almost forgot.
It’s your first night in your new home. You spent the entire day driving back and forth from your old place to your new house. You made countless trips to the hardware store to get that thing to put together this thing. Beyond exhaustion, you just want to have a snack and take a shower and go to bed.
There’s just one problem: the only food you can find is the cheerios on the floor of the car that may or may not have been in your child’s mouth at some point. The only thing you’d have to dry yourself off with is a roll of paper towels left by the previous homeowners. And when you finally go to collapse on your bed, can only find the crib sheets that you haven’t even used in years and have no idea why you moved them.
You need to make sure you have the survival essentials you want on hand, but in the midst of packing, setting up the move, coordinating family and friends, it’s the little things that you are likely to forget. To make it easier, we made a checklist of everything you should bring in the first load. Make sure you put them somewhere easy to locate, like the kitchen counter
Here’s our must-have-on-hand list for during moving day:
- Water - put plenty of water bottles in the fridge for everyone helping with the move (including the movers).
- Snacks that don’t require utensils, heating, or refrigeration.
- Disposable plates, bowls, utensils.
- Napkins and paper towels
- Flashlight
- Keys (have an extra set made)
- Charging cords - you will never have enough.
- Flashlights
- Light Bulbs
- Toilet paper
- A bucket of cleaning essentials:
- All-purpose cleaner
- Sponges
- Rag
- Broom/Dustpan
- Trash bags
After a long day of moving, you’ll want to have the following ready to go:
*Pro Tip: Pack like you are going out of town for the weekend. Use suitcases to make things easier.
- Bedding - pillows, blankets, something to sleep on (an air mattress on the floor works just fine)
- All of the things that help your kids go to sleep. A new home can be scary - so make sure you’ve got the blankies, favorite book, and a couple of stuffed animals.
- Curtains - if you can manage to get some curtains up right away (even if they are temporary), it will help a lot - it will also prevent any awkward new introductions to your neighbors.
- Shower Curtains - unless you really like taking baths or want to clean your entire bathroom while you shower. We don’t recommend that--it gets slippery.
- PJs and a change of clothes for the next few days.
- A few new surprise toys for the kids - dollar section works best for this.
- Try and find things that will help them associate joy with the new home. It’s even better if it forms a new hobby or tradition. If your family did puzzles together in the old home, try something different at first.
- Nightlights.
- Hand Towels and bath towels.
- Toiletry bag (pick up a few travel toiletry packs)
- Laundry basket
- Something to treat yourself after all of that work! Ice cream, chocolate,
- Bottle opener (for the wine)
It only gets easier from here! Soon you’ll have everything just the way you want it. The first few days of a move can be rough, but Zaarly can help! From unpacking and organizing to getting all of the furniture assembled and your photos hung, your team will make sure your house feels like a home.