Quick Packing Tips for a Seamless Moving Experience
Moving is an exciting but stressful experience for many of us. It can be expensive, time consuming, and you have to make sure you don't end up breaking anything like a fragile vase, a lamp, or your back for that matter. Thankfully we’ve put together a list of easy moving and packing tips to make your experience as painless as possible.
Start Early
Do not underestimate how long it will take you to pack up. Procrastination is your worst enemy so don't wait until the last minute to start. Packing and planning is a long process but the actual moving will only take a few days.
Enlist Help
Most likely, you’re going to have a tight schedule to work with so you have to plan in advance. If your plan is to hire a moving crew or rent a truck make sure to request quotes from different companies in your area to find the best deal and availability. After you pick the company you want to handle your move, make your reservation.
Gather Supplies
You're going to need plenty of boxes if you’re going to pack up all your belongings and move. You can always buy new boxes from your local hardware store or reuse old boxes you have laying around the house. Make sure to have a variety of different sizes to pack your largest and smallest possessions. Once you've checked off boxes add protective packing materials, scissors, markers, and lots of tape to your list.
Room by Room
Stay organized by packing and completing each room before moving on the next. Once you've completed a room use it to store the boxes for that room. This will keep certain boxes together making it easier to unpack in your new space.
Weight Distribution is Key
Keep in mind how you pack. Large boxes take more packing material and consequently the weight will add up fast. Be mindful to start packing the heaviest items in the bottom of each box and pile it on with lighter items. To prevent your boxes from spilling out on the sidewalk keep the boxes under 50lbs. Another tip is to put the heaviest items in their own smaller boxes to avoid adding any extra weight.
Safety First
Once you've gotten through packing up all the boxes you're going to need lots of protective material to keep all your belongings safe. Use bubble wrap or air cushions to fill up
extra space without adding any extra weight to the boxes and at the same time will protect your items from breaking. Any fragile items can be wrapped in bubble wrap, or even stored in their own box as to be as safe as possible.
Double Check the Bottom
The worst thing that could happen after all your hard effort of packing is if the bottom of the box gives way. Make sure the base is sturdy and lined with lots of extra tape. (Advanced tip: Try putting a piece of cardboard the size of your box at the bottom to help distribute the weight evenly across the box. If you're not feeling confident that your box will hold everything inside safely then swap the box out entirely. The last thing you want is to have to sit and pick up all your belongings from that box off the ground.
Pro Tip: Categorize and Label
Make your life easier by organizing each box and labelling them with each room the items belong in. Put numbers and categorize the boxes accordingly. Mark all sides so that the labels are easily visible. Write down a list or create a log regarding the contents of each box to make it much easier to unpack. This way you can find whatever you need faster even if the boxes are stacked.
Once your move is complete you can double check and make sure there are no boxes missing with the use of your log.
Donate
When moving houses and going through the process of packing you will come across multiple items that haven't been touched in months or years. Do yourself a favour by putting all your unused or unwanted items in a box and donating them to charity depending on their condition. Generally, some people like to get new furniture when moving to a new house, so feel free to sell your old couches or tables to make way for new furniture. Besides the less items you have packed up to move to your new home, the less you have to unpack. You will also end up saving more money by moving fewer boxes.
Electronics
Your electronics are expensive and should be packed with the utmost care. Start off by removing cables and put them in clear labelled bags so you know which item they belong to. These cables should be removed and packed in a way to avoid damage to the pins. Computer monitors and televisions should be packed individually and wrapped with lots of bubble wrap or moving blankets. There are also large, television-sized boxes available at your local hardware store if you want to take that route. These devices are sensitive and are highly susceptible to damage. Follow instructions on how to move these devices to avoid any damage to them that could void their warranty.
Be sure to keep all computers with older, hard disk drives (non solid-state drives), in a safe packing location as these should take as little bumps as possible to avoid damaging any of the internal plating.
Buckeye Northwest Realty provides houses for rent in Toledo, Ohio and the surrounding areas. To learn more about houses for rent, contact us today!
