You’re moving. Maybe it’s across the country or just across town. No matter the distance, moving is stressful and time-consuming. Just knowing where to start can be pretty overwhelming. The best way to start packing your home is to start with the rooms you use the least, such as the attic or basement. You can also start with the most difficult room when you’re most energetic and fresh to tackle it. Don’t save it for last when you’re tired. You won’t do a very good job of packing then and make too many mistakes.
Where Do I Start?
The dining room is a good example with all those Knick knacks, fine China, table settings, and other stuff you only pull out once a year for a family holiday meal.
Another difficult area would be the kitchen. You’ve got appliances, gadgets, and utensils to name a few. You also need to decide what comes with you to your new home and what to donate or toss. Last, but not least, you have to decide what you need during those last few days or weeks, such as dishes and utensils for each household member, the coffee maker, basic necessities for preparing food, and so on.
If you have a garage, you may want to pack that up first. Unless you spend a lot of time working on your car, you probably don’t use this area much. You probably mostly store things you don’t have room for in the house. An attic or basement, if you have either, tends to become dumping grounds for things like Christmas ornaments or that artificial tree you bring out once a year.
The last rooms to pack, of course, are the bedroom and bathroom, the rooms you use the most. The last thing you want is to be without the things you need, like bath towels, toiletries, bed sheets, or clothing. Of course, it is a good idea to pack your out-of-season clothes and shoes. The less you have to pack on a moving day, the better.
What Do I Need?
Before you start packing your home, you will need the right supplies. The first and most important are boxes to hold all your stuff. Boxes come in all sizes, shapes, and strengths, depending on what is inside. You can order them online or purchase them from places like U-Haul, Office Depot, and Lowe’s. If you don’t want to spend the money, you can get some free boxes from grocery stores, Sam’s, or go on Facebook Marketplace and possibly find someone who is giving them away.
Tape is also important to have since you need it to seal the boxes and keep bubble wrap from coming undone. The wide packing tape is best for the job. A utility knife or box cutter is essential for cleaning and cutting the tape, boxes, and other materials. A permanent marker is needed to label the boxes for sorting and saving you the trouble of digging through each one to figure out which box goes where.
Bubble wrap and newspaper protect fragile and breakable belongings such as crystal stemware or dishes. You might even include extras like rope, zip ties, moving blankets, and bungee cords if you need them.