When you think of moving, the first thing that you can detect as something that will take the most time and energy is packing. And you won’t be wrong. Packing is a task that will determine the course of your local move. But not just that, it will make your moving either a smooth and enjoyable experience or a complete disaster. In order to avoid the second scenario, we prepared some tips on how to prepare for your packing the right way.
What to keep and what not
Before you even start packing, make sure to determine what items you want to keep and see in your new home, and what you don’t need or want. This is a perfect moment in your life when you can get rid of anything that you don’t want or need to use, so don’t waste it. Organize all of your belongings in 3 sections: keeping, throwing away, and gifting to someone. Those that are for keeping, you will, later on, pack up. For the items that you don’t want, you have a few options: you can either take the items to a Goodwill or give them to your friends and family, or you can just take it to the trash. This depends on the condition of the items that you are not using anymore. For those in good condition, you can always organize a garage sale and earn some money during the move. You know what they say, someone’s trash might be someone else’s treasure. You never know who will be super excited to get something that you want to get rid of.
Purchase quality packing materials
Quality packing materials will add an additional dose of safety for your personal belongings. You want to relocate all of your items in one piece, so make sure to get some quality boxes to keep them in the best condition. For less fragile items, you can always use things that you already have at home, such as suitcases and bags. Instead of packing paper, you can use kitchen towels and towels. Be creative, but for the fragile items, stick to the techniques that are already trusted.
Start in time
The most important thing to have in mind is time. If you start packing too late, you will end up stressing out about it and you will end up with a lot of damaged items and nerves lost. Make a good plan when it comes to packing and stick to it. What most people do is to pack at least something every day. Depending on how much time you have in front of you, you can start with 1 hour a day or maybe 5 hours a day. This also depends on your energy level, time that you have besides your job, and similar.
How to start?
Considering there is a lot to think of at the same time, and the whole packing might seem like a complete mess, you may get lost easily. Most of the people don’t even know where to start when it comes to packing but don’t worry, we can help you out. The proven tactic is to start packing the least used rooms and items and continue towards the ones you are using frequently. The rule is to leave just the essentials for the last morning in your old home. But don’t panic, that is even more important, you can do it easily. And if you see that you are losing your mind, you can always ring the local movers to help you out. It will be more expensive, but it will save your nerves.
How to pack boxes properly?
Now, let’s talk about the most important step of every relocation – how to pack boxes. There are a few rules to follow. Anything that is too heavy should be packed in a box that is big enough just for that item. So don’t place anything too heavy in a big box and add more items, this way the chance to ruin the item is almost 100%. When it comes to some light items, you can pack them in a big box together, of course, if they are not fragile. Dishes are the most tricky items to be packed. This is the time when you have to be careful more than ever. Separate all plates that you are packing with kitchen towels or packing paper. For the dishes, you need to arm yourself with a ton of packing papers. Pans can be packed together unless they are too heavy. Glasses should be filled with paper and wrapped in paper. Make sure to fill the boxes so there is no room for the items inside to move around. This way, everything will be safe even during transport.
Label boxes
By labeling boxes, you will make your life so much easier when it comes to unpacking. But that is not the only reason why you should label them. It will be easier for the local movers to handle labeled boxes because they will see where to place which box once they get to your new location. Also, don’t forget to add notes such as ‘fragile’ or ‘this side up’ so they can know if there are some boxes that require special treatment.
Tape them properly
Tape boxes as safely as possible. Don’t forget to do this step, because no matter how carefully you pack your items, if the boxes are not taped properly, you will end up with a ton of damaged items. But make sure not to tape the boxes until they are fully packed, up to the top. To remind yourself why to go back to the step of how to pack boxes.
Empty your drawers/cabinets/dressers
In order to keep all of your items safe and sound, make sure to pack up all cabinets, dressers, and drawers. No matter if the items inside are not fragile, the furniture piece with items inside will be too heavy for professional movers to handle, and they might damage the piece itself. So make sure you packed up everything that you are keeping inside.
Inspect your home
After you are done with everything and your home is packed up, there is just one thing left to be done – inspection. Go through your home and see if everything is packed up. You don’t want to think about some items that you left behind, because the chance you won’t find them is huge.
