, How to Pack Up and Move

How to Pack Up and Move

Moving is one of the most daunting challenges out there, and it tends to coincide with other daunting processes in life: new job, new spouse, new city. Everyone hates the process of packing, especially when there is so much else to think about! We feel for you! We see it all the time in our clients, as they settle into a temporary housing unit while they relocate, and we want to help take that furrow off of your brow. If you follow these tips, packing up your apartment or house will be way less stressful and exhausting.

Don’t procrastinate.

It takes a lot longer than a weekend to pack up a house or apartment. It’s best to begin two or three weeks before, depending on the size of your dwelling. A great way to go about this is to set milestones for each week and weekend as the move approaches. View the process as a series of smaller steps, and the whole thing looks a lot more manageable.

Have the right moving supplies.

You can purchase designated “moving boxes” but often a reused box from the grocery store will do just fine as well. You’ll also want different sizes of boxes, as well as a few specialized boxes for wardrobe and fragile objects.

In addition to boxes, you’ll need:

  • Padding supplies
  • Bubble wraps
  • Wrapping sheets
  • Newspapers, blank newsprint paper
  • Scissors
  • Heavy-duty packaging tape
  • Labeling stickers (just about the most helpful thing on planet earth… forget it and you’ll regret it!)
  • Marking pens

Prioritize your belongings.

Pack low priority objects first, like decorations and sentimental objects. When it comes to necessities, pack them last. It also helps to mark them so that you’ll know where you should begin with unpacking. The worst thing you can do is treat all your packed boxes as equal because they are not. You will need bedding and towels your first night in your new home, but the picture frames can wait.

Don’t pack heavy boxes.

You might think that big boxes are for packing the heaviest objects, but you should actually fill big boxes with light objects, and pack heavyweight objects in the smaller boxes.

Utilize all storage space.

Don’t empty drawers and dressers when you’re moving. That is just creating extra work for yourself. You’ll have less load shift if you fill all your chests, drawers and suitcases.

Use trash bags to pack.

Boxes serve a purpose, but so does the almighty trash bag. Boxes stack and sturdy trash bags squish. Fill trash-bags with soft, non-breakable items so that they can morph around your boxes. Packing a moving truck is what the game of Tetris has been preparing you for your whole life!

Label, label, label.

Do not just label one side of a box, please. Label two or three sides so that if a box gets turned around, you won’t struggle. Label boxes based on what they contain, by unpacking priority, and if the items are fragile. The numbering system can also be helpful. Place a large number label on all visible sides of each box and note what the numbered box contains on a notepad or spreadsheet. This will give you a visual representation of everything you have packed, even when it is all in the truck!