Moving your household goods across town or across the country can be a daunting task. But with some advanced planning and careful packing, the chore can become much easier. Here are some tips on how you should pack your things and what you will need to make your move as smooth as possible.
Supplies that will need if you plan on packing your own stuff include:
Before you begin packing, gather up any and all important paperwork that you may need during your move. Put these in a folder and keep this folder where you can get to it easily if you need to get to these documents. This might include truck rental information, insurance cards, receipts paid for moving expenses, etc. You don’t want these papers buried in the truck where you cannot get to them.
A few days before you begin actually packing up, pack up enough clothes, shoes, etc for each family member that they will use during the move period if the move will take more than a day. Include also stuff like bar soap, toothbrushes, combs, etc. Once this is done, you can safely pack up all other clothing.
Depending on how much stuff you have to pack, consider clearing out a space to use as your packing station. You can take things to this area where your supplies are all laid out and pack them there. This is a good idea for any smaller items as it allows you to more carefully keep things together.
As you pack up a box, seal it shut and mark it with a label. Number your boxes if you have more than a dozen or so; this makes it easy to know if one or more turns up missing.
When you pack, pack carefully and tightly. Wrap items to avoid breakage and position inside box carefully so as to minimize movement. Heavy items on the bottom, lighter items toward the top of the box. Try to fill each box to the top, padding as you go.
Do not overpack boxes, however. Do not, for instance, fill a large box with books as this will be hard to carry due to its weight, and the box itself may break open.
Many people prefer to pack by the room, meaning that you pack only the things in a particular room within a box or boxes. This makes unpacking easier. Make sure you mark or label each box so you know which room the box should be brought into for unpacking.
When you disassemble larger items, keep the components in a bag so you can find them all later. This includes stuff like screws, hardware, remote controls, cables, etc. Also keep your handtools for reassembly in an easy to find box.
As you move through each room, toss out the junk! This is a great time to get rid of all those unneeded items that have been cluttering up your home.
Use these tips and your move will be much easier!
