One of the reasons why moving is stressful is packing. At that moment, you realize how many things you have and how demanding some of them are to pack and transport. And if you factor in limited time in all that, moving can really be a nightmare. But it doesn’t have to.
Good organization is the best way to save yourself from unnecessary pressure and losing your temper. Certainly, moving has to be planned, and that’s the best way to make the relocation go in the best possible way. That goes for packing your belongings, too.
Whether you are moving to a new home on your own or hiring a mover, you should do the packing. You can leave some of it to the professionals, but if you do most of it, that can bring you significant savings. Plus, unpacking will be much easier after moving into a new home.
How to Pack Your Belongings for a Move?
Packing requires time and preparation, but you may not have enough time to arrange everything a few days before the final departure. That’s why it’s best to start with it a couple of weeks before the movers arrive. That way, you won’t work under pressure, and you’ll still have enough time to check everything once more.
Preparation and Sorting
Before you start wrapping and boxing, it is important to sort your belongings. Likely, you won’t need all those stuff at your new address, so find the best way to get rid of it and make packing and moving easier. For starters, there will probably be a lot of things to throw away, like worn-out clothes, old newspapers, and broken dishes.
If you have furniture that you definitely plan to replace in your new home, sell, donate, or give them to someone in need. If you have a lot of little things and souvenirs that are just collecting dust, you can organize a garage sale or simply give them to loved ones. The same goes for the wardrobe.
You also have to think about the food. You will certainly not move it, especially not the perishable stuff. So make the most of them, and if you don’t have time to eat everything, make lunch for friends or donate whatever you can to community food collections or charity.
After disposing of unnecessary stuff, you should sort the remaining belongings by room and pack each separately. Empty all drawers and compartments. There you will find items you use more or less and things that require special packaging and securing.
Boxes, Bubble Wrap & Packing Tape
The next step is providing packing supplies. That will cost you, but you can be rational and use things you already have or can get for free, like bags, shoes and drink boxes, and boxes from nearby corner shops that can be handy for packing small things.
But you’ll still need moving boxes of different sizes, which you can get in nearby hardware stores. These can carry larger and heavier items, and the great thing is that you can sell them later and get back part of the money invested in packing supplies. In fact, you can also buy used boxes, of course, if you find them in good condition.
Next, you’ll need lots of bubble wrap and packing tape. The first is necessary for wrapping delicate items, while the tape serves to secure and reinforce the boxes, as well as for labelling. For that, you can use colored markers, labels, and stickers that will help you find the boxes more easily when unpacking.
Use Supplies You Already Have
For wrapping and padding fragile items, you can use older bedding, pillowcases, towels, blankets and clothes. Vacuum bags are a real lifesaver because they can save significant space, which means a lot if you’re moving without movers’ help or if you’ve decided to take some things with you and thus cut moving costs.
Plastic containers can be of great help for organizing drawers. You can put the entire content of a single drawer in a plastic case, label it, and then pack it all together in a separate box. That way, you won’t have to sort things out again when you move in.
Pack Moving Day Bag and Personal Belongings
While packing, be sure to prepare a bag with the trip essentials and things you need on hand right before and after moving. Do this for each family member. There should be a pillowcase and bed linen, hygiene items, personal documents, some clothes, drinks, snacks, and medicines.
Valuable items, papers, and jewelry should always be with you. Pack them in a travel lockable box or a bag you can easily take with you. And if you have a pet, make sure to have some pet supplies and toys with you.
Loading Boxes
If you left this work to the professionals from Lifestyle Moving & Storage, good. They know how to load and transport your things safely and have insurance in case of damage, so you’re covered. But if you have rented a container and packed it alone, there’s a way to safely load all the boxes and make the most of the storage space.
After packing and labelling the boxes, you arrange them in a container or trailer so the heavier ones go down. Never overfill the boxes, and always put fragile items on top. You should cover them with extra layers of bubble wrap and put extra padding inside.
Items of unusual shapes can be wrapped in garbage bags and secured with bubble wrap. You can put them on top, but make sure to secure them from falling. Use blankets and towels to pad them, and always lean them on something firm.
Stress-free moving is all about good planning. When you start packing on time, you will be able to do everything. And by following these tips, you can make packing a breeze, and move to your new home with peace of mind.
