Last month's blog, part one of the ultimate preparation, packing, and moving guide, outlined seven things you should do before starting packing. Hopefully, you've taken some of the suggestions and are ready to kick-start the next step in the move: packing.
There are plenty of moving checklists available, and most people know the essentials, so we're offering six tried and true tips to help make packing (and ultimately unpacking) easier.
Create a staging area.
If you have space in your current home, create a "staging area" to store packing supplies and packed boxes. A garage is a great option, but a dining room - if you break down the table and move the chairs, a spare bedroom, or a roomy closet will do. Being able to tuck packed things away, especially earlier in the moving process, might help you feel less overwhelmed. Keeping small packing supplies like markers, scissors, and tape in one place in the staging area can help you avoid several trips to the store to replace what you've misplaced. Our suggestion: keep them in a large toolbox. (We'll mention this again later.)
Set the mood.
We're not talking candles, wine, and music here. (Though we believe good playlists are invaluable during a move.) Even though you've already gotten rid of things you don't want to move with you and done a deep clean of your house, it's time to give a once over before you start dragging things out to pack. Clean up any messes and put things that have homes away if they are out of place. Packing is messy enough without having clutter around.
Pack one room at a time.
You might not pack everything from one room right away, but trust us, you'll be happier if you try to pack things that will be together in your new place in the same boxes. This gets harder and harder the closer it gets to putting items on the truck. As the time to go draws near, the impulse to throw everything into a big box and sort it out on the other end grows. Try to resist! The next tip might help.
Create essentials boxes for each room.
By essentials, we mean the things that you would like to unpack during the first week. Everyone will have a different idea of what this means for each room, but having these separate boxes will help in two ways. First, anything that's not considered essential can be packed right away. And secondly, being able to quickly get to the microwave or your child's favorite toys will save you heartache when you're tired and trying to settle into a new place. Try to limit how many things you consider essential, though, or else you lessen the benefit. An excellent way to consider essential versus non-essential items can be found when considering dishes. During the first week in your new home, you probably won't need your fanciest serving bowls, but you'll probably want forks. Use that logic in each room, and you'll have a good idea what to pack.
First night supplies.
Think of these things as essentials 2.0. Make sure that you pack away the things you'll need for your first 24 hours in the new place. These are items you can take with you in the car. If you don't have enough room for them, make sure to ask the movers if they can put them together on the truck.
First night supplies include things like linens, towels, and pillows for each bedroom. Grab a new toilet brush and plunger and put it into a box with your bathroom supplies. You're welcome to grab dishes and cups from the kitchen, or you can throw disposable things in the box for the first few meals. The toolbox mentioned above is a great place to store extra phone chargers, cords for electronics, and fasteners for beds and other furniture. When you take things apart, put all of the pieces in a plastic baggie and label it clearly. Make sure this toolbox has the exact tools you’ll need to put things back together as well.
Bonus tip: Code your boxes and create a master list.
This requires at least one empty notebook - preferably something small enough to fit into the toolbox - and quite the strong will. Before you seal up each box, name it - for example, Master 1 - and then write down the box's contents. You don't have to write down every single item, though you can if you want. Then, after you tape up the box, write its name on each side and the top. When unpacking, this will help you locate something very quickly and will allow you to unpack in stages.
Give us a call at (850) 321-5898 or request a quote if you want to move with one of Florida's highest-rated customer satisfaction moving companies. Make your next move, your best move with Experienced Movers.
You may also like The Ultimate Preparation, Packing, and Moving Guide Pt. 1.
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