Tips for Packing to Move

Moving is never fun. The job of packing is almost as big a head ache as dealing with all the paperwork involved! I am proud to say I recently survived a move to another state. These tips helped me stay organized, pack efficiently and unpack without tearing through boxes looking for things!

#1. Don’t take with you anything you haven’t used in the last two years. If you haven’t used it in 2 years, odds are you never will. Rather than packing it and taking it with you get rid of it now!

#2. As soon as you know you are moving start packing! There’s no sense waiting til the last minute to get started. As soon as a move is officially in your future go through your home and start packing the things you know you won’t be needing until the move is over. Good starting points are the basement and attic.

#3. Carefully label each and every box with the new room name and a brief description of the contents. Most moving boxes have small sections pre-printed where you can check off the designated room the box is for. The last time I moved I found that trying to move boxes to see where the box underneath belonged was time consuming and frustrating. This time around I labeled the boxes in big bold letters on several different sides!

#4. Number each box and keep a notebook listing each box number and detailed contents info. When you need to find your cheese grater it’s much easier to look it up, see it’s in box #7 and then locate box #7 then to rip open every box labeled “Kitchen”.

#5. For those items you know you’ll need right away mark the boxes with a huge symbol like a star, check mark or asterik. At the new house pick a designated spot for these items and let the movers know that all boxes with your symbol are to go in that spot. This way instead of searching through a garage full of boxes for your coffee pot, you’ll be able to easily locate it in the designated pile.

#6. If you have small children – have the movers load the kid’s rooms into the moving truck LAST. This way these rooms are unloaded FIRST. While they are unloading the rest of your belongings you can be setting up the kid’s rooms and they will be ready to go to sleep in their new room the very first night.

#7. Don’t let the movers take the things you know you need right away – like your son’s favorite teddy bear. Move these items in your personal vehicle so they don’t get lost or mixed up with all your other belongings.

I hope you find at least a few of these tips helpful in your next move!