Because moving is often such a headache, most of us put off packing until the last minute. If you have a move coming up, you can eliminate much of the stress that comes with your transition by following these instructions. Who knows, if you prepare now, you might even have time to enjoy this next step in your life.
Collect Boxes
No matter how many boxes you have for your move, you’re going to need more. Besides asking friends and family for spare boxes, you can also visit local retailers and ask if they have any used boxes you can have. If you start early enough, you’ll build up a nice collection of large and small containers. By having a variety of choices, you can avoid common moving pitfalls like packing small boxes with heavy objects, over packing containers and running out of storage.
Read the Newspaper
You don’t have to actually read the newspaper, but at least buy it. If you have plenty of newspaper on hand to wrap breakable items, you won’t have to worry about movers breaking your valuables. Newspaper is also handy for packing into boxes that aren’t quite full because they keep your items from banging into each other.
Organize
Once you start packing, organize your boxes into groups. You might find it easiest to group by room, object type, season, weight, destination or any number of factors. By staying organized, you’ll not only save yourself time after the move, but also before the move, when you’ll inevitably need something that you already packed. When organizing containers, remember to put the heaviest boxes on the bottom of the stack and the items you’ll need first toward the front.
Document Everything
The reason most people get frustrated during their move is that they skip this step. If you think you’ll know where your TV remote is because you put it one of five boxes marked “electronics,” you are sadly mistaken. The best type of documentation for moving is a notepad with summaries of the objects in each box. On the outside of each box, we suggest assigning it a number and a category. That way, just by glancing at it, you’ll have a general idea of the types of items in it. If you are looking for a specific item, you can find that item in your notes, then match the number in your notepad with the number on the box.
Start Early
It is never too early to start organizing and packing for your move. By doing a little bit every day, you’ll cut down on mistakes caused by throwing everything together at the last second. Start cleaning and packing nonessential items months before the move if you can. If you don’t seal your containers until the last minute, you can still get to your packed items any time you need them, especially if you’ve taken careful notes and know exactly where everything is.
This article has been provided by The Lock Up, a national storage leader with self storage facilities across the country. Visit their website today to find a storage facility near you.
