Looking for Packing Tips? Check out These 20 Stress-free Move Hacks
I have moved from one home to another several times in my life. I have also shifted from one city to another three times in my life. Needless to say, I have gained expertise in packing for moving. This is why I consider myself a bit of a packing expert. I know moving from one home to another is not a fun chore. The biggest challenge is packing everything and getting it ready for the move. I completely understand the challenges that come along with a move. But if you efficiently and effectively pack your belongings, your move will be hassle-free and less stressful. I am pretty sure about this.
Packing Tips: 20 Secrets to a Stress-free Move
Based on my experience, I have prepared a collection of my 22 favorite tips for a stress-free move.
1. Declutter your home
Moving gives you an excellent opportunity to declutter your home. Do not pack everything that you have in your current house. It is most likely that you have some items that you do not use or do not want to use in the future. Think; what are the benefits of packing and moving these items? You may have some surplus items that can only increase the load of your move and your moving costs as well. It is always better to get rid of these surplus items. Similarly, you should sell the furniture that will not fit into your new home. You can donate surplus items, old furniture, or other items that you do not want to move. You can also sell them to earn some cash.
2. Gather the right moving and packing supplies in advance
Proper packing of household belongings for a move requires the appropriate packing supplies and boxes. Remember that the appropriate packing supplies and moving boxes make all the difference! Get the right-sized boxes as per your needs. Invest in padding supplies like bubble wrap and corrugated wrapping sheets. Packing tapes, box cutters, labeling stickers, and permanent markers are other supplies that you will need.
3. Use your suitcases for breakable and heavier items
A suitcase is one of the best containers that you can use to pack some of your favorite household items. If your suitcase has wheels, then you will find it easier to move from one place to another. So, take advantage and use your suitcases to pack your breakable and heavier items.
4. Hold a garage sale
You are likely to have several surplus items after downsizing your home for the move. To earn some money with surplus items, sell them. Hold a garage sale a week before. You can also sell them online.
5. Donate surplus items to a charitable organization
If you do not want to sell surplus items, donate them to a charitable organization. There are many NGOs and organizations that will accept old books, garments, and other items. Do this for a good cause.
6. Begin packing with Lesser-used Items
Correct packing of your goods is essential for a safe move. Start packing with lesser-used items, such as books, DVDs, collectibles, and off-season items. Do not try to pack entire household items in a single day. Do it in several days. Trust me, the process will be much easier.
7. Use towels, linens, and bedsheets to wrap Fragile Items
You must pack breakable items with the utmost care to avoid any damage to them in transit. To save money on expensive bubble wraps and professional padding supplies, use towels, bedsheets, and linens to wrap your breakable items.
8. Pack a suitcase
One of my favorite packing tips is packing a suitcase. Pack your suitcase as if you were all going on a week-long family trip. Make sure to pack the suitcase with essentials for each member of your family. Include items, such as clean clothes, towels, shoes, chargers, tissue papers, medicines, and whatever other items you may need after reaching your new place.
9. Pack an essential box for your kitchen
After reaching your new home, you will need to make arrangements for food. You will never enjoy checking all your boxes to find your kitchen essentials. Therefore, it is better to pack an essential box or your kitchen beforehand. Include items like plates, utensils, spoons, forks, and napkins. Also, include a coffee maker, a tea maker, and a toaster. You may probably need a cup of hot coffee or tea once you reach your new home.
10. Prepare and pack bathroom essentials
You will probably need a bath to revitalize yourself once you reach your new home. Your family members may feel the same. So, make sure to prepare and pack bathroom essentials beforehand. Prepare a separate box with bathroom essentials like toiletries, napkins, cleaning supplies, shampoos, toothbrushes, pastes, etc. You can also include a shower curtain and a few towels in that box.
11. Pack items by rooms in your new home
Some experts recommend that you should create a room-by-room packing plan. It is good. But my point of view is different. I recommend you pack items up according to your new home. How you want to unpack your belongings in your new house is more important than packing up things room-by-room in your current house. For example, if your current house has a room that functions as an entertainment room and a guest room, but your new house has two separate rooms for each function, you must pack entertainment items and guest room items in two separate boxes.
12. Color code each box
Labeling each box is imperative for easier unpacking. But it is not enough to simply write “Kitchen,” “Bedroom,” and “Bathroom” on the boxes and hope they will be placed in the right space in your new home. This can again be confusing at your new place. Apart from labeling your boxes with the appropriate tags, color code each box with each room. You can use pre-color-coded labeling stickers for this purpose. I am pretty sure that this will make unpacking super easy.
13. Label the sides of the boxes
Some people forget to label the sides of boxes. If you do not label the sides of the boxes, you cannot see the names of the boxes while they are stacked. This is why you must label all sides of the boxes so that you can quickly notice where the items belong. Of course, do not forget to use colorful labeling stickers on the sides.
14. Do not remove clothing from the closet; keep them on hangers
Some people remove every piece of clothing in the closet from their hangers and pack them in a separate wardrobe box. Although it is a great technique, it can be time-consuming. To save you time, I have an idea to share with you. Do not remove the clothing from the closet; keep them on hangers. Use a large plastic bag and use them to pack clothing while they are on hangers.
15. Manage all administrative tasks about a week before moving
Cancel subscriptions, set up utilities, change your address, notify your friends, and arrange cleaning services.
16. Consider professional packing service
Packing entire household items for a safe and secure move can be tricky. However, you can ensure the correct packing of your possessions by allowing professional packers and movers to do the same. If you have enough budget to hire professional packers and movers, trust me, the process of packing and moving will be much easier. This will also allow you to focus on getting into your new home rather than wasting your time packing your goods.
17. Unplug home appliances at least 24 hours before
Many people forget to do the same. But you must not. Your refrigerator or freezer needs time to defrost before getting moved to your new home. That’s not all. You will also need to pack and make it ready for your move. Do the same things for other home appliances that you have and want to move to your new place.
18. Take snaps of complicated setups and electronics
This is one of my favorite packing tips. You must do it before you pack home appliances and electronics. This will help you reinstall and reassemble appliances, furniture, and electronics at your new home.
19. Use plastic zippered bags to keep screws and loose components
During packing for your move, you also need to dismantle your furniture and uninstall your electronics and appliances. Needless to say, you will have several screws and loose components. You must keep them safe. Use plastic zippered bags to keep those loose components and screws. And of course, do not forget to clearly label the bag. To make your life easier, tape the individual bags to the items they belong to.
20. Tidy up your new house before you move in
You will never want to bring all your possessions into a messy, disorganized, and dirty house. Therefore, it is essential that you take your time and clean up your new house before you move in. This will also give you time to repair any damages or other problems that you may encounter. Trust me, after moving into a new neat and clean house, you will feel so much homelier!
Conclusion: 20 Packing Tips for a Smooth Move
Moving can be a stressful experience, but with the right packing tips, it can be a much smoother process. As this blog post has demonstrated, my favorite 20 packing tips for a stress-free move can help make the relocation experience easier. These tips include decluttering your home, gathering the right packing supplies and materials in advance, creating a detailed inventory list, labeling your boxes, carefully wrapping fragile items, and packing heavy items first. By following these packing tips, you can ensure that your move will be easier, more organized, and less stressful. With the right preparation, moving from one home to another can become an exciting, positive experience!
A copywriter, blogger, content strategist by profession, and an information junkie by heart. I have a penchant for reading, researching, writing, and anything related to creating persuasive content. For me, writing is something that ignites my creativity and helps in keeping me on cloud nine. I have been working in the content writing domain since 2006. Be it blogging or copywriting, I create better content that fuels conversations and skyrockets search traffic.
