Did you get a new job or transfer to another town? Perhaps your lifestyle or relationship status has changed, such as getting married, divorcing, or empty nest. Or maybe you’ve changed your lifestyle and want a more appealing climate and beautiful scenery.
Whatever your motivation for moving, relocating can be both overwhelming and exciting. Well, you’re looking forward to awesome adventures, meeting new people, a better climate, and picturesque views.
But before you can enjoy that, you’ll need to relocate to the new home that awaits you. And for a successful move, you’ll need key moving and packing tips.
We can all agree; the moving process can be a catch 22. You’ll have so much on your platter to accomplish a successful move. From setting a moving date, budgeting, choosing mover, taking inventory, moving can be mind-boggling. However, one of the most important tasks that can either make or break a move is packing.
A small slip up when packing can cause delays, loss, or damage to your valuable possessions. Be it procrastination, inadequate supplies, or leaving items behind, you want to avoid them all. Read more to learn six quick packing and moving tips for a stress-free and smooth move.
1. Gathering All of the Necessary Supplies
To ensure safe arrival to your home, you’ll need to ensure top-notch transportation for your items. Here, you’ll need to secure the necessary moving supplies to pack your items. With numerous options when it comes to moving boxes and shipping supplies, picking the best can be overwhelming.
When acquiring moving supplies, you’ll need:
- Book boxes
- Medium, large, and extra-large moving boxes
- Packing paper
- Bubble wrap
- Tape rolls
However, the quantity for these items will depend on the size of your household and the items you have. Also, these materials will vary depending on your unique needs. For instance, if you have clothes requiring special care when moving, buy wardrobe boxes where you’ll hag to keep them safe.
Also, a mattress bag is ideal for sheltering your mattress from any contamination or damage during transit, such as water damage and bed bugs. Alternatively, fabric moving blankets or pads protect the flooring when furniture is being moved in and out of the house.
2. Create a List and Plan
You’ll easily get overwhelmed if you start thinking of every room that will require packing. However, you can easily save yourself the stress by coming up with a game plan. Several weeks before your moving date, develop a packing checklist that you’ll use for every room in your home.
When creating the plan, allocate a day or two for packing every room to avoid procrastination pressure. Also, pick boxes for items weighing and measuring the same and label every box according to room. This alerts you of supplies you might be missing and also makes unpacking far less stressful.
3. Know What Items Professionals Can Take
One of the most effective tips when moving is hiring a professional moving company. By relying on professionals to transport your décor, furniture, and other similar items, they’ll take the heavy burden off your shoulder. While a mover will relocate almost everything, there are several items you want to keep off the moving truck.
These include:
Hazardous items. These are illegal items that pose a danger to property or people. Also, many professional movers won’t transport fireworks, gasoline, batteries, bleach, and aerosol cans.
Valuable items. If you have sentimental or irreplaceable personal possessions, consider transporting them with you. While movers will compensate for lost or broken items, carry fine jewelry, documents, and certificates with you.
Household pets. Make sure your companion animal travels with you in your family car. The movers ensure the food bowl, toys, and other per-related items arrive in the new house for your furry friend.
When you’re packing your belongings, don’t forget these non-allowable items on a moving truck. Make arrangements to either have them disposed of or transported to your new home.
4. Donate or Sell Unwanted Belongings
As you pack and declutter every room, have a few boxes for items you need to resell or donate, especially if handling items you don’t use. If there are items you weren’t using in the current home, chances are you won’t be using them in the new home.
If you’re willing to donate, there are charitable organizations that will collect these items in your home without any extra fee. However, if you have valuable items that you no longer use, you can resell them to finance your moving process.
5. Pack Essentials for Everyone Moving
After a long day traveling, you’ll get to your new home exhausted and worn-out. During such moments, the last thing on your mind is unpacking. All you need is a hot refreshing shower and start familiarizing yourself with the new environment.
To avoid opening every box when such for personal items, pack a to-go bag of essentials for everyone. This will have daily essentials such as:
- Extra set of clothes
- Chargers
- Toiletries
- Medications
- Pet supplies
- Activities such as board game
Pack these items separately to avoid having to fish through every single box without finding the items you’re looking for. If you are moving across the country, don’t forget to carry your snacks and drinks with you.
6. Label Each Box and Seal Properly
Labeling your boxes properly will significantly make your unpacking process much easier. Also, you’ll need to pack the boxes efficiently to prevent them from collapsing, breaking, or damaging your items. Use the water-resistant options for all your furniture covers and other delicate items.
When labeling, ensure every box is properly labeled with its content and use different colors for different rooms. Also, you may want to number each box to increase accountability.
Here Are Key Moving and Packing Tips
When moving, so many obstacles can arise during packing, derailing the entire moving process. To avoid such, you want to be prepared and know how to go about packing.
Above are some of the key moving and packing tips and tricks for a successful move.
Are you looking for a mover in Charleston, SC? At Smooth Move, we got you covered. We are one of South Carolina’s premier moving companies offering hourly rates for apartment, dorm, residential, or office moves.
Contact us today for a free quote.