Just the thought of leaving your home to move to a new place can cause anxiety. Emptying your home and stuffing your belongings in boxes can be a sentimental walk down memory lane. Moving to a new area and settling into another house can be emotionally distressful and physically exhausting.
However, since change is inevitable, we’d recommend not sulking over what you’re leaving behind. Instead, if you look at the bright side, you’d realize that this move could open the door to exciting new experiences. But before you can get to that door, we suggest focusing on a seamless move.
A major part of moving involves tedious hours of packing, and with a plethora of stuff waiting to be put in boxes and bags, you’ll need all the help you can get! Luckily, we’ve rounded up some simple yet effective packing hacks to aid in an almost effortless move.
- Be proactive
To stay at the top of the game and prevent a last-minute panic attack, you must get proactive at least two weeks before the big move. Before you begin packing, there are a few prerequisites that you’ll have to check off your list. Firstly, get your packing supplies. This includes boxes (pro tip: you can source free boxes from your local grocery store), tape, bubble wrap, markers, and any other material that may come in handy.
Most importantly, you need to book professional movers for the big day. If you’re wondering, “How do I find moving specialists near me?” Well, you can just go online and do a Google search. You’ll find plenty of reputable moving companies operating in your area.
Also, if you think you’ll eventually run short on space and need extra storage, you can pre-book a safe unit at your moving company’s specialized storage facility.
- Donate, gift, or sell before packing
You’d probably don’t want to waste time packing stuff you aren’t going to use anymore. We suggest you give out things you won’t need anymore to save time and extra packing space. You can organize a garage sale and sell old clothes, curtains, toys, books, or magazines. You can also check in with your family and friends to see if they’d like to take some of your stuff.
Instead of throwing things out, you can also donate to a trust. Decluttering this way will help you shed some weight and make room for anything new you’d like to buy for the new place.
When packing, start with things you won’t need anytime soon. Better yet, pack the least-used room, for instance, the attic. You can start packing books, out-of-season clothes, the once-in-a-while used kitchen utensils, and any other things you will likely not use in the coming days.
- Gather important documents
Packing can leave the house in disarray, and you wouldn’t want your important documents to be misplaced in this mess. For this reason, gathering and filing your passports, taxation and medical records, property documents, and, most importantly, the sale and purchase agreement is essential.
You can keep the documents in plastic file bags, from where the papers are visible. And keep these documents with you and not with the rest of the stuff!
- Keep the must-haves separately
Keep a bag with everything you might need on the day you move and the next. We suggest you keep an extra pair of clothes, basic toiletries, a first-aid kit, plenty of snacks, and a few books or video games to keep the kids entertained.
Once you reach your destination, you’ll need a box cutter, cleaning supplies, and kitchen utensils for the next meal. These basic must-haves should be loaded onto the truck at last so they get unloaded first, too.
- Don’t empty the content of your drawers
One of the surprisingly effective hacks is to pack your drawers without emptying their contents. If you’ve got any fragile items inside, wrap them in bubble wrap separately. Then wrap and cover your drawers in plastic; they’re good to go. This hack will save you time and energy when unpacking.
- Distribute an equal weight in boxes
The boxes shouldn’t be too heavy once packed, or you might pull a muscle. When packing, start with the heavy items and evenly distribute them at the bottom of the boxes. You can add lighter objects to balance the weight instead of putting all the heavy items together and overweighing your boxes.
No box should weigh more than 40-50 pounds. Also, remember not to leave gaps between objects, or they might jolt and knock each other during the transition, ultimately getting damaged.
- Use towels, sheets, and clothes for padding
To protect any fragile items or cover sharp objects, wrap them in towels, t-shirts, or bedsheets. This way, you get to pack your fabrics and use them effectively as an extra layer of padding to protect your delicate items from wear and tear during the transition.
- Tape and label your boxes
One of the best packing hacks is to take pictures of the contents in the box so you know exactly where each item is when unpacking. After that, you must fasten the boxes together. Close the smaller flaps first and combine the longer ones to tape them generously.
You should tape at the top and add an extra layer at the outside edges of the flaps and the bottom. This would ensure the boxes are packed securely so they aren’t damaged by the weight of their content during transit.
Lastly, label all boxes to identify each box’s contents when unpacking. You can use markers to write which room the boxes belong to or use color codings like red for the kitchen or blue for the main bedroom. Also, add labels like fragile or handle with care so the movers know which box to be cautious with.
Conclusion
Moving is a physically, mentally, and emotionally overwhelming process that can be made much easier if you follow the effective packing tips we’ve laid out. With smart packing hacks, you can ensure a seamless move so you can focus on settling into your new home.
