More than five million single-family homes in the United States were bought and sold last year. That’s the most homes that have sold in any single year in the past decade!
If you’re one of the many people who have decided to move, you probably have a lot on your mind. Between closing on your new home, completing inspections, and putting your old home on the market, you have many moving pieces to deal with. Add packing for a move on top of that, and the cumulative stress can make you want to rip your hair out.
Luckily, knowing how to pack for a move can make the task less daunting. A little pre-planning goes a long way toward making the task as seamless as possible. Keep reading for six tips on packing your things in preparation for a move.
- Sort Before You Pack
If you wait to get rid of things you don’t want or need until you move into your new space, you’re wasting time packing things you don’t need to. Plus, you’re making unnecessary work for yourself and your moving crew.
In the weeks and months ahead of your move, go through everything you own and get rid of what you don’t use. Donate or sell as many of the gently-used items you can, and throw away the rest.
- Gather All Your Tools
There are few things more frustrating than getting into the packing zone, only to find out that you ran out of newspaper, bubble wrap, or packing boxes. You’ll also probably need more tape, garbage bags, and cleaning wipes than you think.
Gather all your packing materials and tools into one place, and keep them there through the duration of your move.
- Pack as Early as You Can
Pack whatever you can as early as you can. Wall decorations and out-of-season clothing can be packed in boxes and set in an out-of-the-way corner of your home. You can get a major amount of packing done early, leaving you with extra brain space to use on tasks that have to be last-minute.
If you need a space outside your home to keep boxes and large items that have already been packed, work with a moving container company to rent a climate-controlled storage container.
- Organize Your Boxes
There’s no one right way to organize your boxes, but use a method that works for you.
Organize by room or by item type. Color code if you need a visual system to sort your boxes. You can keep a spreadsheet listing all the items that are in each box for easy reference later down the road.
- Use the Right Size of Boxes
This may be the most important tip on the list: pack heavy items in small boxes and light items in big boxes. That way, you’ll know that you’re able to carry all the items to and from the truck. Some movers won’t move boxes that are too heavy, so you’ll save yourself from having to worry about that as well.
- Leave Out Things You’ll Need on Moving Day
Don’t forget to pack a separate bag with a change of clothes, your daily hygiene items, and other essentials. If you’re exhausted at the end of moving day, you won’t have to dig through boxes to find the things you need to get a good night’s rest.
Packing for a Move Doesn’t Have to Be Overwhelming
Hopefully, these six tips on packing for a move will make your packing planning a little less daunting. With preplanning, your packing can take less time and effort, leaving you with more energy to tackle the other items on your moving checklist.
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