Packing 101: What’s the best way to start?
Just start.
Ok, this might seem like an obvious answer, but when it comes to packing, a lot of us get overwhelmed. It’s understandable.
We have our whole life to pack in a few boxes, most often in just a week or two. It’s natural to leave it to the last minute because it all seems ‘too hard.’
If this sounds like you, stay with us. This article is for you.
Unpacking moving myths
Moving takes time, yes, but like that old saying goes: work smarter not harder. The same applies to moving house.
The best piece of advice I can give you is start early. The week you sign the new lease, start then. Remember, moving is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, although a lot of people do try to challenge that.
Start hunting for packing supplies. Buy specialty boxes, wrapping materials, alternative containers, moving blankets, packing tape, labels and markers.
Create a packing calendar so you can separate all the tasks on it. For example, Monday afternoon is dedicated to ‘packing the garage,’ Prepare a few boxes every single day, so you’re slowly chipping away at it. It’s all about the progress.
Follow these three packing principles
- Start with the rooms you don’t use often. It could be a guest room, the garage, attic, closet, or laundry. Move your way through to your common rooms, such as the kitchen and bedrooms.
- Dedicate more time to storage spaces. This is where all of the ‘clutter’ lives, so it takes extra time to sort through – compared to your bathroom, for example. Moving provides a great opportunity to de-clutter and get rid of unwanted items!
- Use the right size box for the items you are packing. Heavy items such as books, and fragile items should be packed into smaller boxes to ensure they can be carried safely and easily, and to prevent the box “giving way”. Larger, lighter items such as bedding and pillows can be packed into larger cartons.
- Label your cartons with the room their contents belong to (eg bedroom,kitchen etc), as this will make things much easier for you when it comes to finding things and unpacking at your new address. Another good idea is to number your boxes, and keep a list of all the boxes and their corresponding contents (eg box 1-bedroom, box 2-contents of buffet etc). Again this will save time and make the unpacking process smoother and much less stressful
- Keep a small box of essential items (such as phone chargers, important phone numbers, medications etc) clearly marked and separate from the bulk of boxes, so you have what you need on hand.
- Enlist the help of friends or family to assist you with the packing process- as they say, “many hands make light work!”
Hiring a professional packing team is also beneficial, especially if you don’t have much free time. We can help you move house without the stress of doing it alone. Talk to us on 8380 5353 and we can tailor your move to your specific needs.
Let the packing begin!
