Every moving day has its glitches, and while it’s always better to go with the flow and assume everything will be fine, how you plan to move out has a significant impact on how smoothly everything goes when you move in. Here are a few tips for your most well-organized move yet.
1. Pack the products that aren’t used often initially.
Start by packing all of the goods you don’t use very often when you’re packing up your former location. Start with anything that isn’t already in storage bins or boxes in the attic and garage. (Even if they are, ensure sure they are properly labeled!) After that, move on to non-essential goods in your home, such as books, movies, and artwork.
2. Arrange packed boxes so that the least-used things are loaded last into the vehicle.
Before you move, make sure you have a place to put your packed boxes. If you have a garage, this is a natural choice. Because you packed the least-essential items first, these boxes will easily fall to the end of your stack, ensuring that they are loaded last into the moving truck—exactly how you want it. The boxes that were the last to be loaded onto the truck are placed at the bottom and back of the stacks in your new place, while more important products are stacked in front and on top of them. In this manner, you’re doing everything you can to keep the boxes containing the most important stuff the most accessible.
3. For each room in the new house, create color-coded labeling.
Most people assisting you with your relocation, whether professional or not, pay little attention to printed labels on boxes. Furthermore, the term “back bedroom” may be unfamiliar to them. However, if each room in the new location is clearly labeled with a color, and your boxes are all labeled with that color, the chances of your boxes ending up in the correct room rise dramatically.
4. Tell the movers to place the boxes in the room’s center.
According to Smart Move Utah LLC, avoid stacking boxes against walls, as this will make it more difficult to construct furniture that goes against the walls.
5. Store clothes in the drawers of the dresser.
There’s no reason to put your dresser clothing in cartons. Tape some packing paper or plastic wrap over the drawer to keep clothes from becoming filthy and to keep “unmentionables” out of sight. When the dresser is loaded into the moving truck, put the drawers in and then take them out when you get to your new location.
6. Label the top and two sides of the boxes.
Label the top of each box, as well as the short and long sides (with those colorful labels!). In this manner, everybody who picks up a box from any direction knows where it belongs.
7. As you pack, have donation and discard boxes on hand.
Even if you decluttered thoroughly before beginning to pack, you may be able to purge even more as you begin to fill boxes. You’ll probably just put it somewhere once you’re in your new location, but if you make rapid selections when packing, you might be able to reduce down your belongings even more than you already have.
8. Keep a separate list of screws and pieces for each piece of furniture that needs to be disassembled.
Put screws in Ziploc bags and label them clearly if you need to disassemble furniture. Put all of these bags in one specific box that you can get to as soon as you arrive at your new home because you’ll most likely start installing furniture right away.
9. Keep track of the contents of boxes and bins with a numbered spreadsheet.
If you’re going to be unpacking slowly (for example, because you’ll be working full-time as soon as your feet hit the ground or because you have a kid), you’ll need to be able to locate specific items quickly without having to rummage through multiple boxes. Label boxes with numbers as well, then create a spreadsheet that specifies the contents of each numbered box in this case.
10. Prepare an overnight bag for each family member.
Pack a suitcase for the night of your move-in. Toiletries and a change of clothes for each family member should be included, as well as other needs such as mobile phone chargers, medication, and even a favorite book or hobby.
11. Keep bedding in a convenient location so you can quickly make the beds on your first night in the new place.
Consider your sleeping arrangements for the first night or two at your new place, as well as the prior tip. Will the beds be made ready? Will you be sleeping solely on mattresses? What about air mattresses? Get the bedding, sleeping bags, and pillows you’ll need and store them somewhere easy to find so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.