When it comes to life’s most stressful and frustrating events, moving is easily at the top of the list for most people. Not only is it a huge disruption in your everyday life, but it also usually comes at a high environmental cost. Follow these 12 tips to make your next move more eco-friendly and stress-free.
As early as possible, start sorting through your stuff and scale down room by room. Start with your attic, basement, or storage garage and the rest will seem like cake.
Plan a yard or garage sale about two weeks before your move, and sell the stuff you no longer want or use. If you have time on your side, use eBay and Craigslist to sell the most valuable goods. Donate the rest to a local mission-based reuse thrift shop, such as the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Restore or Arc’s Value Village.
Call 1-800-GOT-JUNK or visit their website to get rid of large amounts of stuff fast. In many cases, they can come out the next day to help. Feel good knowing that they’ll recycle and donate what they can.
Help reduce cardboard waste while saving you time and money by renting re-usable boxes. Not only are they delivered and picked up at your front door, but they are weather resistant, easy to stack and move, and don’t require assembly. In the Twin Cities Metro, contact FrogBox at 1-877-376-4269 or visit us online to learn more about how we can help.
When choosing a mover, make sure they’re licensed and bonded, and have a great reputation. Call or email us for a list of trusted movers in your area.
If you’re moving yourself, consider renting the smallest van or truck that fits your stuff to make your work as easy as possible, while saving money and fuel. Also, the fewer trips you take between your old and new home, the smaller your carbon footprint.
Start packing the non-essential items in your home, room by room. Use labels to clearly mark the contents of each box and the room they belong to.
Make a list of the breakable items you’ll want to move personally, and begin to organize them into one area. This may include art work, glass, and your good china. Wrap them with recycled packing paper, or if it makes sense, use towels and blankets from your home.
When cleaning up your old and new home, use green cleaning products to protect your health, and help the environment. Or, hire an experienced green cleaning company like EcoMaids to do the work for you.
Don’t let your junk mail move with you! Use this as an opportunity to manage your mail with services like DMAchoice, OptOutPrescreen and Catalog Choice. Feel good about simplifying your life, while saving hundreds of trees each year.
Moving can be exhausting, not only physically, but emotionally. Fuel your mind and body accordingly by stocking up on healthy snacks and drinks for the big day. Organic fruit, veggies, and whole grains are all great choices.
Set a goal to unpack a certain number of boxes each day in your new home. When you’ve reached your goal, make sure to treat yourself, you deserve it!
We want to give you $15 off your next order just for signing up to get our emails.They're charming, witty & we'll never share your info with anyone else - promise.
