There will come a time when you would need to move out of your old house and into a new home and community with your family. Change is inevitable but it always makes moving and leaving your home, along with all the memories in it, one of the hardest things to do. Based from experience, packing things up and moving them could get so exhausting.
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There are a lot of ways on how to pack your entire household easier and smoother. Here are some tips on how you can move peacefully and excitingly:
1. Make a List
Write everything down in a notebook or anything that would help you with keeping records. You’ll have to write numbers on the boxes and write the things placed inside the box in the notebook. For example, I have written “1 Kitchenware dishes” to the box and had a list of items in the notebook. This is to keep track of how many boxes you had and if you completed all the things you need to pack.
2. Have Plenty of Supplies
Trust me on this one, you will need all the supplies you can get. You will need a lot of boxes, packaging tape, packing paper and bubble wrappers. Just imagining all the stuff you need such as your computer set, books and furniture to fit inside the boxes. You will also need a moving truck to help you move your stuff.
3. Utilize Wardrobe Boxes
Some moving companies provide boxes for pillows or cushions. You can call ahead and ask for the size of the box to separate the ones you can put in it. If possible, you should avoid putting in heavy items such as bowling ball into the box. Why? Because you’ll never know when you carry the box, the bottom would eventually give away. We don’t want to lose a foot and a limb when moving to your new home now, do we?
4. Strategic Wardrobe Boxes
Moving companies would love to deliver the boxes a day ahead of your move date. Just give them a heads up on that. But if you plan of doing the packing by yourself then plan to organize ahead of time, much ahead of time. Separate some of the things you will need to put in the boxes on the moving day. Use shoe boxes and paper bags for towels, shoes or other handy items to be placed in the wardrobe box.
5. Color Coordinate
Assign a color to each room around the new house for the movers to know where to place boxes such as yellow for the kitchen or red for the living room. Tell the movers to simply follow the color coordination around the new house or to read if there are signs around the house such as “Boxes here please” to help them move faster and avoid traffic around the house.
6. Keep Things Together
When you or the movers pack, insist to keep things together. Keep books with bookends, bulbs with lamps, and cords with appliances. This is also to reduce the fragile boxes the movers would be carrying. Bubble wrappers are very helpful in keeping fragile items safe while on the moving vehicle. Keep related furniture and items together and make them unmovable as possible.
7. Pack Ahead
Packing ahead would really save much of your time. In your spare time, try walking around the house to see if you left some stuff in the cabinet or pack ahead stuff that lay around the house such as wall frames and lamps. Box up those spare shampoo, towels, lamp shade and other things you will not use for the next few days till you move in to your new house.
8. Consolidate Cleaning Supplies
If you plan to clean your old house before you leave, gather all your basic cleaning materials before keeping them. Clean all the places around the house like kitchen cabinet, oven and windows. Vacuum the room as movers empty it.
9. Use your Luggage
Fill your luggage with your clothes, towels and sheets to lessen the usage of the boxes. You will find this easier to carry and unpack in your new bedroom. You would feel like you have traveled a short journey when you reached your new house since you carried a luggage.
10. Safeguard Valued Items
If you have important valuables such as antiques or collections, it is best to keep them with you. Or you can bury them in the box where you put the pillows and towels. Check the homeowner’s insurance to see how you are covered during the move and check if they have additional insurance from the mover too. Find out what paperwork (receipts, appraisals and photos) you would need in case of your loss items.
11. Keep Important Papers with you
Important papers include: Birth certificate, school records, new job contacts, utility company numbers, bank records, current bills to pay, phone lists, closing papers and more. Don’t leave them with the movers or even in the boxes. Keep them with you at all times.
12. Personal Boxes
Have yourself, your partner and your kids have a personal box assigned with a different colored box with their names. Let them fill the box up with the things they would need right away such as towel, bathrobe, hairdryer, bed sheets or make up. For mom, she would need the cleaning utensils to clean the house for the family to use. Of course she would need a helping hand from dad.
Moving may not be exciting and fun since it would require strength and time to unpack all your stuff. But planning ahead for the moving would lessen the stress and things would go smoothly making all of this bearable for your family. - Global Real Estate Guide
Reference: interiordec.about.com/od/moving/a/org_movetips.htm
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