Advice From the Experts on How to Pack Efficiently
You can choose to have our Up N Go Moving crew pack your home, or you can choose to do it yourself. Whichever option you decide on, you should take some important steps to make the process go as quickly and smoothly as possible. This can save you time and headaches when moving day arrives.
If you decide to pack yourself, you need to know your timeline based on the size of your home. Give yourself at least two weeks to pack for smaller homes like apartments. Larger homes should be packed over at least one month. Also, remember to stop buying groceries at least one week before your moving day so you don’t have to move a surplus of food or throw it out.
What to Accomplish Before Moving Day
- Outline a packing schedule. Make a list of every room in the house and plan which rooms will be cleared on which days. This will help to keep you on schedule and give you an idea of how much time you’ll need to be ready on your moving day.
- Declutter your house. One of the first things you should do for each room is declutter. Go through everything in the room and throw out or donate anything you don’t intend to keep. Doing this for every room will significantly lower the volume of your house items, saving you space and money—plus, it’s less to unpack when you get to your next home!
- Organize your items. While you’re destashing, organize everything that needs to be packed as much as possible. Whether you have us pack for you or decide to pack yourself, organizing your items will make the actual packing process much more efficient.
- Set aside necessities. Anything you need to access quickly on moving day should be set aside. This includes phone chargers, toiletries, clothes, and bedding items like pillows and blankets.
Avoid Unpacking Problems with These Four Tips
If you want to avoid any packing problems, remember these four tips that help you avoid broken belongings, mess, and disorganization.
- Set aside sensitive items. Documents and valuables should be set aside and considered carefully—decide beforehand where to pack them to give yourself peace of mind and ensure their safety.
- Obtain custom crates early. If any of your items need a custom crate, ensure you get your hands on what you need ahead of your moving day.
- Do not overfill your boxes. Overfilled boxes are prone to becoming damaged, opening in transit, and spilling their contents. This can be a significant pain when working efficiently, so it’s best to avoid this.
- Label every box. However you do, it is up to you, but make sure every box is labeled. It’s best to mark the room where the items came from and which items are inside and mark any boxes with fragile items inside.
Our Comprehensive Packing Preparation Guide
Gather Up All Packing Supplies
First, gather up all supplies. This includes sticky labels, markers, and colored stickers to help organize and label boxes. Estimate how many boxes you may need per room. At Up N Go Moving, we provide packing supply bundles designed to give you all the supplies you need to match the size of your home. You can also rent reusable eco-friendly plastic bins that help you avoid mountains of cardboard trash.
Create Room Inventories
Go room by room to inventory your items and where they belong in your new home. Take reference photos for electrical items so you can reconnect wires with ease. Then, start packing items from least vital to most-used items. Tape boxes at the base first, along the seal, and across the middle of the seal.
Always place heavier items at the bottoms of boxes, and consider using towels to buffer fragile items. You may also add extra padding to the tops of boxes that aren’t entirely full to ensure the box is sealed and can stack without collapsing.
Stack and Organize Boxes for Moving Day
Stack your room boxes together to keep them organized for the move. Put heavy boxes on the bottom. Try stacking them like bricks, each overlapping with another, rather than stacking them like wooden blocks.
Unpack In Your New Home
Your movers will help you place each box in its appropriate room. Create a common area for non-specific items. Unpack the essentials first, focusing on plugging in appliances, unpacking the kitchen, and cleaning the surfaces you need.
Next, unpack the bedrooms and essential linens. Follow that with bathroom towels and toiletries, and keep going to clean your home before unpacking items like clothes. Deal with utility rooms last, and break down boxes in real time to clear space as you go.
