When it comes time to move, especially if it’s a big move or you’re on a very tight moving schedule, it can be tempting to just run around your home cramming everything you own into any box you can find. However, taking the time to do a bit of planning now will save you a lot of stress in the long run, and that means taking the time to pack the right way.
Clear stuff out
Whether you donate your stuff to a local charity, throw a garage sale in your driveway, or just give stuff away to friends, now is the time to get rid of stuff you either don’t want or no longer use. If it’s not useful to you any more, there’s no need to haul it to the new place.
Label everything
Yes, you may think that you’ll remember that the picture frames are in the hard shell storage container, and the clothes are in the cardboard box with the weird dents, but you won’t. And what about if you hire movers? How are they going to know where to place those boxes? Label everything. Even though you see this as just one more step right now, it will save you tons of extra little steps in the long run.
Hire movers
By the time you rent a truck big enough to hold all your belongings, buy your friends pizza and beer for helping on moving day, hiring babysitters, and all those other expenses that add up, you’ll find you would have saved yourself some money by just hiring movers. If you want to do it on the cheap, don’t hire them to pack your things – just to come in and take the boxes away, and then put them exactly where you want in your new home.
Don’t pack all the boxes
Yes, pack everything you own; but also keep some additional boxes for all that last minute stuff you find. Whether it’s your blow dryer in the bathroom, those last few packing supplies you used, or just your coffee maker, there will be a few things you need to grab on your last time out that door. Make sure you have somewhere to put them when you do.
