I hope you found the tips I shared with you in my last post to be helpful! Today, I’ve got your latest installment of tips, and this time, we’ll be talking about the actual packing process.
If you did a good job with the preparation phase, this step of the moving process will go much more smoothly!
#1. Pack a “Hospital Bag”
Just as you would do when preparing to go into labor to deliver a new baby, I recommend that you pack the essential items you’ll need during the move transition period. Include things like a few changes of clothes, underwear, sleepwear, toiletries and even a few snacks. This bag will be a lifesaver on the days you’ll be moving out of your old house and even in the first few days after you move into your new home. It’ll save you the trouble of having to crack open multiple boxes to find the toothpaste!
#2. Gather Materials
You’ll save yourself a ton of time and make the packing process a lot easier on yourself if you gather all of the materials needed before you actually begin to pack. Research the best deals on boxes, or if you are hiring a moving company, ask if boxes are included in the quoted price. You’ll also want to get packing tape, permanent markers, bubble wrap and packing paper. Do a quick inventory of the types and sizes of things you’ll be packing. Will you need to pack lots of delicate items, electronics of family heirlooms? Do you have large pieces that need special sized boxes? Once you have your materials, separate the boxes and label them by room. This will help you keep the packing process organized AND it will make box placement super easy as you are moving things into your new home.
#3. Declutter and Organize
What sense does it make to invest time and money into packing up things you KNOW you won’t use in your new digs? Take this opportunity to get rid of any and everything that won’t play a vital role in your new home. Work room by room in a systematic manner to split everything in that room into one of three categories: Keep, Donate, Trash. Label three different boxes to represent one of each of these categories. Then work through the room and place everything in the appropriate category. Tip: If you think long, you think wrong, so work through the room as quickly as you can, trusting your gut on which category each item should fall into. Don’t kid yourself! If you haven’t worn that dress in five years, chance aren’t good that you’ll suddenly become inspired to make it a vital part of your wardrobe. If you’re having trouble with this, invite over a friend who is brutally honest, and let him or her give you a little tough love as you make your decisions. When in doubt, think of it this way…the more stuff you add to the keep pile, the more boxes you’ll have to buy and the more labor required by you or the moving company.
#4. Place items in the rooms they will “live” in
As you are working through the decluttering and organization process, be mindful of where things will “live” in your new home. If something is currently in the spare bedroom but you know that it will actually need to be placed in the living room in your new apartment, move that item BEFORE the move. This will keep you organized and make the packing/unpacking process much more streamlined. Do the work on the front end to make the move-in a breeze!
#5. Clearly Label All Boxes
Use a permanent marker to clearly label the box with the room it should be placed in, AND draw arrows indicating which side is up and whether or not there is fragile material in the boxes. Sounds obvious, I know, but you don’t want to assume that your helpers will automatically know this information…especially if the people moving you into your new space aren’t the same people who helped you pack up your old place!
I’ll be back with more tips for you soon! In the meantime, I’d love to see you share YOUR best packing tips in the comments below!
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