Packing for a Move. Be Prepared!

Posted on 28/04/2015

To start this article off I would just like to say that moving is hard! Even though you are excited to move to a new place there are a thousand things to think about. How are the new schools? What removal company should we go with? Should we store anything? What things should we pack first? Where do we leave Fido on the day? Are we allowed to park a moving truck outside the door? There are a million things to take care of and it is stressful. And something that can make things even more difficult is packing. Do we have enough supplies? Where did we pack the pain killers? In what room is that clothing box? An unorganized way of packing can ruin a lot of things and not really fasten the moving process. I will give you some advice on how you can pack and unpack in a good and well planned way.

From beginning to end you should always have a system, either if it is to pack each room and make a list on what you will put in each box or if you just sort everything and keep track on the movers that help you pack. First of all you will need to gather all the supplies that you will use up until and on the moving day. Things like toiletries, food, blankets, clothes, bath sheets etc. These things should go into suitcases or boxes, one for each family member. That way you have easy access to your own things and will not have to worry about packing anything you might need.

Something that you will thank yourself for when it is time for unpacking is to have marked all the boxes. They should say what the box contain and what room it should be in. Maybe you could even have a prioritize list where you mark the box that should be unpacked first in, let’s say, the bathroom with No.1. This might seem overkill, but you are going to thank yourself for giving your future self a well-organized packing list.

One tip is to sort everything out and get rid of the things that you will not use in your new home. To bring everything and then do the sorting while unpacking is not a good idea. You will be tired and all you really want is to get settled. To drive things to recycling and donate is something that you should do before packing. When you have packed one box, you should get it out of the way. Either you can use your local storage unit to put the boxes in while the packing is happening or you could use your basement or garage. Also here, try and gather the boxes that belong together.

You also want to use any extra room in drawers and suitcases just to have as few boxes as you can. If you are bringing a chest of drawers, use the space to keep sheets and clothes and such in and then secure it by wrapping it up with a secure rope and a cloth. When moving the kitchen table you should remove the legs and put it on the side of the vehicle to make more space. When moving electric items such as toasters, micro waves, TV, computers etc. you should preferably use their original boxes since that will make them stay put and the cables should be labeled so that you know which one goes to which machine.

If you are well organized and take one thing at a time you will easily get settled in your new home. Make sure you have sheets and blankets ready so that you can have a shower and make the beds as soon as you get to your new home.