Move In Ready: Packing Tips for Moving

The Big Move

Moving from one home to another is a roller coaster of emotions! It’s exciting, it’s thrilling, and it’s a bit chaotic too. But when the excitement of finding a new place wears off, you can find yourself in panic mode. But there are ways you can prepare for a move. And I want you to use my experience to make your own move a lot smoother. I am an organized person by nature. I like lists, labels, and keeping track of where things are. It definitely came in handy to make my moves smoother. I’m going to share my favorite packing tips for moving to help save you from some headaches.

I have moved a couple of times now, the first being from my parents’ house to on my own. Between that first exciting move, there have been a few others including college moves, apartments, first house, and finally our current home. I’d like to say it gets easier, but moving is never an easy feat. You just learn as you go and become better prepared.

You also tend to accumulate more belongings to move as you get older too. That first move was so simple in retrospect. My clothes, my books and movies, a few trinkets, and my art supplies. Phew! I didn’t even have a car at the time to fill it, but if I did, it would have been one trip. The second move contained more belongings and college supplies. That was a car full. Moving back from college required a trailer as I owned some furniture. This last move to our new house involved a moving crew, a couple of trips with the delivery truck, as well as our own vehicles. I’ll also add that moving with a baby makes things more complicated too.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’ve been there. A few times and in various moving situations. So I’ve compiled a list of tips for packing to help you out!

Packing Tips 101

1. Label All The Things– Seriously, it’s so simple but it will save you a lot of time when you go to unpack. Label the boxes by room so they are sorted right away into their correct spot. Then list the items that are in the boxes. Even if you don’t get around to unpacking everything right away, you will at least be able to find things when you need them. No guessing games.
2. Pack Your Least Used Items First– The items that you don’t use day-to-day, or even on a weekly basis, are the ones you should pack first. Make sure your boxes are sturdy and label what is inside. Future You will love you for it when it comes time to unpack.
3. Pack Similar Items– I liked to organize my boxes by room and by-product. So my kitchen boxes would have my cookware together, my dishes together, my food together, etc.
4. Use Towels As Wrapping Paper– Use your towels to wrap up your most delicate items. They’ll have lots of cushion to protect them and it saves you from packing a box just with linens in it. May as well put them to use.
5. Wrapping Paper- I highly suggest purchasing actual moving wrapping paper or else plain rolls of brown paper. I use to use newspaper, but the ink will transfer onto your items, and may not come out. No fun. Some people may consider this a bit of a splurge item but I think it is well worth the investment to not have to wash and stain remove everything as you unpack. Time saved is money saved! You can buy packing paper from moving companies in your area, craft stores or business supply stores.
6. Blankets Between Furniture– Furniture often needs to be stacked in order to fit everything into the moving vans or trucks. Keep your blankets set aside to use on the big day. We used the blankets as a layer between stacked tables and chairs to protect them from rubbing and damage. We ended up with far less scratches and scuffs this way.
7. Use Garbage Bags for Hanging Clothes– This trick is pretty snazzy. Essentially you separate your hanging clothes into sections in your closet. Then you pull a garbage bag up around them while still hanging. Tie the garbage bag in a knot up by the hangers, and then lift all of the hangers off the closet rod together. You should then be able to move your clothes still on the hangers to their new closet. Then you hang them back up again, before removing the garbage bag.
8. Use Suitcases For Books– I know this one seems odd but hear me out. Books weigh a lot. They weigh a lot more than your clothes do. If you have a book collection or a movie collection that needs to go with you, put them in a rolling suitcase. They will be easier to move when you can roll them around instead.
9. Keep Essentials In An Overnight Bag– There are certain items that we use daily and can not live without. Moisturizer, toothbrush, phone chargers, a change of clothes; keep these items in an overnight bag so that you constantly know where they are. If the move takes a long time, then you at least have the basics with you to start fresh again the next day.
10. Don’t Wait To The Last Minute– Believe me, you don’t want to be rushing around the night before throwing all of your belongings into boxes and bags willy-nilly. Things will get broken, be misplaced, and the unpacking will be a nightmare. You’ll only be frustrated and overwhelmed if you don’t give yourself the proper time.

Happy Moving

So There you have it! These are the packing tips that helped to make my moving process go a whole lot smoother. And you’ll discover what works and doesn’t work for you too as you do a few moves yourself. I hope that this post helps get you set up for your big move, and eases the process for you! Stay calm and relaxed, you’ll be better able to handle the stress of the situation with your focus in the right place. And on that note, Happy Moving!