1. Make a Plan
Draw up a packing rota well in advance of moving day. While the concept of a “packing rota” might appear extreme to some people, I’m sure the super-organised colour coder in you is just dying to begin planning.
Decide which rooms you are going to pack up first and on which days. Plan to pack rooms you use the least often first. Proceed from there and start working up to rooms you use on a more regular basis in order to minimise household disruption.
One additional benefit of planning ahead is that it gives you time to get your friends involved. When you give people advance warning, they won’t be able to use last-minute excuses to avoid helping you pack.
2. Buy Supplies Today
To minimise stress during packing, you need to ensure you have all the supplies you need at hand. When you start packing, you won’t have to waste time hunting around for tape and scissors.
Here are some must-have supplies to stock up on:
- All different sizes of cardboard boxes
- An assortment of tape, including brown packing tape and sellotape
- Rolls of bubble wrap
- Stick on labels
- Permanent markers
- Scissors.
It would be a good idea to designate one room in your home to keep all packing material, tools and packed boxes in. That way, once boxes are packed, you have somewhere to put them and you can start to see your progress. You could even rent a storage unit to hold the packed boxes for you until moving day.
3. Start Decluttering
You should carry out a complete declutter of your home. Now is the time to start going through all your belongings and getting rid of items you never use. Sort items into different categories: ‘to sell’, ‘to donate’ and ‘to bin’. The good thing about decluttering is it means you have less to pack.
4. Rent a Storage Unit
Storage units aren’t just for providing with overflow storage space, they’re also great for keeping seasonal items, such as skiing gear, hiking equipment and Christmas decorations, out of the way until they are needed.
You can store just about anything you want in a storage unit!
If you are downsizing to a smaller property, hiring a storage unit might even be essential if you don’t want to part with any of your possessions. Check out Blue Box Storage in Hemel Hempstead.
5. Go to a Car Boot Sale
Instead of throwing unwanted items away, you can make some money from your clutter by selling it. There are many places to sell your items including car boot sales, eBay, Facebook, Craigslist, etc. Providing the sun is shining, a car boot sale is probably the fastest and most fun way to sell unwanted items as you don’t have to take any photos or write item descriptions.
6. Start Packing
Here are some essential packing tips and tricks:
- Select the right-sized boxes
- Don’t overstuff boxes
- Secure boxes well
- Remain organised
- Pack efficiently
- Use padding to protect fragile items.
7. Moving Day
When you complete your packing well in advance of moving day, you can breathe in a huge sigh of relief. You can then look forward to the day and start preparing for life in your new home. What’s more, booking a removal company will be a lot easier when you know exactly how much stuff you need transporting to your new property.