Packing can either be someone’s forte or it can be somebody’s complete nightmare!
Depending on the current house you live in, the house you are moving into, and the amount of stuff that you have can all play a huge difference in how your packing process plays out.
Everybody has their own system for packing that works best for them, or maybe you don’t have a system at all. We have some tips and guidelines that we think will help in your master plan of moving, so you can manage to get everything done without becoming too overwhelmed.
Planning a Move Checklist
Let’s start with a moving checklist. Write down everything that you need to get down before your move. This could be from changing of address to buying packing materials or hiring a moving company (which should be at the top of your list).
Writing all your thoughts, plans, and necessities down is the best way to keep everything organized and in one place. That way nothing can be forgotten in the craziness of a move.
Purging is the First Step in Packing
Besides hiring movers, one of the top things that should be on your list is purging.
Go room by room and eliminate everything that you no longer need or want to take to your new house. This is crucial and will help make the whole packing/moving process significantly easier.
Purging also helps with having less stuff for you to move in the end. You can donate your unwanted belongings, or maybe even hold a garage sale before you move.
What Do You Pack First?
Now that you have a list and you have purged through your belongings, start packing up stuff that you won’t need while you still live in your current house.
Depending on the season and time of year, this could mean anything from outdoor gear to winter jackets or storage items that you might not need immediate access to. If you’re wondering what room to pack first when moving, a guest bedroom would be a great place to start.
You can even make a separate list of each room that you want to pack up in descending order of what you need most during the moving process so that it’s not tucked away in a box while you’re still waiting on your moving day to arrive. Start with excess closets and extra bedrooms and eliminate rooms one by one.
What to Pack Last for Moving
The kitchen will probably be at the bottom of this list as you still need silverware and dishes. You could start packing up your less-used kitchen items like miscellaneous appliances or fine dinnerware.
In the end (right before moving day) you really should only have the extreme necessities like toiletries, a couple changes of clothes, and enough things in the kitchen to get by!
Be sure to label your boxes properly so you know where the necessities are when you’re in your new place and starting to unpack.
Things You Need for Packing to Move
Depending on if you hire movers for your household move or not, you may have to start picking up your own packing materials. Boxes, moving pads, dollies, and packing bubbles are just a few of the things that you might need.
Check in with your moving company to see if they can help provide packing materials or services! This can help save time and effort when packing and let you focus on other details of your move.
Determining a Packing Timeline
Your packing process can be heavily weighted on when your new house is available to move in.
If you already have access to your new place, you can start taking loads over of the stuff with less priority and start filling in the new place. This can be especially helpful for things that are tricky to pack up like house plants or sports gear.
If you are literally moving door to door within a few days of each other this can complicate things, or if you are on an accelerated timeline due to a job or external circumstance, you’ll need to pack quickly. Everything is determined on the timeline and how much time you will have to pack up your belongings.
Overall packing can be one of the exciting parts of a move as you are moving into a new home and it will give you a chance to go through all your belongings. Unpacking gives you a chance to really think about how you want to organize your new space. By writing everything down, you will have everything in one place and it should make packing less stressful too!
Find a Mover That Offers Packing Services
Putting thought into your packing timeline before a move with really help smooth out the process. If you pack your belongings yourself, you can get everything ready for movers to pick up if you choose to hire professionals.
If you don’t have time to properly pack, you could look for a full-service moving company that offers packing and unpacking services! At the very least, you could get all the essential moving supplies from your movers.
Reach out to West Coast Moving— we’re a full-service company that can help make your moving process easier!