Moving? Do These Things to Pack Quickly and Efficiently!

By Mark Spain Real Estate

Packing can be the most overwhelming part of the moving process and it can determine whether the transition to your new home will be smooth or not. We all dread this tiresome task when we relocate, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be painful and troublesome. If you follow some simple steps, you can save yourself from a lot of trouble, and enjoy your new home without any worries, saving time and money. Mark Spain Real Estate has complied some helpful tips on how to pack quickly and efficiently:

I. PREPACKING

The first thing to do to make packing easier is to organize your belongings. Sort out each and every thing that you own into three categories: ‘Keep’, ‘Donate’ and ‘Sell’.

“Keep” only the things that you actually need, use and want. Make a list of all these things, and sort them further into ‘Light’, ‘Heavy’ and ‘Fragile’ items. If you have enough belongings in the ‘Sell’ category, maybe you can have a garage sale to earn money to put towards moving expenses. For the ‘Donate’ category, gather all the things and find an appropriate place to drop the items off. You might even be able to call one of the charities to pick up the donated items directly from your house. It would be helpful to ensure that each family member does this for each of the rooms in your house.

You might also have long-forgotten belongings of your friends or relatives lying idle in your house. Make sure you return them before moving. If there are other things that don’t fit into any of these categories and are just worthy of being tossed, don’t hesitate to do so! Remember, the fewer things to pack, the easier the process. Also, be cautious when discarding trash with sharp edges or hazardous materials, like paint and pesticides.

II. WHAT YOU NEED

Acquire the packing material you will need:

1. a)   Moving boxes. Select the appropriate sizes according to the contents of your ‘Light’, ‘Heavy’ and ‘Fragile’ items lists. You could get used ones from friends too (pay it forward if the boxes are still in good shape)
2. b)   Packaging Tape
3. c)   Packing Paper (or unprinted newspaper)
4. d) Foam Packing Sheets (for layering in between dishes and other kitchenware)
5. e)   Furniture blankets for wrapping large pieces of furniture
6. f)     Permanent Markers
7. g)   Scissors

III. THE PROCESS

Even if you are an eternal optimist with super hero type packing skills, it will still take longer than you anticipate. It is ideal to start at least two to three weeks before the moving day. However, the most legendary packers have managed it in less time too!

a) Start with the least used items

Get rid of the ‘Where to begin?!’ anxiety by simply starting the packing process with the items that you use the least. These could be your fancy china, book collection, out of season clothing items, luxury items, souvenirs, etc.

b) Have a packing room

This could be an empty room or corner anywhere in your house which could be turned into a packing station. Store all the packing materials here and keep pushing the process forward in this area. Having a separate space would keep the other areas of your house mess-free and you will always know where to find your packing supplies.

c) Pack smartly

Clearly mark the boxes that would be needed first in your new home, so that you could unpack without wasting time in looking for the correct boxes. The last boxes on the truck will be the first ones in the house. Pack all the things that you would need from the first day – such as toiletries, clothes, medicine, baby/pet essentials etc. – in an easy-to-access box or bag. Now you can pack the other things according to their destinations, such as ‘Bathroom’, ‘Kitchen’, and so on.

Also, put the light-weight things in the bigger boxes and the heavier things in the smaller ones as it is safer this way (too much weight concentrated in the bigger boxes leads to them getting broken). You should also label each box with its contents and destinations on two sides. One more smart thing to do would be to ‘not pack air,’ reduce load shift and save usable truck space, meaning that you should fill in any available space within your bigger items with your smaller, non-fragile items. For instance, pack your linens and bedsheets in dressers, chests and drawers and fill in your empty suitcases.

With some items, you can skip the packing process altogether. For example, you could load your clothes which are on hangers in your car and take them as they are. In your new home, you can just take them out of the car and hang them directly in the closet. Some items like heavy furniture or large appliances may need special preparation, for which you can hire professional help. Take advantage of these easy items when moving!

d) Specific needs

You might have family members with belongings that need specific attention. For example, you might have a wheelchair-bound family member, or a baby, or maybe a pet. Cater to the needs of such a person or your pet separately so that there are fewer mix-up of things later. Pack their belongings together and apart from other items when moving.

If you are moving with plants, you might want to go through the National Plant Board’s website to ensure that you comply with the state regulations regarding plant transportation.

You can look for more tips and tricks on the internet and ask your friends and family for suggestions, too. 

 

Ready to sell or buy a new home and start packing? Contact us today and get started with the moving process!

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Mark Spain Real Estate is grateful to serve all of Metro Atlanta and Athens in Georgia, Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina, Orlando and Tampa in Florida, and Nashville in Tennessee!