Moving is an enormously stressful experience that is only made minimally less difficult by a team of experienced movers and established protocols. Over the years, active duty members of the military will learn a number of useful tips to help with the moving process and minimize the impact on the family as a whole.
Make your next move a breeze with these tips and tricks culled from the real relocation pros: military families.
Military families relocate 2.5x more often than civilian families.
On average, military families move...
Moving frequently can put a strain on relationships. The divorce rate among military couples has increased from 2.6% in 2001 to 3.7 % in 2011.
30% of American families want to move on Friday or Saturday afternoons.
moved (within the U.S.) in 2013.
46% of people move for work
36% of people move when they retire
18% of people move for pleasure
The most popular month to move is August. The least popular is February.
1
A month before your move, sell any non-sentimental stuff on craiglist. It doesn't take long and you can usually make enough money to help finance part of the move.
- Brendan, Army National Guard
2
I always use stuff that's compressible for non-fragile items. Stuff sacks, backpacks I don't use anymore, gym bags...It seriously beats moving plastic tubs or even cardboard boxes.
- Reddit user u/doofe_N7, US Marine Corps
3
Pre-military, I always asked my mom to help pack boxes, because she loves packing and kept me on task (I moved seven times in six years)... Find a friend who loves packing boxes ! They exist, and they're really weird people.
- Reddit user u/Dystopeuh, US Army
4
When I mailed boxes to myself during my overseas PCS; I just put a number on each box rather than "MOVIES" or whatever. I kept the inventory list of box #s and their contents and the rest of the box remained nondescript.
- Reddit user u/_Kline, Veteran Civil Service
5
Pack your dishes and other breakable stuff into your towels and other clothes that don't have hard buttons, like button fly jeans. Get a sharpie and label all the boxes so you know what goes where in your new home.
- Reddit user u/Jodokas, United States Airforce
6
The full service movers are nice. I also made use of plastic storage containers. Throw all my bedroom [stuff] in one, electronics and living room [stuff] in another, etc. They can be user over and over and are great for putting stuff in storage as well.
- Reddit user u/rkito11, Veteran of the United States Navy
7
Drain or run the gas out of any mower/lawn equipment (if you have any) unless you want all your [stuff] to smell like gasoline after baking in the back of a U-Haul [or moving truck].
- Reddit user u/_kline, Veteran Civil Service
We all move for a variety of reasons, but when it comes to the big day, choose a company you trust to assist you. Take note of the advice above from frequent movers to streamline the process when it’s your turn to relocate.
Share this with your loved ones in the military -- or anyone who can benefit from these great moving tips!
