Moving into a new place is a very exciting time in your life. And, it can be a little stressful. You are about to take everything that you own, pack it into boxes, and either trust someone to move it for you or beg your friends and family for help. Here are some tips for getting the packing done so that you are ready for the big day.
1. Don’t procrastinate.
As soon as you know that you are moving, get your mindset in place. Set some goals, and start looking around your house to get an idea of how long the packing process will take.
2. Make a list.
You’ll need to buy or find a few things to get everything packed. Make a list so that you’ll be able to make one trip to get everything at once. Here are some of the things that you’ll need.
Boxes: You’ll probably need a lot more than you think that you will. You can either buy boxes or find them at your local retailers. If you are planning on asking your local businesses for boxes, steer towards retail stores that sell clothes or shoes. Their boxes will be cleaner and stronger.
- Tape: You’ll need plenty of it, and you’ll want it to be strong enough to make your boxes secure. It’s actually called packing tape.
- Markers: It’s really helpful to mark every box with either what’s in it or with what room it belongs in. You could even use color-coded markers to make the moving process easier.
- Bubble wrap: You’ll want to protect your breakables. You can buy bubble wrap or use an old newspaper or even paper towels.
- Trash bags: They’ll come in handy with sorting and packing.
3. Start decluttering.
There’s no reason to pack things that you don’t use or need anymore. As you are going through every room, closet, and cabinet set aside a couple of bins for the things that you plan to get rid of. While some it may be ready for the trash heap, a lot of it could either be sold or donated. You could even get a little tax write-off at the end of the year for donating it.
4. Fill the boxes.
All of those boxes will have to be carried by someone, so take advantage of every bit of space in every box. While you want to be careful not to make them too heavy, you don’t want to waste any packing area that could be used. Mix heavy and light items in each box to take advantage of the space and not make them too heavy.
5. Pack strategically.
You can start packing the things that you don’t use very often early. Cheap Movers Manhattan recommends setting aside a room or an area of your home, and start packing and stacking to get ahead of the game. As you get closer to moving day, it’s a good idea to keep packing until you are down to the things that you need on a daily basis. And, as you are winding down to the final stretch, you’d ideally be living out of a suitcase.