Suddenly moving this weekend...tips?

[PenelopeJune]

I need to move this weekend. I was planning on moving in August, so I've been decluttering. But I was NOT expecting to move in two days, and I have to work all day tomorrow. I need moving tips! I've moved tons, but never with no notice. I have zero boxes.

I am not taking everything (divorce, I'm leaving half of the stuff) and I don't have to leave the place clean behind me.

Help! I'm panicking!

[lunarlady]

If you can afford it, item specific boxes from U-Haul or somewhere similar really do make moving easier. Wardrobe boxes for clothing, dish boxes, etc. They add up fast, but save tons of time and hassle.

Good luck! I move in a few weeks and am already freaking out.

[mkksmom]

FlyLady has some good tips. I'd start with a list of top-priority items that you must take. Important papers, medications, and go from there. Can you come back for things later? Can you hire movers? Sometimes they can be quite reasonable and very fast. You can keep clothes on hangers and put trash bags over them with the hangers rubber-banded together and sticking out of the bag. You can move a lot of things in labeled trash bags. Good luck.

[mromans]

• Ask local books stores and liquor stores for boxes
• Check with a local church--a lot of time youth groups are looking for outreach missions and may be happy to help you pack and move
• If you will have other people helping, use your time to put stickies on items that say "keep" "toss" "leave."
• Pack stuff in other stuff, such as your laundry baskets, roll clothing up in a comforter, etc.

Hope that helps!

[mumkimum]

mkksmom tips are really good - make those priorities for yourself when you get out to tackle it.

If you have a good active craigslist or free cycle - I'm sure you can get a decent amount of free boxes from people who've recently moved (or like to collect boxes) - I know I see it on our a lot.  Use your clothes/linens as packing material as much as possible - then you don't have to pack that on its own.

Not sure whether you also need moving help, and are able to pay for it - but I recently noticed our Uhaul has 'moving helpers' you can hire, for less than pro movers, if you simply need some assistance with carrying large/lots of things.  You may find the same kind of help available near where you are.

Good luck, hope it goes as smoothly as it possibly can.  I'm sure you'll work hard to do it well.