Some people handle major moves with ease. In seemingly no time at all, these individuals can get their belongings packed up, transported to their new homes, unboxed, and put away. However, for others, moving is always an overly long-running event that includes sore backs, lost or damaged items, and months of sorting things and gradually putting them away. If you’re in the process of planning your next move and want to handle the entire effort with skill and finesse, these four packing hacks will get you started.
1. Pare Down Your Belongings and Get Help if You Need It
Getting rid of old, damaged items or anything that hasn’t been used in quite some time is easily the most effective strategy for simplifying and streamlining your moving efforts. This is also a great way to get a truly fresh start in your new home.
Begin by bagging up clothes that no one in the house fits or cares to wear. Grab old books that you don’t intend to read again, board games that haven’t been played in years, and magazines that are gathering dust. All of these things can be dropped off at a local thrift store, where they’ll be sold at affordable prices to benefit worthwhile charities. You also have the option of hosting a yard sale or a virtual garage sale to get rid of your unwanted goods. This is a quick way to make a few extra bucks to offset the costs of your move. In-person yard sales also give you an excellent opportunity to say goodbye to your neighbors.
Keep in mind that threadbare furnishings and furniture with loose legs and missing hardware could be even worse for the wear by the time they reach your destination. These are items that can be donated, given away for free, or simply recycled. If you’ve still got lots to move after everything has been pared down, and you live in Boston, consider hiring a Boston moving service to help you with the big stuff. Professional moving companies can assist you with everything from packing and labeling your boxes to delivering them directly to each destination room. Best of all, they’ll show up with the proper equipment for safely handling all of the heavy liftings.
2. Use Your Linens to Cushion Your Breakables
Rather than creating a separate box for linens, use your towels, pillowcases, tablecloths, and sheets to wrap your breakables. This will eliminate the need for packing peanuts and other buffers that may not benefit the environment. It will also limit your haul by minimizing the number of boxes that need to be transported. For especially fragile items, double linens up and then roll them tightly. Finally, make sure to mark boxes with breakables as fragile so that these aren’t roughly handled.
3. Label Each Box With the Name of Its Destination Room
When unpacking in a new home, few things are worse than having to open every single box to find an essential item. To avoid this, take the time to label each box with the name of its destination room. This will make it infinitely easier to find what you need without creating a jumbled mess of half-opened containers. If you have the time, you can even list a few of the main items in each box or number the boxes according to priority. This last step will allow you to do your unpacking in a swift, organized fashion so that your least-used items are saved for later.
4. Pack an Overnight Bag
Don’t overestimate your unpacking abilities. Even with diligent efforts to purge unwanted and unused items, strategic labeling of all boxes, and all the ambition in the world, it can still take several days or even weeks to get everything into your new home and in order. Packing an overnight bag will eliminate tons of stress by giving you quick access to everything you need to take care of your hygiene and get a good night’s sleep. With easy access to comfortable clothes and other essentials for getting your first morning in your new home started, you can keep your unpacking efforts on schedule.
Planning your next move doesn’t have to be intimidating. Moreover, you can get everything into your new home and exactly where you want it to be in record time. You can relocate like a pro rather than living out of boxes for months on end with the tips above.
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