Moving to a new house takes time, effort, and it is undoubtedly stressful. It may look glamorous and exciting, but it also needs a lot of strategic thought. If you have found a new house to move in and it is now time to pack, don’t panic as you look around at all the things you own since you last moved. In fact, packing is a good time to clean or declutter and simplify your life.
If you are searching for ways on how to pack and move fast or interested in making your move easier and less stressful, you’re in the right place. Today, we are giving you some of the best tips for packing for a move as well as how to find the best packing boxes. By familiarizing yourself with these tricks, hacks, and organization ideas, you will be able to set the tone for your move.
Make a Moving Checklist and Budget
The first thing you need to do before you get all your things in boxes is to make a moving checklist. Your checklist should also include a timeline. This will look different depending on how much notice is given before you move. Some might have two months, while others might have two weeks. Aside from that, you also need to include a realistic moving budget. Creating a checklist will help you visually organize your move and as well as handle events as they unfold.
Declutter Your Things
It is important to declutter your things first before putting them in boxes. You need to ensure that you do not move items that you no longer need. Decluttering before packing can help lighten your stress and workload. Try to figure out what you need to toss, keep, sell, and donate. It is also great if you can take measurements of your new home so that you’ll know which furniture would fit and which you need to get rid of.
Use Quality Moving Boxes
When packing, some people would just go to their local grocery store and score some boxes for free. This might be tempting, but it is better to use boxes that are made for moving. Moving boxes are relatively inexpensive and more durable. Grocery boxes and other used boxes can be compromised because of wear and exposure to moisture. You surely do not want a box falling apart in your hand as you move it into your new house, right? So when packing for a move, make sure that you use quality moving boxes.
Give Yourself an Hour to Pack Each Day
Packing takes a lot of time. If you are busy with other chores, or if you have work to attend to, no worries because you can still finish packing on time. You can break down your packing process into steps. The secret is to avoid procrastinating and packing everything the night before your moving day. If you do this, you would likely become overwhelmed with stress.
What you can do is focus on one room at a time and give yourself an hour each day, packing up items into boxes. You can pack pairs or sets togetherand ensure that your box is the right size to hold a complete set of items.
Make Sure to Pack a Moving Essentials Tote Bag
Creating a moving essentials tote bag is very helpful. It’s because when you move into a new house, it is unlikely that you’d be opening all the boxes and unpack all your clothes and other items. Moving to a new house takes a lot of time before you can settle in completely. Therefore, it is a great idea if you have a separate bag or box that includes all the essential things you need, such as toiletries, documents, money, cards, and other important things that you might need urgently.
Use a Different Color of Packing Label for Each Room
It is also important to stay organized when packing. You can print off multi-colored packing labels or use different colors of masking tape for each room. You can also label the contents of each box and include the room it belongs to. This way, you’ll be able to arrange them in your new place easily. You can also save a lot of time by doing this, instead of needing to read the labels explicitly or play a guessing game.
Avoid Overpacking a Moving Box
One of the mistakes that most people make when it comes to packing is cramming all of their things into a few cardboard boxes that they can find around the house. Keep in mind that to be able to pack everything neatly and avoid breaking anything, you need to use as many boxes as you need. This can also help create easy-to-lift loads. For large boxes, keep them at least 50 pounds or less.
Use the Right Size of Boxes
You can place heavy items, such as a pile of books, in small boxesand lighter items in larger boxes. This way, you can organize and pack boxes into the moving truck easier. Also, heavier items should be on the bottom and lighter ones on top to prevent damaging any fragile items.
Do Not Leave Empty Spaces in Boxes
When packing, never leave empty spaces in the boxes. If there are gaps, you can fill them with packing paper, clothing, or foam to prevent the items from shifting around during the move. Also, make sure that the bottom and top seams of the box, as well as around the wedges where stress is concentrated, are taped.
Label the Furniture Parts and Accessories and Take Photos of Them
Before you move, you also need to protect larger pieces of furniture. For cabinets, remove and secure all drawers and doors beforehand. You also need to label cables, doors, drawers, and anything you will remove so that you will know where they go when you put them back together. Screws and bolts should be placed in plastic bags and taped to the back of the furniture. It is also great if you can take photos of how they should look like when assembled for reference.
Do Not Pack Certain Items with Other Household Belongings
When packing, you also need to consider what should not be packed in the moving truck. It’s because some things can be hazardous during the moving process. For example, painting equipment, tools, and cleaning chemicals should go together in clearly marked boxes. Some of the things that you need to pack separately are fire extinguishers, ammonia, heating agents, chlorine granules, auto batteries, and paints, and varnishes. You can also use plastic wrap to avoid leaks.
Use Reliable Packing Materials for the Kitchen
You need to pack everyday dishes, silverware, and bakeware separately. You can use bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, or crumpled newspaper to help prevent them from breaking. You can utilize dish towels and paper plates to create buffers, too. Keep in mind that ceramics, china, crystal, and keepsakes need to be packed carefully with lots of padding. You can pack these items in smaller boxes using appropriate and reliable packing materials and label them as fragile.
These are some of the best tips we can give for packing for a move. Packing can really take a lot of your time and energy. But when it is done right and in an organized manner, it would be less of a burden for you. We hope these tips will make your packing easier and faster for your upcoming move.