packing for your move

Packing For Your Move: 14 Tips To Help You Pack Like A Pro

14 tips to help you pack like a pro

While moving itself is not cake walk, one of the most strenuous parts is packing for your move. Packing can take up a lot of time and energy as you prepare things to be ready for moving day. While we have covered a number of specific rooms around the home in previous blog posts, we wanted to share 14 general packing tips that could help you as you begin packing for your move.

Before you begin packing for your move, here are 14 things that you should consider:

Plan ahead

While you may find yourself in a situation where you need to move on short notice, the more time that you give yourself to prepare to begin packing for your move, the better. Often people want to begin the packing process weeks in advance, but once they do a walk through of their home, they are overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done, so they don’t start. This just adds to the stress closer to move day. The more that you can plan ahead the less stress you incur, and you also make sure that come move day, everything is packed up and ready to go

Make sure that you have good boxes

This cannot be over emphasized! While eBay, Craigslist or Facebook community groups can be a way to get free boxes, make sure before packing for your move, that the boxes you’re using are sturdy! The last thing you want is to have the box disintegrate in your hands. If you don’t have access to good boxes you can either talk to your sales representative about getting boxes, or go to your local hardware store. They will typically carry a selection of various sized moving boxes.

Have the right packing materials on hand

While you may not think about it, not having the right packing materials on hand can cost you as you begin packing for your move! For example, move day is coming up, and you need to finish 4 rooms. You feel the pressure mounting to get going. You have run out of packing paper, so you start using T-shirts and in some boxes, you figure “everything will be fine, I just need to get this done.” In your haste, you used news print to cover your white lamp shade. Fast forward a couple of days, and now you’re pulling out a smudged lamp shade. Not a pretty picture. Not having the right materials on hand can cause you to make concessions and do things that you normally wouldn’t do. Take the time to get everything together before packing for your move.

Label your cartons

As we shared in a previous blog post, make sure that you label your cartons. Loading a truck is like a game of Tetris. Cartons are shifted and positioned into voids in the load to help tighten up the load, and minimize shifting during transportation. By marking boxes, and letting your movers know what’s in the box, it will give them a better idea of where to put the box. For example, a box of tools may not be as fragile as a box with a lampshade in it, and will be more sturdy to put at the bottom of the load. Labeling will not only help your crew, but it will also help you as you unpack. You’ll know what’s in a box, what needs to get unpacked, and what doesn’t.

Pack room by room

Packing for your move can take a long time when you jump from room to room. This will not only elongate the packing process, but can also leave you feeling frustrated, and like you haven’t accomplished much, as you kill your momentum. Packing room by room can not only give you a sense of fulfillment, but can allow you to build momentum as you work towards getting everything packed up.

Organize a room before you pack

Before you begin packing for your move, and moving room by room, take a little bit of time to work through everything in the room. While it may be easier to just dump all the papers on your desk into a box, not only will it leave you with more boxes at the destination end to go through, but you will need to find a home for all the clutter. The more hard work that you do at the origin end, the easier moving into and unpacking your new home will be. Also, most moves are calculated based on the amount of weight being moved. The more clutter that you’re able to get rid of, the more you can help lower your overall moving costs.

Start with lesser used rooms

As you begin packing for your move, It can be beneficial to start in rooms that are less frequented. For instance, starting to pack your master bedroom may not be a great idea as you’ll need items from your room for everyday use until your move. Starting in rooms that are less frequented lowers the chances that you’ll pack up things that you need, and it allows you to get work done without getting in the way of everyday living. Of course as you get closer to move day, you’ll need to tackle bedrooms and kitchens, but starting in lesser frequented rooms can help you build momentum as you pack, and will allow you to start packing earlier which can lower stress.

Keep boxes to a 50 lb maximum

As you begin packing for your move, it is important to not to exceed 50 lbs per carton. While you can fit more things into a large box, that doesn’t mean that you should. Not only can it cause injuries to those carrying it, but it can also cause damage to the contents of the box, should someone lose control of the box while carrying it. Heavier items should be put into smaller boxes which are easier to carry and handle. The heavier the item, the smaller the box it should be in.

Pack Cartons 102% full

When you’re packing for your move, make sure that you pack cartons 102% full. When cartons are packed full, it tightens the contents of the box up, and keeps the items within from shifting or moving during transportation. This helps prevent damage to the items inside the carton, and makes it easier to load, as cartons won’t crush and crumble during transportation. Cartons that are 95 or even 99% full have soft tops which can crush, and that can cause problems as loads can shift as the truck drives down the highway. The fuller the carton, the less the chance of damage during transportation.

Have Ziploc bags on hand

Anyone packing and moving a home whether that be an apartment has a junk drawer. That drawer is usually full of small nick-knacks like phone chargers, tooth picks and other small items. While these items can be put into packing paper, it can be easy for them to get lost during unpacking. Having Ziploc bags can help with keeping small items together.

Know what you can and cannot pack

It is important that as you begin packing for your move, you know what your movers can and cannot take. While most household items are fine to move, there are items that your movers legally aren’t allowed to bring with them on the truck. Make sure that you know what they are!

Anything that can fit in a box should be in a box

As you begin packing for your move, make sure that smaller items that can fit into a box are packed in a box. Things that would fall under this category would be things like table lamps, small foot stools, newspaper racks, and even smaller boxes. Not only does this cut down on the amount of trips that your movers will need to make to the truck, it is also the safer way to transport smaller items. Remember, if it can fit into a box, put it into a box!

Make a set up carton

Make sure that as you begin packing for your move, you make a set up carton. Set up cartons are cartons that are used for items that require set up at your new home. Some typical items that may be included in a set up box would be things such as, screws for beds, or hardware for anything taken apart, TV remotes, dowels from bookcases etc. Set up cartons allow you to keep small items organized and together to make moving in and getting set up easier.

Take personal items with you

As you begin packing for your move, make sure to take any personal items like passports, financial paperwork, jewelry etc. with you. The reason for this is the same as that listed in tip 10. These items are small and can get easily lost during your unpack. It doesn’t take much to lose small items in packing paper, so it’s just easier if you take these thing with you.

While this list of items can seem like a lot, these are simple tips to help ensure that your goods are ready for moving day, and ensure a successful pack. We cannot re-iterate step 1 enough, as you begin packing for your move, give yourself as much time as you can. The more time you have, the more that you’re able to systematically work through your home. Leaving things to the last minute can cause un-needed stress and can cause you to make mistakes packing because you were in a rush. The more time you’re able to give yourself, the better!

If you need help with your packing needs make sure to give Quick Transfer a call. Whether you need help with all your packing or just a few items, talk to our experienced sales team to find out how we can tailor a moving plan specifically for you. Whether you’re moving locally, moving across the country, or moving across the globe, our experienced team can help you get where you need to get quickly and efficiently. Make sure you give us a call today to experience the Quick Transfer difference!