Moving season is upon us. After working on several pack and unpack jobs this season, SOS has some tips to make your move a little more organized.
PURGE BEFORE YOU PACK
Let me say that again…purge before you pack. Why take the time to pack stuff you don’t use, wear or want anymore? Not only do you waste time and energy, you waste money paying for extra boxes and tape, moving it, unpacking it and then finding a space for it in your new home. Try This!! Before you begin packing, go through your entire home and rid yourself of the things you don’t want to take with you. You’ll be surprised at the pile you build for donation. And to think…you were going to pack all that stuff and move it?! 🙂
PACK ROOM BY ROOM
Intuitively, it makes sense to pack like items together…like books or decorative items. And you can still do that, but do it room by room. Mixing items together in the packing process causes headaches in the unpacking process. So avoid the temptation of stuffing a couple of things from one room into a box for a different room just to fill the empty space. That’s what newspaper is for.
LABEL, LABEL, LABEL
The morning after you move, you’re going to want your coffee. But in which of the 20 boxes labeled kitchen did you put the coffee maker? And what about the beans…and mugs? Label your boxes with the room name and then add content information. That way you can unpack with purpose by tackling the must-have items first, like coffee or cleaning supplies. It’s also helpful to label both the top and sides of your boxes (think stacked boxes where you can’t see the top).
Pack the items you’ll want first in clear plastic bins or in a suitcase. This goes hand-in-hand with labeling. Think toilet paper, sheets, trash bags, cleaning supplies, your phone charger, etc. Keep these bins separate from what’s being loaded onto the moving truck so you can get to must-have items quickly and easily.
PACK LIKE ITEMS TOGETHER
I recently unpacked someone whose glassware was in 8 different boxes. This person only had one set of drinking glasses, so why on earth weren’t they all packed in the same box? If you keep dishes, toiletries, bedding, etc., together and properly label your boxes, it will be much easier to find what you need.
Many times it’s okay to leave clothes in dresser drawers. You can use stretch wrap to protect the dresser and keep the drawers from sliding open in transit. For hanging clothes, I like to use wardrobe boxes. Yes, they’re a little bit more of an investment than a regular box, but it makes it so easy to pack since everything can stay on hangers…and that makes unpacking a breeze!
Use sandwich bags to keep hardware together. All the screws and parts for your wall-mounted TV? Put them in a sandwich bag and tape it to the back of the TV. You will thank me for this tip when it comes time to put your bedframe together. 🙂
AND HERE’S ONE UNPACKING TIP…
Unpack room by room. Flitting from one room to the next leaves you with half empty boxes all over your new home. Buckle down and focus on one room at a time. Kitchens take the longest and I like to start there. The feeling you get when you see one room completely finished will help you keep going until the next one’s done.