As moving day approaches, there’s no doubt that you will be pretty stressed. Everything you need to get done can quickly cause your nerves to get frazzled. Even though there may be no time to pack your home, it needs to get done.
If the thought of packing all your things into boxes and cartons has you feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry — we have some packing tips that will help get you organised and get work done faster.
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10 Essential Packing Tips for a Safe Move
1. Outsource Packing to Removalists
While there are times that you know you feel like you can take on the mammoth task of packing, sometimes, you can be at a loss about what to do. Streamline your moving process by outsourcing packing to professional removalists. Let the experienced removals team handle the packing and ensure your belongings are protected and efficiently prepared for relocation.
This is where the packing services offered by reliable and professional removalists in Melbourne come in. When you aren’t in a position to pack your belongings and have too much relocation work on your hands, it’s best to get the help of expert removalists. This way, you don’t have to carry the stress of relocation and can instead feel secure and confident that your items are safe for the move.
2. Gather Your Packing Supplies
One of the essential packing tips we can give is to ensure that you have enough boxes and other supplies on hand for the job. Packing requires a lot more items than most people realise.
Get several boxes, packing tape rolls, covers, and newspapers for stuffing boxes. Have enough protective materials such as bubble wrap and packing bubbles on hand to start the packing process. Also, you need plenty of markers to label your boxes as they get filled. The more protection you provide, the less likely your items will get damaged during the move.
It’s also helpful to have furniture sliders for hardwood floors and protective pads to keep furniture clean and scratch-free.
3. Find Boxes of All Sizes
You will need lots of tape and boxes for your move. Rather than heading out to the store the day before your move, gather all of the boxes you can find a week or more before you move. You never know what people may have lying around that they are willing to give you.
There are several different places where you can find free moving boxes. First and foremost, ask friends and family members who have recently moved. Also, check with your local grocery stores or liquor stores to see if they have any extra boxes you can use. You can also use large laundry baskets and trash cans as packing containers.
4. Be Organized
If you take the time to organise yourself when packing, it will save you time later on when unpacking and figuring out where everything is located in your new home.
If possible, start packing items that are not used very often first, so they are out of the way while still leaving things accessible that are needed daily. This way, you’ll have everything ready in time for the removalists.
5. Declutter Before you Start Packing
Moving provides the perfect opportunity to get rid of excess clutter and unwanted items before starting the packing process. Why pack what you don’t need? Some moving companies charge by weight, so this will help reduce costs as well as make your new home much neater and more organized.
Don’t waste time and money packing these items up and moving them to your new home. Instead, sort through everything you own and make three piles: things you want to move, things you want to donate, and things you want to discard.
If it’s irreparable or broken beyond repair, throw it out now. If it’s something that someone else could use, donate it or give it to a friend. If there are items worth money — such as old books or DVDs — sell them online instead of throwing them away. This will help reduce the number of boxes you’ll need while also making extra cash.
6. Make an Inventory List
Making an inventory list is a great way to track what you’ve packed and where everything is going. This will allow you to keep track of all your items as well as reduce the possibility of something getting lost or damaged during the relocation process. You can create an inventory list on a spreadsheet or even just write it out on paper — as long as it works for you!
7. Pack Room by Room
One of the essential things for packing is having an organised approach. Instead of just throwing everything into boxes, try sorting out your belongings by categories or rooms so that they are easier to find later on at your new place.
This way, you will know exactly where things are and where they should go when it’s time to unpack. On the other hand, if you pack things randomly, you might end up with all your kitchen supplies piled up in your bedroom or all your clothes mixed up with your bathroom items, which will only slow down the unpacking process.
8. Pack in an Orderly Fashion
The key is to pack each box with items from the same room and label it accordingly so that nothing gets lost or confused during the move. This will make unpacking easier because you’ll know exactly where everything belongs when you’re ready to unpack it later.
So make sure to go through room by room and shelf by shelf unless a portion of the home is complete.
9. Label Everything
It can be pretty hard to keep track of everything, especially if you are moving into a larger home. It’s important to know where everything is at all times and to make sure everything goes to the right place. This is where labelling helps a lot.
Not labelling your boxes will leave you with a big mess, so remember to label all of the boxes in your moving truck. When you have labelled boxes as ‘bedroom’, ‘kid’s room’ or ‘kitchen’, the removalists can easily place your stuff in the specific areas even when you’re not there to guide them. This helps keep everything organised when you unload your moving truck at your new home.
You can use a marker or label maker and write on the box itself, but special markers also use heat-sensitive ink and don’t come off until — perfect for rainy days.
10. Keep an Essentials Box Handy
When you’re packing up for your big move, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with all the things you must pack into boxes. As a result, you may forget some of the things you’ll need immediately when you arrive at your new place. That’s why it’s so important to set aside some key items that you’ll need right away and put them in a separate “essentials” box.
These are a few items you’ll want to keep close at hand even after you’ve packed up everything else. These include toiletries, medications and any other items — like snacks, toothbrushes, toilet paper, basic tools and cleaning supplies — you use daily. It will be much easier for you to grab these things and put them in a designated box than it would be to unpack them after the move.