/

Moving day to night: all the essentials you need to get through the first 24 hours

There’s a lot going on moving day, and there’s a better-than-average chance that somewhere between your current home and your new one, you’ll look around and realize you suddenly need [wet wipes, a bandaid, ibuprofen]. No matter how organized a packing job you did or how precisely the movers placed each box in each room, you’ll feel a little overwhelmed at how much unpacking is ahead of you and wondering where exactly you put the [toilet paper, hand sanitizer, floss]. 

Enter this easy guide for everything to keep off the truck and in just one box and one suitcase that go to your new home with you.

A smiling couple poses together in a bright, modern kitchen filled with moving boxes. The man, wearing a light blue button-down shirt and glasses, holds a coffee cup, while the woman, in a yellow shirt, rests her head affectionately on his shoulder. Cardboard boxes are stacked in the foreground, suggesting they are moving into a new home.

THE BOX: During the move

Here’s what you’ll need to stay healthy, fed, and as calm as possible from load in to load out.

Health & wellness

You’re moving, but you’re still a person with a human body that has to use the restroom, eat, blow your nose, and wash your hands.

  • Toilet paper
  • Wet wipes
  • Paper towels
  • Bandaids
  • Pain reliever
  • Antacids
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Disposable plates, cups, and napkins
  • Bonus: coffee maker (for the late-afternoon slump, or the next day in your new home)

Cleaning supplies

When you need them, you need them. And having these items on hand can make you feel more at home from day one.

  • Cleaning wipes
  • Cleaning spray
  • Toilet bowl cleaner & brush
  • Air fresheners or plug-ins

THE SUITCASE: Your first night in your new home

We recommend you pack a suitcase (or a box, a crate, whatever you want!) with all the things you would need to spend a comfy night in a hotel:

  • A change of clothes
  • PJs
  • Sheets
  • Pillows
  • Your daily medications
  • Toiletries (toothbrush/toothpaste, floss, face wash, contact solution/case, deodorant, pads/tampons, etc.)
  • Electronics and their chargers (laptop, phone, kindle, etc.)

And here’s another easy hack: pack up your bathroom in the trash. Put hand soap, hand towels, TP, and bath mat in your bathroom garbage can, or any basket, tote, or even a garbage bag. You can make at least one bathroom immediately usable as soon as you arrive home. You could also load up all your cleaning supplies into a tote or bag and have those ready, in case you need to do some clean up in the new space before you can spend the night.

If you’ve got kids, you’ll want to pack a suitcase for each of them, too—or even put all their stuff in one large one.

Having all of these items handy will make the end of moving day feel a bit less chaotic and anchor you in a sense of comfort and familiarity that will help your new place feel like home.

Moving is one of life’s bigger transitions, and we believe the details matter. Your Select Van team is here to make sure the heavy lifting — literally and figuratively — goes as smoothly as possible.