Packing your house

Where to begin

   

   The best place to begin is a plan, take stock of what you have and what you are going to move.  It's important to remember when you pack your own boxes and hire a mover, that unless the box is damaged the moving company is not responsible for any damage to the contents.  With that in mind you need to pack well otherwise you might not be happy with the outcome of your move!

• Lists, lists, and more lists.  Write a list of the items you are moving, items you are getting rid of or selling, and lists of what you'll need to get the job done. 
• Figure out how many boxes you'll need (check out the boxes widget on our site).  
• Gather all the right materials, tape, bubble wrap, paper pads, etc.
• Think honestly about what you use often in your home and things you never touch, you dont want to pack away things you'll need after it's already in a box.
• Make a plan as to what you are going to do with all your items that you are not going to move (tips for selling or donating your items soon!).

   It is best to start packing as early as possible, sure a pair of movers can pack a 2,000 sq. foot home in a day, but for most people a room a day is the average.  If you can start around a month or 2 in advance you should have enough of a head start that you never feel rushed during this hectic process.  When you start packing early you can literally pack yourself into a corner if you don't plan appropriately.  To prevent that, it's best to start in your storage areas and closets, packing up all the things you rarely use.  Items like holiday decorations, off-season clothes, etc.  This same concepts can even apply to your kitchen, leave only the dishes, utensils, and necessary pots and pans for your family (side note, this also makes for less dishes!).  Other ideas for where to start, under your beds, sheds, old files, books, kids toys, spare rooms, etc.  

   

   When you get close to moving day start packing everything, which brings us to the next part of this article...Packing your boxes.

Packing your boxes

   

   Now this might seem like a no brainer, and for the most part it is, but there are common problems you can avoid if you follow these steps.

• Never fold the flaps on your boxes, ALWAYS tape the top and bottom, using about 3 strips of tape each.  It never hurts tape the corners of your boxes for extra stability especially for you fragile boxes.
• Make sure your boxes are closed fully and as square as possible, this will make for an easy time packing the truck and will help prevent damage.
• Use small boxes for heavy items such as books, cd's, etc. and larger boxes for lighter items, like pillow, bedding, etc.
• Pack according to your destination.  If you have 2 kids sharing a room now but they each get there own room in the new home, seperate their items before packing.
• Label everything.  Make sure the labels are very visible, especially any boxes marked Fragile.  It can really help when you unpack if you know that box your looking at goes into John's bedroom dresser or which shelf those books belong on.
• When you pack a box make sure it is filled to the top, if not the box is likely to crush the second any weight gets put on top of it.  It helps to save some sheets, throw pillows, etc. so you can put them on top when you can't quite get the box filled.

   Packing is never fun, but if you follow these tips it should get rid of the headaches and also make your move a damage free one!!