Moving to a new home can be exciting. Not everyone gets the opportunity to start anew in another place. However, before you can start thinking about life in your future residence, you have to first clear out the stuff from your old one.
Many people dread the idea of packing in readiness for a move. It’s physically draining and involves weeks of planning. In fact, many home-owners don’t even know where to begin. Fortunately, it’s not as confusing as it looks. When packing items, you only need to remember two things: size and frequency of usage.
To further help you, read this list of items for your upcoming move. Packing them in order will make your move to your new home as stress-free as possible.
Storage boxes
Items in any storage container should be on the top of your list. They’re one of the easiest to pack as they’re already stored in boxes. Thus, you won’t need to package each individual thing. However, if you’ve stuffed items randomly in those containers, you may have to organise them first. Once you’ve done that, remember to label each box to easily find and unpack the things you need after you’ve arrived at your destination.
Don’t forget about your wardrobes, cabinets and chests of drawers. Even if you’ve emptied them, you must secure them properly to transport them to your new home. You’ll need ropes, bubble and plastic wrap and packing tape. As you’re preparing to move, you may already have these. If not, you could have a reliable moving company help you. Click here for more info on movers that’ll happily assist and provide tools and materials to pack and store your possessions efficiently.
Garage, basement and attic items
Next on your list should be the things from your least-used rooms. These would be your garage, basement and attic. You’ll find many items here that you probably rarely use; like camping gear, power tools and holiday decorations. So long as you won’t need to use them shortly after you move, you can pack them right after your storage boxes.
As many of these items are fragile, you must pack them carefully. Use as much bubble wrap and packing boxes as you need.
Out-of-season clothes and jewellery
If you’re moving to a new home in the spring or summer, you can pack your seasonal clothing like coats and sweaters in advance. On the other hand, store your summer outfits and beach wear instead if you’re moving during autumn or winter. You’re also unlikely to wear any expensive jewellery while preparing for the move. Therefore, you can store these accessories immediately and keep them safe.
As a precaution, leave out a fleece or jumper and a waterproof coat for each person. You never know when you’ll hit a cold or wet spell on the journey. It’s better to be prepared rather than packing every stitch of clothing and ending up shivering or drenched due to an unexpected turn in the weather.
Fine china
You may have already sent invitations to your new home to friends & family. Or perhaps you’re planning to invite your new neighbours for dinner after you’ve settled in. If that’s the case, you may want to bring out your best, fine china and cutlery. If this isn’t the case, it’s best that you pack your delicate crockery early.
When you arrive at your new place, you’ll spend the first few days arranging the furniture and doing some initial cosmetic touch-ups. Consider hosting your house-warming party a week or so after you’ve finished unpacking and fixing up the place.
Decorative accessories
Other everyday household items that can be packed in advance are decorative homewares. As many of them are small and often go unnoticed, you may forget to gather them. In addition, vases, framed photos and other knick-knacks can be fragile. Hence, they must be carefully packaged to avoid breakages en route. Wrapping them takes time, so it’s better to start them early.
One of the first moving-in activities you’ll likely do is to bring in your larger pieces of furniture. Therefore, it’s fine to keep your secondary decorative items in their boxes in the meantime. When the beds, wardrobes, sofa, tables & chairs etc are in place, that’s the time to unpack your decorative items and accessories.
Extra bedding and towels
Packing for a move can take days or even weeks. You’re probably not going to change the bed linen (especially in spare/guest rooms) or use that many towels prior to your big move. So, box up these surplus, bulky items well in advance to save yourself the task of doing it the day before you leave.
Photo albums and books
Photo albums are a must-bring to your new place. You may also have a sizeable book collection. They’re not everyday items, so pack these early and carefully to ensure you don’t forget any of them behind. You can store them in plastic storage containers or cardboard boxes. If you use the latter, line the inside and cover the outside with bubble wrap so the contents don’t accidentally get wet and damaged.
Games and toys
Game consoles and toys should be another one of the things to pack in advance. Many children have their own phones or tablets nowadays, so they have something else to keep them busy. Additionally, if you have young kids, leave out just a couple of their favourite toys to play with during the move; the rest you can pack away.
Setting up your cable TV and wi-fi connection will also take some time in your new place. TV aerial installation can be an option too if you had one in your previous place. Hence, you may want to hand-carry a few of your family’s favourite board games to have something fun to do together during your first few days after the move.
Kitchen appliances
Rarely-used kitchen appliances such as blenders, mixers and waffle makers can be packed up way before your fridge-freezer, microwave and stove. In addition, you can pack tablecloths, napkins and tableware reserved for special occasions early. Set aside your day-to-day kitchenware for now and box them up the day before your move.
Documents
Whether you work from home or not, you’re bound to have piles of important paperwork and essential documents. These include insurance certificates, utility bills, warranties and passports. Like your books, ensure that these files stay safe and dry throughout the moving process. Store them in box files, preferably waterproof ones or accordion folders. Meanwhile, keep documents like photo ID and cheque books within easy reach if they’re needed for change of address purposes.
Shoes and other clothing
Lastly, pack the clothing and accessories you wear most often. These may include comfy sweatshirts, tracksuit bottoms, socks, slippers and underwear. Sort them by type so that it’s easier to find the individual pieces you need once you’ve arrive in your new home.
Before moving to a new place, some people use the occasion to sort their clothes into those they’ll still use and those they won’t. While this is a great way to get rid of unused items, you may not have the spare time to do it at this point. Focus on packing everything first, then do your decluttering after the move.
Conclusion
Packing all your stuff for a move isn’t quick or easy, but it really shouldn’t stress you out. You’ll find the process much less complicated if you plan and pack your things in order of importance and necessity. If you’re still at a loss even after preparing in advance, coordinate with a reputable moving service. They help make your move to a new home more seamless and comfortable.
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