Packing Tips and Suggestions for Your Big Move!

So you’ve bought a home, it’s time to move and packing all of your items is starting to seem like a very daunting task. We have put together a few packing tips and tricks that we have learned when it comes to making your move a little bit easier.

Our first tip and a very important one at that is to declutter your home. We can not stress this enough! Moving items that you have not used in months; even years is a massive waste of supplies, time and money. Spend a weekend going through each room and getting rid of or donating items that you no longer need or use. Have a garage sale, sell it online or give it away for free. What ever you need to do, just get rid of it!

Once you have majorly decluttered each room (yes, including your garage) you can now begin packing up your things.

Packing Tips

1. Start with more boxes than you think you’ll need. The majority of your boxes should be 2 cubic feet, with 25% of your boxes being 4 and 5 cubic feet. A great place to rent moving supplies from is Budget Truck Rental 

 

2. Label each box with:
   • Your surname
   • Which room it belongs in
   • It’s contents
   • Box number
     Make sure to write on the tape not the box this way the box can be reused.

 

3. Don’t put more than 30 pounds in each box. Split your heavy items up; books, pots and pans etc. Pack half the box with heavy items and the other half with lighter materials.  Movers can refuse to move a box that’s too heavy.

 

4. Pack your boxes to capacity. A box that is not completely full will cave when other boxes are piled on top, causing them all to topple over. To help with this do not seal up your boxes until the very end. This way if you need to shift items around you can do so much easier.

 

5. Set aside 2 boxes for:
   • Valuables & Important papers/documents
   • Necessity Box, this will be what you live out of for the next few days.

 

6. In your valuable box, place any jewelry, precious photos and mementos, financial documents (Contract of Sale), passports, records and any other items that you would want to personally carry with you. Don’t forget to pack your phone charger in this box! Mark this box “DO NOT MOVE” and move this box yourself.

 

7. Your Necessity Box will have linens, basic kitchen supplies, paper dinnerware, hammer and screwdriver (for setting up furniture), scissors and some toys to occupy your children. If you have pets, you’ll need to keep some food, dishes, leashes etc. aside for them too.

 

8. Use your suitcases to pack clothes and bathroom supplies that you will need the first night or two in your new home. Pretend your packing for a two-night vacation.

 

9. Wrap your furniture with comforters, or moving blankets. Wrap your mattresses in plastic wrap. If you have hired a moving company then don’t worry about this, they will do it for you.
   *Click here for our moving check list, including when to book a moving company and so much more.

 

10. Try to use your towels and linens to wrap breakables. Otherwise, purchase a roll of clean newsprint to wrap your stemware, china and other breakables.  Clearly mark boxes with breakables as “FRAGILE”.

 

11. As long as your dresser drawers aren’t crammed full you should be able to leave your items inside during the move. You can also purchase boxes that can transport your clothing on the hanger. They are a bit more expensive but very helpful and extremely time efficient when it comes to packing up and unpacking!

 

12. Don’t pack explosives, corrosives and flammable items. These are not only dangerous, but can void your insurance.  Check with your movers for allowable items.

 

13. If you purchased your boxes from a moving company, you may be able to return boxes that are still in good condition after your move. Or, if you have the room, flatten them and store them in the crawl space.  You never know when you may need a box (or 50!).  Nonetheless, try to recycle or reuse.

 

14. Last but not least if you can enlist some help from friends or family things will go a lot faster. Invite everyone over for a unpacking and pizza party!

 

Hopefully our packing tips will help make the whole process a little easier. We hope that you enjoy many years in your new home, making wonderful memories!