Packing is the worst part about moving. You’ve got to sort through years of clutter that hasn’t seen the light of day for an age, and then organise it all and clean the entire house.
It doesn’t sound fun, does it?
We’re not going to try to convince you that we can make packing fun, but we have put together 10 tips that will help make packing to move an easier job. But first, you’re going to need a few supplies:
- Packing tape
- Old newspapers
- Stretch wrap
- Marker pens
- Labels
- Bubble wrap
- Boxes in a range of sizes
Once you’ve got everything together, you can get started.
1. Start early
Don’t underestimate how much time it’s going to take you to pack all your belongings. If you want to aim to pack one box per day and you have a large house, you should probably start two months before.
If you live in a smaller home, you might be able to get away with one month. The best thing to do is to give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.
2. Pack one room entirely before moving onto the next
Don’t try and pack odds and ends from different rooms. You’ll just end up confused and forget where you’ve put everything. Start in one room and don’t move on until everything is packed away.
You’ll find you’re much more organised if you pack this way and you’ll save the movers a job at the other end when they’re trying to work out where to put the boxes.
3. Start with your least-needed rooms
If you’ve got a study or a spare room that you can do without for a while, pack these rooms first. Also pack seasonal items you’re not using much at the moment, like Christmas lights or garden tools.
4. Get rid of clutter
It’s the perfect time to sort through all your unwanted belongings. There’s no point in keeping items that you’re just going to forget about again when you get to the new house. Give your unwanted clothes and possessions to charity, hold a boot sale or put them up for sale on a Facebook selling group.
Top tip: If friends or family are helping you move, ask them if they want anything you’re planning on giving away or selling. Then you can call it payment for their help.
5. Fill empty gaps in boxes
You don’t want any of your possessions to get damaged on the way, so fill empty gaps in boxes with old newspapers or old rags to secure everything.
6. Don’t overfill boxes
You don’t want to hurt yours or your movers’ backs! Don’t exceed 30 pounds for a box. This will stop anyone from getting a back injury and will also prevent the boxes’ bottoms from falling through.
Also don’t forget to pack light items in large boxes and heavy ones in small boxes. That way it will be more difficult to exceed the weight limit.
7. Label!
Lots of people seem to forget that labelling boxes is imperative. Colour-code your boxes by writing in different coloured marker pens and write on the sides so you can see the writing even if they’re stacked.
Write the contents of each box and the room it belongs to, to keep super organised.
8. Stack lighter boxes on top of heavier ones
This might seem light common sense, but it’s an important tip to remember. Putting your heavier boxes on the removal van first will stop any of the lighter boxes from getting crushed.
9. Make up a box of essentials
We’ve mentioned this packing tip in a previous article, but it’s worth reiterating as it’s vital. Pack a box of items like toothpaste, pet food, baby food, a change of clothes and loo roll and keep it easily accessible so you have everything to hand if you don’t get through all your unpacking in one day.
10. Dispose of hazardous materials
Any hazardous materials that you don’t need to take with you should be desposed of responsbibly before you move. Things like pesticides, batteries and boxes of paint should be disposed of.
If you do need to take hazardous materials with you, make sure they are securely closed and don’t mix them together in the same box. Some chemicals might react with one another, and you don’t want to have to deal with that kind of mess.