It’s a task few consider often but a task that needs to be done in order for you to have a fine move. If you are moving house, you are going to need to pack your belongings at some time or another. How, is another matter? For many, it is just much easier to hire the professionals for packing. But this is not always an option for many people - particularly those who are on a strict budget. They have to pack on their own, minus help.
If you happen to be one of these people, here are some top tips on how you pack easily and efficiently.
1. Make a list
First and foremost, make a list of everything you intend to pack. You could categorise it by room rather than being overly specific. For instance, you could make a list of bathroom items, clothing, fragile items, bedroom items etc. It could be more generalized. As you pack per room, tick it off.
2. Have a tidy out
Clearout your items before you pack them. Many people make the mistake of moving with a lot of belongings and when they get to their new home, they discover they no longer need most of it. So it is a good idea to have a clearout prior to moving house so you don’t waste space. Do a good deed by donating to your local charity shop or recycling anything that is no longer of use to anybody.
3. Have plenty of packing materials
You are going to need much more than just boxes and bags. You are going to need wrapping materials like cardboard, newspaper, cellophane, bubble wrap. You are also going to need tape and labels. Before starting, ensure you have all of these on hand.
4. Bag up clothes
There is no need for you to box up your clothes. Instead, place them all together in airtight bags. That goes, in fact, for any materials like clothing such as curtains, bedding and that kind of stuff.
5. Pack from heavy to light
It might be obvious but don’t forget to pack from heavy items up to light items to save anything getting squashed.
6. Pack fragile items extra well
Fragile items could include anything like vases, mantelpiece decorations, glasses and things like that. Of course, you don’t want any of it to get damaged and to save this from happening, make sure they are packaged well. Wrap them separately with things like newspaper, bubble wrap, socks and then place them in a box and label it ‘fragile items’ so that anybody moving the box will know to be extra careful.
7. Try not to overfill boxes
You also want to try not to put too much stuff into one box. You may think it will save space and cost and so on, but it won’t. Honestly, it will cause more problems. If a box is filled to the brim and feels really heavy, there is a high chance it might break. Then all of your belongings will get damaged. Try to fill a box three quarters of the way. Then again, it does depend a great deal of the weight of the box too.
8. Label
Don’t forget to label every single box once each is taped up well. You don’t want to arrive at your new home with stacks unlabelled boxes. It will only pile on the pressure.
9. Use again
To cut costs in the future when you are moving house, keep your packing materials. You could use them again for a house move. A home move is much easier this way.
