Moving from one place to another can be woeful, particularly when it comes to the packing and unpacking involved. While the rest of the job is usually taken care of by professional help, this is the part you can do on your own to save your money. When you hire a moving company to help in relocation, they usually give you the option to avail packing services or to do yourself. The latter works for those who want to economize their move, but there are a lot of challenges involved.
However, you can get smart with your packing by following a few simple tips:
1.Have the right packing material handy
The first thing in your moving to-do list is to procure the right kind of packing material and also to make sure that you have plenty of it. Newspapers are good if you want to save money but it may end up staining your stuff. So invest in some packing paper instead. The other things you need are bubble wrap, packing tape, and colored marker pens. Estimate the quantities of each item you would need and buy enough of it so that you even have some extra to avoid last-minute hassles.
2.Get sturdy multi-sized packing boxes
The next thing on your list are boxes of varying sizes, but all sturdy enough to keep your stuff safe. You may use old boxes but these have to be strong, free of holes, and in good shape. In case, you do not find old ones that are good enough, it is better to buy new packing boxes rather than risk the safety of your stuff.
3.Sort out your stuff
Before you start packing, sort out the entire things and discard the things that you have not been using for some time or you might not use in the future. After all, you would not want to carry clutter to your new home or office. Once the items are sorted, you can have a list ready. It could be a list you have penned down or a smarter one that you can get on a moving checklist app.
4.Clean everything before you start packing
Get all the stuff on your checklist at one place and make sure that every single item is clean. Packing dusty and dirty things is a bad idea as it means more work when you reach the new place.
5.Pack your essentials in a separate bag
Have all your essentials in a separate bag so that you do not have to hunt through the entire boxes to find them. These include some clothing, medicines, cell phone chargers, toothpaste and toothbrush, soap, shampoo, towels, etc. A few days supply would be good as you cannot expect to unpack as soon as you reach.
6.Work on the last-out-first-in basis
When you start packing things, do it on a last-out-first-in basis. The things that you will need right on the last day at the old house and the first day at the new house include toilet paper, cleaning supplies, some utensils, and bed sheets. These should be the last ones to be packed and first ones to be opened at the new place.
7.Pack things in an organized way
Segregate the items on the basis of their size, nature, and usage. Fragile things should all be covered with bubble wrap and packed separately. Similarly, sturdier items need less care as compared to delicate ones.
8.Label each box you pack
The next important tip is to label each box you pack so that you can easily identify them. This makes it easy to organize your stuff at the new place as well as facilitate transport as you can make out the delicate items easily and move them with care. Labelling can be done using colored markers or moving box labels.
9.Color code boxes and rooms
Another good idea for organizing your things in a better way is to color code the boxes according to the rooms. For instance, all bathroom items can be packed in blue, kitchen items in green, living room items in red, and bedroom items in pink. You can use colored markers for color coding. Unpacking at your new place becomes super easy as you can open boxes and have things organized room-wise.
10.Keep important papers at hand
Whether you are packing your stuff on your own are planning to avail relocation service for the same, make sure that you have all the important papers with you rather than packed in some box. Finding them fast can be a big challenge if they are stashed away in one of the packed boxes.
Using these handy packing tips will simplify your move and also help you in saving a lot of money. Make sure that you do so and have a smooth, hassle-free move to a new home or office.