After thinking about it for a long time, you’ve finally made a decision — this year, you will move. You find a perfect place, set the date, and hire a moving company. Everything’s going according to plan until you look at your home and all the stuff you have in it. Furniture, cutlery, photos, and trinkets — how in the world will you ever pack all that?
At this stage, panic sets in. You don’t even know where to start, much less how to finish. Luckily, the guys from Oz Moving & Storage in New York, share some of their favorite packing tips.
1. Start With the Areas You Don’t Use Often
Packing of such a scale can’t start a few days before the move. In fact, you better begin as early as possible — at least a month in advance. That way, you’ll reduce the stress and be able to focus on other tasks as well. Packing early on such a scale will also ensure that you save on moving costs when you hire movers with a truck. It will influence the cost by being efficient in your moving service planning.
But obviously, the items you use every day can’t be packed two months early. Some of them — like certain kitchen utensils — will even have to wait until the last night. On the other hand, you probably own many things you rarely use, as well as those that are purely decorative. Consider which items you can live without for a month or two, and pack those first.
2. Don’t Leave the Kitchen for the End
Without a doubt, the kitchen is one of the rooms you will pack last. You use it every day, after all, and most items in it are necessary for cooking and preparing meals. Despite that, you don’t want to start packing it a day before the move. If you do, you’ll soon feel like the whole move was a terrible mistake.
The problem with kitchens is that they take days to pack. Usually, they are full of things you need to bring along, but most of them are breakable. Thus, you’ll find yourself spending hours among platters, tea sets, and appliances, trying to wrap everything properly.
So instead of leaving that for the last moment and risking a mental breakdown, consider what you can pack early. Start from appliances you don’t need often and tableware for special occasions. Then, as days go by, add more items to the packed pile until you’re finally down to only bare necessities before the move.
3. Make a Moving Day Survival Kit
When the moving day comes, your home will look nothing like the place you spent all those years in. It will be bare, unfamiliar, and full of stacked boxes. But even in such circumstances, you still need a few things to help you get through the day and feel put-together. These items will go into your special moving day survival kit.
Now, there’s nothing particularly exciting in this kit. In fact, it should only include bare necessities — a toothbrush and toothpaste, some clothes, toiletries, and toilet paper. If you have these items all in one, separate place, you won’t have to sift through boxes looking for where you placed them. And these little things can help you keep your cool during such a stressful day.
4. Use Packing Containers With Lids
If you have spare hampers and trash bags, you might be tempted to use them as containers. However, that’s usually not a good idea — bags can split, and anything without a lid can make a mess on the moving day.
Thus, only choose boxes and containers that can be sealed. That way, you’ll make sure that everything’s safely stored and closed on the day of the move.
5. Set a Weight Limit for Each Box
There’s no doubt that moving boxes can get a little heavy. However, if they are too heavy, you might not be able to carry them. Even worse, you or the person helping you could get hurt. And that’s the last thing you need on the moving day.
So make sure to set a specific weight limit and don’t go over it. For instance, no box should weigh more than fifty pounds — if you have anything heavier, try to split it into several containers. And if that’s impossible, get someone to help you lift the box instead of doing it on your own.
6. Heavy Items on the Bottom
Packing is a skill — you can’t just throw things in boxes haphazardly and hope for the best. Instead, you have to make sure that none of the items crush others and that everything is stacked properly.
And the best way to achieve that is by placing heavier, bulkier items on the bottom and lighter ones on top. Such an order ensures that the boxes don’t tumble over and nothing falls or breaks.
7. Know What You Can’t Pack
Residential moving trucks can transport most of your belongings, but not all. To avoid any potential surprises on the day of the move, make sure to learn which items not to pack. Typically, these include toxic chemicals and hazardous materials, as well as perishables.
In other words, you can’t bring certain beauty products, cleaning supplies, and garden chemicals. So throw them away or give them to your friends and relatives before you move.
In Conclusion
As stressful as packing can be, it’s not so scary when you plan everything properly and start early. But if you still feel that you’re not cut out for this task, hire a professional packing service to help. After all, the whole process will be far less stressful, and you’ll be able to focus on other tasks!