Moving house is exciting, but it’s also stressful, especially if you don’t know where to begin. There’s a lot to do, including contacting utility companies, cleaning the house, hiring a removals firm, and packing all your belongings. How should you pack your home for moving without stressing yourself out too much?
Buy Packing Supplies
You’ll need a mix of boxes to pack up all your belongings. The boxes will need to be sturdy enough to survive the move. Plastic boxes are useful for fragile or valuable items. You can buy cardboard boxes online, or source them for free from local grocery stores. You’ll need a mixture of:
- Small boxes
- Medium boxes
- Large boxes
- Heavy-duty boxes
- Wardrobe boxes
- Mirror boxes/telescopic cardboard boxes for mirrors and artwork
Wardrobe boxes can be made by adding a metal rail to a tall box.
As well as your boxes, you’ll need:
- Packing tape
- Bubble wrap
- Styrofoam
- Old newspapers
- Stretch wrap
- Markers
- Plastic bags
- Labels
You can buy house moving kits online, or book a packing service to make things easier.
Start Well In Advance
The amount of time it takes to pack will depend on how many things you have. Start the packing process earlier than you think you need to. A large home can take two months to pack if you’re packing up a box every day. Smaller homes can take a month.
Start With Rooms And Items You Use Less Often
If you have a loft, this is a good place to start, then you can move your way towards the bottom floors. Seasonal items that you aren’t currently using, like garden tools, coats, or Christmas decorations are good examples of things you can get packed first before you tackle anything else. Sorting through things like this that are already packed will make it easier to set aside the boxes that you’re taking with you and the ones that you would like to donate or give away.
Declutter And Donate
If you have things that you don’t want to take with you, hold a garage sale or give unwanted items to charity. You could also sell things on eBay. If you have friends who have offered to help with the move, ask if there is anything that they need that you are planning to sell. If you know they’re expecting a baby, for example, gifting your old baby furniture is a great way to thank them for their help. The less stuff you have, the less you have to pack, which can save you money when the time comes to book a moving company like Allied Van Lines.
Make An Inventory List
These are helpful if you have a lot of things. For example, you could just write ‘books’ on a moving box, but if you have a large collection that is usually spread around the house, this won’t help you much. A more detailed inventory can be made on a spreadsheet on your phone, with print outs stuck to each box.
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