Packing Simplified

The worst part of moving for most people is packing. It can be difficult to get all of your belongings packed away in neat little boxes in time for your movers to arrive and take them to your new place. In fact, people dislike packing so much that they end up procrastinating and have to cram everything in during the last few days before moving day. This causes a lot of stress that really can be avoided if you plan ahead. Here’s how to make your packing chores easy.

First, you have to start packing as early as you possibly can. For most people, a household requires at least two months to pack. Of course, you might not have that much time, since moves can happen very quickly, but the critical piece of information here is that you start packing as soon as you know you are moving.

Begin packing by boxing up the clothes you aren’t currently wearing because they are out of season. You won’t miss these clothes because you won’t need them until the seasons change. Then, you can start packing up the other items you know you will not need until you move into your new house. These items might include holiday decorations, fancy China, specialty pans and off-season sports equipment. Again, you won’t miss these items because you probably won’t have an use for them until you get to your new home.

Some people advocate that you write the contents of each box onto a master inventory list. This really isn’t necessary, though, and could even jeopardize your belongings. If someone sees a box with a list of interesting things in it, that box might just disappear. It is better to color code the boxes using brightly colored stickers. This color-coded system will let you and your movers know exactly which boxes go in which rooms. It is a much more efficient way to keep track of your belongings and it will save ink as well!

The closer you get to your moving day, the more of your essentials you should begin to pack. Of course, you will still need certain items in the days leading up to moving day, but you can start with the things you don’t use on a daily basis. On the final night before moving day, create an “open first” box for every member of the family. These boxes should contain your absolute essentials that you must have when you get to your new house.