Happy Monday. Hope you are enjoying your long holiday weekend. We have had two cookouts with our families and today we are cleaning out the garage and working on other house projects. Things seem to be moving rather quickly in our moving process. We have talked about moving for the past few years but now it is really happening. (Or at least I hope it is) Not only are we finishing up projects around the house to get ready to put our house on the market, but we have also started packing up items that we know we won’t need for a few months, like our travel items, summer stuff, etc. Even then everything will still be accessible if something changes.
I have only moved a few times in my life, and it never went as planned. I am far from a pro at moving. This will also be my first time moving as a family of 5, with 3 kids and going from one house to another house and not storage in between houses. To say I am nervous, stressed, and excited is an understatement. I have reached out to a few of my girlfriends who have moved a lot more than I have and asked them for some helpful tips. Here are their top 10 tips for packing to move.
1- Label all boxes. For some this may sound like a no brainer, but one time I moved nothing got labeled and what a big mess. (this was not a planned move and I didn’t pack the boxes myself either) Now when I label the boxes I like to include the room it was in or the room it goes to in the new house and briefly what is in the box. I don’t want to go through 10 kitchen boxes to find the coffee pot. Also label the sides of the box not the top. When they are stacked on top of each other you’re not going to be able to see the top of each box to see what is labeled.
2- When boxing keep liked items together. Kitchen items with kitchen items, living room with living room. It makes unpacking and staying organized so much easier when items are grouped together. It doesn’t make sense for your kitchen knife set to be in the box with the living room pillows.
3- While packing purge everything you no longer want/need/wear/etc. This can help limit how much you take with you. It could also be a good time to sell some things or donate to Goodwill or a local charity. Go through every room, get rid of old medicine, things you forgot you had, things you saved and said you will use one day but never touched. It’s a great time for a fresh start.
4- If packing early don’t pack what you need. Don’t pack your kitchen essentials if you still plan on eating at home for the next few weeks. When packing early pack what you don’t use on a regular basis. Such as holiday items, vacation stuff, large gathering supplies, etc.
5- Pack items loosely in boxes not bags, when possible. Makes easier for transporting and storing. This is especially true if using a moving service, some will only move boxes and no bags.
6- Let the kids help. This is also a great time for them to get rid of items they no longer need or want. They could also find toys that they forgot they had and won’t let you get rid of because it is their favorite toy. I have had the kids help go through toys before and I was surprised by how many toys they wanted to get rid of that I was hanging onto.
7- Wrap fragile items in clothes, towels, blankets, socks, etc. instead of having to purchase bubble wrap. This can include kitchen items, pictures, candles, etc. You can also stick items inside of shoes for extra support.
8- Use what you have on hand from luggage, laundry baskets, bookbags, etc. in place of boxes.
9- Leave your clothes on their hangers that are in your closet. Put a garbage bag over clothes with hangers sticking out. When you get to your new place, hang hangers in the closet and cut the bag off.
10- Ask friends and online classified ads for boxes before you go and purchase. If planning in advance, save all your amazon boxes too.
Our plan when we move it to hire movers, at least for the big stuff. The last time Brian and his best friend helped someone move, both got their hands smashed by different bedroom sets. Gameday Moving Services out of Houston, Texas is a reputable company that can take care of all your moving needs, even packing your items safely and securely for you. They are a company I know I'd call next time I need help moving especially because their services not only include office or residential but also long-distance, college student or just general labor moving in the Houston area. To bad I don't live in Houston.
I hope these tips will help you pack when moving. What other tips do you have for moving and packing?
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