Moving on up - my 8 tips!!

Last month, my boyfriend and I decided to get a place together and once I got over the initial excitement, the realization that I had to start packing finally hit me. I've been in my studio apartment for almost 4 years to the day so this is a task that has definitely been a little daunting. I think it was also a little crazy that he had to be out of his old apartment by August 1st, so we've been squished into my studio (a large studio, but still a studio) for the last 2 weeks. It's not been so bad except for the bruises caused by falling over things.
You will need:

• Packing tape (lots of it)
• Boxes (I love Office Depot boxes because they have handles and we get lots of them at work)
• Sharpie pens (preferably black),
• Band-aids

My 8 tips to moving efficiently!
(Why 8 you ask? That's all I could come up with...I'm tired).

1) Clear a space for the boxes you pack to be stacked.
Suggestion: Keep an open escape route to the door so that you can exit the room.

2) Check bottoms of boxes are secure and seal accordingly with tape. Seal the packed boxes well at the top too.
Why?: There is nothing worse than packing it and realizing that if you lift it, the bottom will collapse. Use excess tape as necessary. It's cheaper to buy too much tape than it is to have to super glue the china plate your grandmother left you.

3) Pack things you are 100% sure you will not need.
Why this helps: This eliminates the chances that you will run around at midnight looking for your toothbrush and being unable to find it because you packed it in the box with all the stuff from your computer desk.

4) Label each box clearly with what "category" it's contents fall under. Feel free to be more specific.
Tip: Don't let the Sharpie pen you are using to mark the boxes fall in between other boxes. This is not helpful and will in fact impede your progress.

5) Use moving and packing as a good reason to purge things that you no longer need.
Hint: If you are a pack-rat like I am, have someone you trust go through your stuff with you. Tell them to be ruthless. When you find that Styx t-shirt with the holes that you used to wear when you were 13, that you feel like you need because of your intense emotional attachment to it, make them put it straight in a donation bag and out of eye-sight.

6) Hire movers! It's not as cheap as doing it yourself but it's worth it.
Why this is especially important: It saves your sanity, it saves friendships, it prevents injuries being sustained from having furniture dropped on you from a great height, as you attempt to navigate 2 flights of stairs while hoping to catch the queen-sized mattress being suspended from the balcony. Hired movers are professionals. It's what they do.

7) Movers will generally make you pay extra for wrapping furniture and for the actual wrap itself. You can buy a 1500' roll of plastic wrap at Office Depot.
Helpful tip: If your significant other starts to bother you, you can plastic wrap them to something until they learn their lesson.

8) When you arrive at your new place with boxes and furniture in tow, make sure you know exactly which box your liquor cabinet was packed in.
Why this is important: You're going to need it to immediately celebrate your success at having finally done it. The beauty of it being that you don't actually need to unpack glasses to enjoy the tasty refreshment. I would suggest waiting until you've sobered up to unpack though.

Have I been paying attention to my own tips? In most cases, yes. The good news is that we're picking up the keys tonight, which I am thrilled about, and I'll finally be able to get some of the boxes out of my place and figure out what on earth is still left to move!!