Moving is never easy. There always seem to be so many more things to pack than you could have ever imagined. Moving supplies are always in short supply, and you aren’t even sure how to transport some of your precious belongings.
Nothing will make moving fun, but it doesn’t have to be a herculean task. When it comes to moving, a little planning goes a long way.
With a little preparation, you can get your move done the smart way. We have compiled the best packing tips we could find for this article. Read on to make your next move the most stress-free relocation you have ever experienced!
Starting Early: The Gold Standard of Packing Tips
As someone who needs to move, the best gift you can give yourself is extra time. And the only way to do that is by starting well before the day you must move out.
Sometimes you need to move on short notice. If that’s the case, you must start as soon as possible. You may tell yourself that it won’t be so difficult, but you will regret that outlook when you try to get everything done at the last minute.
If you can plan your move at your own pace, we recommend that you start packing at least a month in advance of your move-out day. This may seem like overkill, but, as the weeks fly by, you will be glad you did things this way.
By starting early, you can break the move into manageable chunks with time to recover in between each task. This is so much better than attacking the project as one monolithic chore.
If you only take away one of our moving tips, make it this one!
When In Doubt, Throw It Out
One of the biggest sources of wasted time, energy, and space during a move is unwanted belongings.
Most people know they have a few things around the house they never use or have been meaning to get rid of. But they procrastinate on finding a use for it. When it is time to move, these people are often shocked and overwhelmed by the number of things they forgot they had.
Adding to this problem is a matter of sentimentality. It can be hard to let go of useless objects that are associated with fond memories or the promise of being used one day.
You must be ruthless when applying this moving tip. If you don’t see yourself using a particular belonging as soon as you move into your new house, it is time to let go. The only clear exception would be out-of-season clothes or objects of extreme sentimental value.
Just make sure those objects spark joy!
Make Your Stuff Work For You, Not Against You
Instead of stuffing all of your things into boxes where they can’t do any good, try using as many things as you can as packing materials. This cuts down on the space taken up by unnecessary shipping supplies.
One of the best packing tips in this regard is using your towels to secure delicate objects like wine glasses or Christmas ornaments to keep them from breaking.
All of your bath and dish towels, packed on their own, could take up a whole box and do nothing to help you. Or, you can eliminate that box while giving yourself free packing padding at the same time. Don’t skip this one!
You can also use suitcases instead of a box. Pots and pans can hold smaller items. If you keep looking, you are bound to find many ways to turn belongings you already have into handy packing supplies.
Take Pictures
Wait, what? Who wants to be photographed as they go about the sweaty, exhausting task of moving?
Don’t worry, it will not be you that is photographed.
What we recommend is taking pictures of the contents of each box, and then a picture of the box fully packed. This gives you a quick way to scan the contents of all your boxes without having to open each one.
This will save so much stress during those first few weeks in a new place when you can’t find anything and you still haven’t had time to unpack it all.
Take Care Of Your Body
No matter who you are, moving takes a physical toll. If you are not mindful of the wear moving deals out to your body, you could crash and burn before you know it.
This is one way that starting early really helps. Rather than breaking your back during one huge move, you can take lots of breaks when you start early. Giving yourself time to recover will reduce back pain and negative emotions.
Make sure you are eating enough food and drinking more water than you usually do. For many people, moving is the most physically laborious thing they may have done since … well, their last move! And their bodies will need a different level of care than they get under normal circumstances.
After The Move: Unpacking
Most people are so focused on the move itself that they do not even consider what happens after they get everything into their new place. But people in this situation often find out that unpacking can be much more difficult than they expected.
Without the deadline of a move-out day, unpacking can be left undone for huge amounts of time. Make sure you start unpacking right away and do not lose your momentum. Start with the essentials and then unpack at least one box each day, putting things where they belong. Do not let things pile up in random places.
And if you find there are a few boxes you can’t be bothered with, do not let them sit around. Remember: when in doubt, throw it out!
Planning Makes Perfect
The exact details of your plan are not super important. The main thing is to just have some kind of plan for all of your belongings and enact that plan as soon as possible.
If you loved these packing hacks, be sure to explore our site for more home improvement tips!