When it comes to moving, planning is key. Thinking ahead is the best thing you can do when making moving arrangements and packing up your home. Organization should be your mantra, efficiency your goal.
If you are doing the packing yourself, you may feel like going to the grocery store or liquor store to pick up used, second hand boxes and old newspapers as cushioning. This approach may save you a few dollars, but in the long run, you end up paying for it in stress, time and broken items. Reusing a box is risky – you never know how much weight it’s already carried, or how well the structural integrity of the box will hold up. As for newspapers, the black ink can rub off and stain your items.
A better choice is purchasing moving boxes and packing paper from the professional moving company you’ve hired. The boxes come in uniform small, medium and large sizes, which are easy to stack in a moving truck or van.
While packing, be generous with whatever you are using to cushion your things, especially fragile items. People often cram too much in each box. This can backfire, as too many items with not enough cushioning may shift during transportation and damage each other. Packing too many heavy items into one moving box can also result in no one being able to pick it up, or worse, the box breaking from the weight. Common sense says heavier items should be packed in smaller boxes and vice versa.
Did we mention labeling?
When you pack the moving truck, remember to place the boxes you’ll need first when unpacking as the last boxes to be stowed away – and label accordingly with the contents and which room it goes into. Even better, if you are driving to your next residence, place things such as garbage bags, tissues and dish liquid in the car. You should also carry valuables such as jewellery, your laptop, important papers and the like separately from the bulk of your items.
Another way to apply common sense to packing is to look at each item with the thought, “Do I really need and use this?” The fewer things you move, the less your move will cost in terms of time and money.
If you are planning a move, we encourage you to follow these savvy packing tips for a stress-free moving day.
