Moving Day Essentials Box

Moving day essentials box can be well explained in just one simple sentence. This is the last to close and first to open a moving box! Preparing an essentials box is not an easy task because there is a lot to think about. Nevertheless, everyone should prepare an essentials box, full of items that you will need for your last few nights in your current home and the first few nights in your new one. There is no doubt that this particular box is the most important box that you will pack, you can think of it as a survival box. Packing an essentials box is not a time-consuming task and yet it will help you a lot on the day of the move.

Moving day essentials box makes your relocation easier

The whole moving process can be stressful and small things can make your life so much easier during this transition. Take all the help you can get, you can hire a professional moving company, your movers will offer packing services, they will help you with storage facilities and other important things, but packing an essentials box is one small thing that you will do on your own and to make your moving days more comfortable.

We should make a clear difference between an essentials bag and an essentials box. Essentials bag is very important too, and it will help you a lot especially if you are moving long distance. In your essentials bag, you should pack all the things you need close to you all the time.

Consider packing:

• Wallet, money, and credit cards
• Life and travel insurance policy
• Headphones
• Mobile phone
• Laptop
• Favorite book
• Battery cable
• Tissues
• Toilet paper
• Snacks and water
• Kids’ items

Here you can find all the information on essentials bag, why it is important to have one, how to pack and what should you put in it.

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The moving day essentials box is a little more complicated since you will need a lot more things for surviving the first few days. There are multiple strategies on how to pack an essentials box, you can pack one small box for every room or you can prepare one box per family member. Our advice is to go with the second option. Every family member can have their own small essentials box where they will pack clothes for the first few days, favorite books, handphones, charges, and personal items that they use every day. Apart from those boxes, the more important one would be one shared box containing items that you and your family will use together, this box should contain bathroom items, kitchen essentials, and basic tools.

What will you need upon your arrival at your new home?

When you arrive at your new home, you will crave a healthy meal, a good night’s sleep, a refreshing shower, and leisure time with your family members. This is where the essentials box comes in. You don’t want to go through all of your boxes on the first day only to find towels or coffee mugs. If you hire a professional moving company, try to fit your moving day essential boxes in your vehicle, if this is not an option, make sure that those boxes are loaded in the truck last, so they can be unloaded first.

The most important items

Here is the comprehensive list of all the most crucial items that you will need during the first few days:

Essentials box per family member

As it was mentioned earlier, every family member should pack their own small box for the first few days, these boxes will contain different items according to personal preferations. You can use a suitcase for this too. Everyone should pack these few crucial items:

• Prescription medicines
• Personal documents
• Personal care items and cosmetics
• Clothes
• Shoes
• Passports, birth certificates, driver’s licenses, credit cards, school records, medical records, certificates, diplomas, etc.
• Electronic devices
• Laptops, phones, chargers, tablets, headphones, music players, cameras, etc.
• Books

Kitchen Essentials

Chances are that after a long moving day you will crave a hot meal or tea, and you will be too tired to go out. Here are a few kitchen essentials to be able to prepare some basic meals and drinks, and survive the first few days using your kitchen as normally as you can, you can read more about moving a kitchen here.

• Soft drinks
• Non-perishable snacks
• Jars of jam or peanut butter
• Canned food
• Pasta, rice, and sauces
• Tea
• Coffee
• Spices
• Mug, glass, and plate for each family member
• Knife, fork, and spoon for each family member
• Can and bottle opener
• Paper towels
• Dish soap and towel

Bedroom Essentials

Nothing is better than a good night’s sleep after a moving day. To ensure that you will sleep well on the first night at your home you will need several things for your bedroom essentials box:

• Bed linen
• Pillows
• Pajamas
• Clothes
• A night lamp

Bathroom Essentials

A refreshing shower will be your priority after the moving day, here is the list of bathroom moving day essential items:

• Toilet paper
• Toothpaste and toothbrushes
• Hand soap
• Towels
• Shower gel
• Shampoo
• Hairdryer
• Cleaning supplies

Check with your movers which items are on the list of prohibited items. While they should be a part of your moving day essentials box, liquids are not allowed on the airplane for example. Always check for regulations and follow instructions given to you by your movers. If you cannot pack some of the items, make sure to put them on your shopping list as soon as you arrive at your new home.

Medication

Apart from prescription medicines for each family member, you should pack:

• First aid kit
• Painkillers
• Plasters
• Allergies medicine
• Vitamins

Before you head off you should check the expiration date on all the medication, as well as the proper way for storing it. And, to ensure you will have everything that you need, find a new doctor even before you move so that you avoid the stress when you arrive at your new home.

Toolbox Essentials

Something that you will need can be broken or missing, and you will want to have the necessary tools to repair it right away, You will also need some basic tools for unpacking, here is the list of the tool essentials:

• Scissors
• Utility knife
• Screwdrivers
• Drill
• Hammer
• Torch
• A few light bulbs and candles

Kids’ essentials

If you have young children and they can not pack their own first-night box you will need to pack theirs too, and you should include:

• Baby items
• Favorite snack
• Favorite toys
• Books, DVDs, games to entertain them

These items will also come in handy when you are in a car driving to your new home. Your kids` attention span is short, and having their favorite items will make the relocation more pleasant. Remember that it is the journey that matters, and try to organize a sightseeing tour where possible. It is never too late or too early to make new memories with your family.

Don’t forget pets

If you are moving with a pet don’t forget that pets need some first few days essential items too, such as:

• Food
• Food bowls
• Leash
• Toys

When it comes to moving with pets, bear in mind that they should not be around on the very moving day. If you have packers or have friends coming over to pack everything, your pet shouldn’t be there. First of all, they are usually small and can be a distraction for movers, not to mention the possibility of getting injured. So, have someone take your pet to the park while your items are being packed and carried away. Secondly, your pets will find it quite stressful that the house does not look the same anymore, and they will not understand why is this happening.

Make your moving day more comfortable with a moving day essential box

A moving day essential box will make it easier for you to go through the moving day. However, even with a moving box ready, there is a chance you won`t find everything that you need in a fast and efficient manner. This is why it is extremely important to create an inventory list and label your moving day essential box. Labeling the box will prevent the movers from packing it in the front of the moving truck, or packing it at all if you instruct them this way.

On the other hand, as you pack your essentials box you should write down all the items that you have packed. In this way, you will save yourself a lot of time, as you will know exactly which items are in the moving box. Although the essential moving box should contain only essential items, as we have seen there are a lot of items that you will need during your moving day and the day after it.

Feel free to print out our list and use it as an essentials box checklist to make sure you don’t forget any of the crucial items to make your first few days at your new home comfortable!