Moving is stressful and you can feel out of control. You can’t do much to speed up the legal side of things or to gazump a gazumper, but what you can do is make sure you pack like a pro. This is how you do it.
Gather boxes
Small ones, medium ones, larger ones, heavy duty boxes and wardrobe boxes (you may have to buy these last ones). You’ll also need packing tape, bubble wrap, old newspapers, a bold marker and some labels. If you’re lucky, your movers will supply you with everything you need.
Start packing early
Aim to pack one box a day – a large four-bedroomed house should need 60 days, or two months. You may beat this deadline, of course, but do give yourself time to do it in comfort.
Start with the items and rooms you use least
Your hobby room, the Christmas decorations, winter clothes (but only if it’s summer…) and seasonal cooking items are good examples. Then start on pictures, books and ornaments. Aim to pare down to your essentials by the last week.
One room at a time
Many people think it’s a good idea to put similar types of items in the same box, but you don’t hang all your photos in the same room, do you? Keep everything grouped by room, and then clearly label the boxes – it’ll help the movers, and then you.
Declutter
Sell, donate, recycle or bin anything you don’t need. It makes packing and unpacking so much easier.
Don’t go over 30lbs per box
More than 30lbs a box risks injuring your movers’ backs, or yours, and the box itself may just break. A good idea is to pack light items into bigger boxes and heavier ones into smaller boxes.
Fill the gaps
Some boxes will have lots of airspaces in, so fill them with sheets, clothes or just old newspaper to secure everything for the trip.
Label your boxes
Not just by room, but by type. So, “cleaning supplies, kitchen”, “cleaning supplies, bathroom”, for example. Kids love to label their own boxes and this helps them to cope with the move.
Stack heavier boxes at the bottom
Think about it – a layer of books will hold up boxes of china ornaments much better than the other way around!