How to Simplify Packing for a Move
- 1). Start early. Begin packing for a move well before you expect to move. Even if you don’t have a moving date, but your house is on the market, start the packing process. Give yourself at least two to three weeks more than you think you’ll need to completely finish packing.
- 2). Take inventory. Before you put a single item into a packing box, go through your entire house and purge anything you no longer want or use. Donate unwanted furniture and give away or sell gently used clothing and toys. Purge outdated papers, magazines and files. Toss worn rugs and linens and get rid of broken small appliances. When you are finished discarding what you don’t want, start your packing plan.
- 3). Create a packing timetable. Make a list of what you want to complete each day over the 30 days prior to the move. For example, decide to pack all books on Monday, all kid’s games and videos on Tuesday and all photographs on Wednesday. Add items to your list until you have included everything you expect to pack.
- 4). Assemble packing materials. Designate a corner of your home to locate packing materials so they are handy at all times. Have plenty of packing tape, a couple of pair of scissors and a few different colored markers. Cardboard filing boxes, available at office supply stores, make excellent packing boxes. Manageable in size with incorporated handles, they hold just enough to carry easily and stack neatly. Packing paper and larger boxes, such as wardrobes, can be found online at sites like Packing.com.
- 5). Label every box once it is packed. Use different colored markers to label boxes destined for different rooms at your new residence. Use bold primary colors. Label both the top and side of each box with a list of its contents. Avoid using the term miscellaneous.
