No matter whether you are moving local or not…there is no short of challenges when it comes to moving.
Between organizing an entire household…changing addresses and trying to find a mover…relocating to a new home can be more hectic than happy. And the biggest stressor of all? Packing!
To help with some of that stress…I’ve come up with a list of clever shortcuts that will ease the burden of packing before (and unpacking after) a move ?
Find Freebies – Forget buying boxes. Pick up free ones through Freecycle.org or the “free stuff” section on Craigslist, both of which list items by location. If you can…try to get lots of different size boxes. (Be careful with the supermarket boxes –they might contain food residue.)
Pack to Unpack – The hardest part about packing is figuring out where to start.
When boxing up your belongings…start in the kitchen…which typically houses the most items that are not everyday essentials. When you arrive at your new home…unpack your bedroom first…and leave the kitchen for last.
Color-Code – To label or not label the boxes?
To save time…assign each room a color and use coordinating colored duct tape. Stick a piece of tape on both the top and sides of boxes so that they can be easily identified when stacked or apart.
Bag It – Don’t waste time un-hanging (and re-hanging) closet garments.
Group a few hanging clothes together with a zip tie…slide a black garbage bag over them…and make a hole in the top of the bag for hanger hooks. To “unpack,” simply remove the bag and tie.
Cover Up – Your Mattress.
Save yourself a step–and a few extra bucks–by forgoing the mattress cover sold by your mover. Instead…place the fitted sheet you use regularly on your mattress…then cover both sides of the mattress with two older fitted sheets you no longer use.
Wrap It – Emptying drawers?
Instead of emptying out the drawers of small-scale furniture…like end tables or corner desks…wrap heavy-duty plastic wrap around the piece of furniture…from top-to-bottom and side-to-side. This will seal the drawers in place and prevent spillage on moving day…and save you lots in unpacking time.
Tape Under – Dismantling furniture?
If certain furniture pieces require disassembly before moving…keep all of the parts together to save time when re-assembling. Place all bolts, screws and small pieces in a Ziploc bag…and tape the bag with clear packing tape to the bottom of the piece.
Fill Space – Packing breakables
Damage on moving day is often caused by items shifting. To make certain your household items stay secure…use socks to fill in ‘dead air’ space…especially in and around breakables like glassware. If you want to save even more time…use t-shirts to wrap larger items.
Even It Out – Moving heavy appliances?
To make your move as smooth as possible… place the refrigerator in the front right section of the truck and the washer and dryer to the front left. That way you will even out the weight and prevent damage from tipping over.
Be Secure – Fighting gravity
No matter how many precautions you take…there’s no fighting gravity. When loading your plastic-wrapped furniture…place the side with drawers against the wall of the truck to prevent them from opening. If your mover provides them…use tie-downs on the side walls for added security.
Personal tip from me…
The easiest move I ever made…
Was when I put all the furniture into the home I was moving into…but I kept all my filled boxes in the garage.
Then I brought the boxes into the home one by one…unpacking as I went.
That way…my home stayed neat and tidy while unpacking…and I felt like I was accomplishing something…rather then everything being turned upside down and my being completely overwhelmed! It really worked ?