No matter if you’re packing to move house or packing belongings up for storage, being thorough and methodic with your packing is key to a hassle-free move. It only takes a little time for preparation and planning, along with a few of the right materials and techniques to ensure your possessions, and sanity, remain intact.
This blog will share with your our top tips on packing your belongings up for moving.
1. Be organised
By organising your things before you pack, you allow yourself the chance to get rid of clutter and the things you would only later bin when you get round to unpacking. This also means your packing will only be quicker and moving will be cheaper - less stuff means less to move. You could decide to group items by a category if you were packing to move your stuff into storage, or you could decide to organise by the rooms in which the boxes will be unpacked.
2. Get the right supplies
You need to make sure that when you’re packing, you pack using the correct supplies. You can’t throw all your belongings in bin bags into the back of a van and expect to unpack it in one piece. By taking the time and spending the money on the right packing materials, you will guarantee that everything will survive the move. We recommend you invest in some well-made, sturdy boxes and quality packing tape, along with some packing paper, or bubble wrap if you really need it, however, this is less environmentally friendly. A thick sharpie will also be a valuable asset to label those boxes clearly!
3. Clean before you pack
It may be the last thing you want to do on top of packing, but you will thank yourself for it in the future; if you are moving into a new home, the last thing you want to do is bring dust with you. Think about the crumbs at the bottom of your toaster…do you really want those spilling everywhere? The food particles on appliances and even on clothes, can attract unwanted pests and could even cause mold to grow in a moist environment.
4. Remember the little things as well as the big things
For safety reasons, we advise you not to pack anything explosive or flammable, including aerosols, paints, lighter fluid, or any perishable food, especially if you’re going to put them into storage. If you’re packing to move straight into a new home and find it necessary to pack these items, we recommend packing these items safely in a way that can be monitored during the moving process, ie. in your car, however, these need to be transported with the utmost care to save any disasters.
While focusing on the big things, it’s easy to forget the little things. Forgetting or misplacing your phone charger or your child’s favourite toy can be as catastrophic on moving day as spilling a full tub of paint.
Top tip: Keep any loose screws and hardware disassembled items in zip lock bags to save them from getting lost within a bigger box.
5. Label everything
As mentioned briefly previously, a thick permanent marker can be your most valuable buy. It can be so frustrating to have to rummage through multiple boxes to try and find what you’re looking for. We advise you to label each box with the room it going in and if you want to be extra organised, to make a key and a list of the contents of each box. Be sure to write on multiple sides of the boxes so you can see the labels when they’re packed and stacked in the van.
Now you’re ready to move, and you have all the tips of the trade to get your stuff to the next place in one piece. If you would like help with your packing, we offer a full removal service, including packing and unpacking, packing materials, and dis/reassembly. To enquire, contact us today.