Whether it’s your first time or you’re a pro, packing up all your belongings can be overwhelming. Here are some tips to help ease the stress of moving and help save money on packing supplies.
Get organized and start early – Purchase your packing supplies and start packing household items that are not needed for daily life. If it’s the middle of summer, it’s probably safe to pack winter clothes and holiday decorations. Staple packing supplies are boxes, bubble wrap, and plain paper. If you’re not using a moving company, you may also want to purchase stretch wrap for your furniture and bulky items. When wrapped tightly around an item, this plastic sheeting will keep dirt, water, and dust away from your furniture, bedding, and other large pieces. Starting early will also help you gauge how many boxes and other supplies you will need. Once you start packing, you will be amazed by the amount of stuff you really have, and you may need to make multiple trips to purchase additional supplies. Try to pack one room at a time. Not only will this make the process less overwhelming, but it will also prevent items from different rooms getting mixed up. Label everything! You can write directly on the box with a marker, but it can get confusing when all the boxes are stacked up and you can’t see the writing. One tip is to purchase different colored duct tape and assign a color to each room. This can be especially handy if you are using a moving company, but opt to do your own packing. Simply tell the movers which color goes where and then you won’t have them constantly asking “where do you want this box.”
Use what you have - It might be tempting to stuff all your clothes in a box and be done with it, but you will probably regret this once you start unpacking. Clothes in your dresser drawers can stay neatly folded in their drawers. Simply pull out the drawers and wrap them in stretch wrap. Since you have to move your luggage anyway, use it for belts, shoes, and other accessories. Using garbage bags might not work for every move, but if you can, place a cluster of your hanging clothes in a large trash bag, and tie the open end around the hangers. If your moving company will not allow this option, then purchasing wardrobe boxes might be a good alternative.
For your dishes, instead of buying expensive foam squares, buy a pack of foam plates. Not only are the foam plates less expensive, but you can eat off of them once you get to your new home! You can also use socks for your glasses and stemware to add extra padding and prevent breakage.
Moving doesn’t have to be painful. Get started early, keep organized, and enjoy your new home!
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