How to Pack for A Move: The Ultimate Packing Cheatsheet
What do you find stressful? Having a baby? Maybe planning a wedding? Well, 41% of Americans add something to this list: moving. While the idea of a fresh start in a new house is exciting to many, the process isn't all that enticing. One of the main things people find bothersome about the moving process is packing up an entire house. So how about we tackle this and take you through everything you need to know for a tear-free packing experience?
Essential Packing Supplies for a DIY
If you use a professional moving company, they will bring their packing essentials for the job. For a DIY, however, this is your starting point for a move. Packing essentials help you lump several items together for easy transport. They also help you pack and harness things so they can be moved safely. As you plan to move, assemble the following packing supplies for the big day.Moving Boxes
These are the primary items you need for packing. Find different sizes of boxes with different strengths. These will be instrumental in packing your belongings much more efficiently before the move. Be sure to have each box filled to its maximum capacity. Not only will this minimize the number of boxes, but it also lessens movement during transit. This helps prevent items from moving around, knocking against each other, and getting scratched up.Bubble wrap or old newspapers
Bubble wrap, paper towels and newspapers can be used to wrap delicate items like glass bowls, mugs, and mirrors. If you can't find this or run out during packing, blankets and duvets can be used for the same purpose. The goal is to have some padding over breakable items to protect them. You can also these packing materials to fill up empty spaces in packing boxes so that everything is compact.Packing Tape
This is a strong adhesive tape for sealing boxes after packing to keep contents intact for the move. You can also use it to secure bubble wrap around fragile items.Permanent Marker
Packing is one part of the moving equation. At the other end, you will need to unpack. If you had moved before and skipped this bit, you understand the frustration of trying to find something and opening tens of boxes with no luck. With a permanent marker, label each box according to which room they belong to and even what's contained in the box. For example, have "bedding- bedroom" or "dishes-kitchen." If you need a plate to microwave dinner on moving night, you'll simply find the "dishes-kitchen" box.Plastic Bags
Store non-perishable food items, silverware, toys, and other knick-knacks in these. If you run out of boxes, you can use plastic bags, including trash bags, to pack shoes, clothes, and sturdy kitchen utensils.Handcart
If you have exceptionally heavy items to help without much help, a hand cart can help you do so more easily and without injuring yourself. You can check around your locale for hand cart rentals.How To Pack for a Move: General Packing Tips and Tricks
Packing is no one's idea of fun, but it has to be done. Unfortunately, if you allow it, you will find yourself procrastinating and running around at the last minute, trying to get it done. Wouldn't it be helpful if you had some packing tips and tricks? We think so. Here are some pointers!- Go a Good Old Purge
- Start Packing the Least Used Items
- Pack essentials separately
- Look for Free Packing Supplies
- Pack Tightly
- Pack by Room
Room By Room Packing Checklist
Ideally, it would help to start packing as early as possible. Waiting until a few days before the move to try and pack up a whole house is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Starting early allows you to pack at a comfortable pace and be meticulous with your belongings. You can go by the room-by-room approach, which lets you begin with the least used rooms, and gives you an organized, systematic approach. Here is how to go about it.Packing a home office
Your home office can have electronics and important documents.- If you have a laptop, this can go in a laptop bag. Only do this after backing up all your files.
- If you have a desktop, place it in a heavy packing box. You can color code electric wires and place them in a box alongside the mouse, webcam, and keyboard
- Consider taking pics of your electronics setup to help you with reassembly at the new home
- Put important documents in a separate box. Consider placing all other similar documents there so you have them all in one place
Garage and outdoor furniture and garage items
- Wrap blades and sharp tools in old newspaper or packing paper, then plastic wrap them before securing them tightly with tape.
- Group hand tools together and place smaller items in a box. Try to fill it to minimize shifting
- Bundle garden tools with long handles and tie them up with rope
- Remove any loose bits from power tools, and place them back in their original packaging. You can ferry these as is or place them into large boxes.
- Remove furniture paddings and decorative pillows from chairs and pack these in garbage bags or boxes.
- Clean and disassemble chairs, being sure to keep small hardware parts in a plastic bag and tape them onto the furniture they came from
Packing a kitchen and pantry
- Begin consuming perishable items in the days and weeks leading up to the move. Reseal opened non-perishable items before packing them in boxes
- Empty all kitchen appliances before packing them in their original packaging alongside their cords and trinkets
- Bubble wrap all breakable items. You can also stack smaller breakable items before bubble-wrapping them. Place blankets inside a big box and place these inside for extra padding
- Make this box 'FRAGILE.'
Packing the living and dining room
- Roll rugs up and secure them with string
- Use towels, bubble wrap, and kitchen towels to wrap delicate china, display items, and fragile photo frames
- Wrap chandeliers, light bulbs, and lamp shades individually and place them in boxes
- Wrap wall mirrors and paintings in towels. Wrap these up individually so that it becomes easier to deal with shattered glass from broken items
- Pack electronics in their original packages, plus their cords. If these are not available, use packing boxes with cushioning to hold them in place
- Pack the dining room table and chairs by removing the legs and securing them together. This will save you some space
- Put sofa pillows in garbage bags and wrap your seats in blankets. This should protect the surface from scratches and tears and keep them clean for the move.
- Measure your sofa against the doors and hallways of the new place. If they don't fit through, check whether they can be disassembled. Wrap individual sofas and their bits in plastic bags. If they fit, you can pack them and have them transported as-is.
Packing a bedroom
- Leave hanged clothes on hangers and place them in boxes as they are. You will be happy you did this when unpacking.
- Collect any crucial documents from the bedroom and place them in the same box as the documents from your office
- Place all your jewelry in a small box. You can wrap up expensive, fragile pieces individually before boxing them. If these are highly valuable, keep them in your handbag or car, never in the moving truck
- Other loose items can go into suitcases and boxes. These include perfumes, makeup, bedding, books, and so on. Pillows and towels can be stuffed in garbage bags
- Protect mattresses with clean sheets, mattress protectors, or blankets to protect them from dust and tears during transit. Label which bedroom these belong to.
- Place hats and high-end shoes in shoe boxes before placing them in carton boxes
- Wrap lampshades cords neatly before bubble wrapping the lamps and putting them in packing boxes
Packing a bathroom
- Go with smaller boxes for bathroom items
- Have some plastic bags on hand to pack any opened toiletries that can spill during transit
- Separate toiletries from medicines. Keep each in separate labeled boxes, and indicate which bathroom they belong to if you have multiple washrooms
- Use bathroom towels to line one or two boxes where fragile items will go
DIY vs. Hiring a Moving Company
You can successfully DIY the packing and even the actual move, albeit with some hard work. The other alternative is hiring professional movers. With these, you save a whole lot of time and energy. Case in point, you need weeks to slowly pack up a house while ensuring to leave out things you still need. In contrast, movers take 8 to 12 hours to pack a four-bedroomed house. This means they can get you all packed up and moved within a day!