Packing Tips For A Successful Move
Packing can be a stressful time but here are our top tips to ensure you’re ready for the big day.
De-clutter as soon as possible
Start to get the ball rolling early by throwing out anything you don’t need anymore. Go through each room of the house, sorting through all of your belongings and being as ruthless as possible when deciding what to throw out.
- That yoga mat you bought in the hope it would encourage you to exercise? Donate it
- The stack of 90s magazines you never look at but keep for “just in case”? Recycle it
- Those 10 pairs of socks you keep that are worn out and feature too many holes to count? Bin them
Doing a major clear-out before you move not only means you have to pack fewer items, resulting in less spend on boxes and removalists but it also means you arrive at your new house with a less cluttered floorplan.
Choose the right box
Choose smaller boxes for heavy items and larger boxes for lighter items. This may sound fairly obvious but time and time again people try to load a big box up with their whole book collection and then fail to lift the box off the ground, injuring themselves in the process. Keep your small boxes for those heavy items such as books or electronics and fill your larger boxes with lighter items like bedding, pillows and towels.
Pack a personal overnight bag
Moving can be a chaotic time so ensure you can settle into your new house as quickly as possible by packing a bag with all your necessities. Things like toiletries, a change of clothes, phone charger and kettle are handy to have on hand when you arrive at your new house. If you want these to stand out from the sea of moving boxes, pack them into a clear container as it will stand out and allow you to see what is inside.
Label your moving boxes like a pro
When you pack each box write a list on the outside with everything that it contains. Packing your boxes by rooms will also allow you to find each items end destination and saves you time when unpacking as you’re not traveling from room to room.
If you wanted to take your box labelling a step further, you can create a number system. Number each of your boxes and then on your computer create a spreadsheet that lists every item inside that box. By taking it one step further you’ll know the total number of boxes you’re transporting, allowing you to check for any missing or stolen boxes and if you are frantically searching for a particular item, such as tea bags, it allows you to look up the item on your spreadsheet and locate it quickly instead of digging through every “kitchen” box.
Remember when labelling your boxes that you write on the side of the box. When all the boxes are stacked it will be impossible to tell which box is which without spending time moving all of the boxes around.
Take pictures of your electronics
Before you pack up any electronics take a picture of the back where the cords are plugged in. This will allow you to know exactly which cord belongs where and saves you time frantically searching for that missing user manual. To make it even easier to locate the right cords, tape them to the base of your electronics.
Pack your clothes like a pro
Use your suitcase as a box for your clothes. Not only will you save money by not purchasing extra boxes it is also very obvious where your clothes are for quick access the next day. For hanging clothes, keep them on the hanger and place them inside a bin liner with the handles sticking out at the top. When you arrive at the new house simply hang them up and take off the bin liners.