Packing Survival Guide

• By: moving.biz Staff
• Date Posted: December 10, 2017
• Category: Boxes & Packing

Packing an entire household and moving to a new residence can be a challenging undertaking even under ideal circumstances. A few packing tips can provide the insight needed to streamline the process and ensure a smoother, more convenient and more successful move. The following tips and ideas should all be considered carefully by those who are planning an upcoming move.

Getting an Early Start

The amount of time and effort needed to organize and pack even a small household can often come as a surprise. Getting an early start on the process is one the single most important and effective ways to reduce stress, avoid problems and ensure a move goes smoothly. Breaking the job into smaller parts and planning to have specific rooms and areas packed by a specific timeline can make quite a difference. Waiting until the last minute to get started may create a great deal of problems and issues that stem from disorganization.

Making a List to Track Inventory and Belongings

Having a master list of every box and a breakdown of all items is often a wise move. Being able to mark, track and record information pertaining to all possessions and household belongings ensures that important items can be located more quickly and easily when it comes time to unpack. Failing to create and maintain an inventory or list could increase the risk that something important may be left behind.

Label Boxes Accurately

Creating a more detailed packing label for all boxes makes it much simpler to find key items after the move is over. Simply labeling a box with the name of a room can lead to no end of problems and issues. Having a detailed breakdown of contents on all boxes will make unpacking a snap.

Getting Rid of Unwanted Possessions

Reducing the number of household items that must be packed can greatly simplify the process. Donating unwanted clothing, furnishing and other items ahead of a move can greatly lighten the load and holding a yard or garage sale can provide a little extra money that can be used during the move. Lightening the load ensures that packing and moving may be done with minimal time, effort and expense.

Know Which Items to Avoid Packing

The decision to avoid packing important paperwork, financial information and even specific valuables such as jewelry and artwork can offer many benefits. Mislaying or misplacing documents can lead to no end of problems, and financial or identity information that may be lost during a move could quickly become a major issue. Keeping high-dollar valuables close at hand also ensures that they are less likely to be damaged, lost or even stolen during the move.

Off-site Storage

A rented storage unit can be a tremendous asset during a move. Storage space can often be found at fraction of the cost of interior square footage and will ensure that interior environments can be more fully utilized. Access to a storage unit also makes it possible to move stored items from a garage or attic off-site days or even weeks before a move is scheduled to take place.