There’s a lot to do when moving. Generally, you have to plan and prepare many things—documents, your family, yourself, your budget, and especially your belongings. Aside from the actual move, one of the most tedious tasks is preparing or packing things. It requires a lot of effort, time, energy, and even money.
What makes packing more tiresome is when it’s not planned correctly. You should be able to plan when to start, where to start, which tasks to prioritize, and more. In this guide, we will help you determine what to pack first and how to make your move smoother.
When Should You Start Packing to Move?
When planning for your move, you need to decide when to start packing. This way, you can add this task to your overall moving checklist and not miss out on anything. Most people base their decisions about when to start on how many things they own.
For example, if you have a two-bedroom apartment, you most likely have a lot of belongings. It would be best to allot more time and start packing earlier compared to if you have a one-bedroom apartment and fewer things.
For most people, the best time to start packing to move is six weeks before your move, especially if you have many things to bring. This is to ensure that you pack everything entirely and adequately. If you put it off, you’ll have to rush and will likely experience stress and problems.
What Should I Pack First When Moving?
You must consider certain factors or questions when deciding which things to prioritize in packing. These include:
- Are they used every day?
- What room should you start with?
- What are the packed belongings used for?
Here are the first things to pack when moving:
- Out-of-season or seasonal items – These include Christmas or Halloween decorations. Things you only use for a specific season should be packed first since you rarely use them. These can also include clothes you use in certain seasons only, like oversized coats, etc.
- Storage items – These are most likely to be packed or in boxes already since they’re in the storage section of your house. You don’t use them daily, so make sure they’re packed properly and ready for moving out.
- Records and books – They’re easy to organize in boxes since they come in uniform sizes, and you don’t use all of them daily as well.
- Belongings in the least-used rooms – Your belongings in these rooms aren’t needed frequently, so you can start with them as well.
What Supplies Do I Need to Pack?
Additionally, you need to ensure that you have all the essential packing materials you need to start packing. You would need:
- Boxes of different sizes – small, medium, and large – since different items come in various sizes.
- Bubble wrap to secure fragile items like those made of glass.
- Markers for labeling. The labels are used to organize everything quickly when you unpack in your new place.
- Packing papers that can fill empty spaces inside the boxes to avoid movement during handling and transport.
- Packing tape to seal shut your boxes properly.
What to Not Pack When Moving
There are some certain things you shouldn’t bring when you’re about to move. There are items you should exclude and discard. Here are examples of the things not to pack when moving:
- Flammables- These can be gasoline and paint. Dispose of them properly. If you don’t know how, you can ask people with sufficient knowledge on how to like firefighters.
- Perishables – These include vegetables, fruits, and frozen foods. Donate them to people who can consume them before you move.
- Valuables – Don’t include your money, jewelry, essential documents, and such. Please ensure that you have them during transport or you’ve moved them to a safe deposit box near your new place.
- Medications – These are essentials that you must have with you in case of dire need.
Complete Checklist of Things You Need to Pack for the Move
To summarize everything into a more compact checklist, here’s a packing checklist for moving you can follow:
- Clothes – Pack those that are out of season and not the ones you regularly use every day.
- Toiletries – These include soap, shampoos, washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels.
- Enough kitchen supplies – Pack enough utensils, plates, and cups to use in your new place. This also includes cookware like pans and such.
- Personal items – These can include your books, items in your bedroom like pens, albums, holders, pieces of jewelry, and documents, and other things too crucial for you to leave behind or throw away.
- Bedroom supplies – Pack your pillows, sheets, and blankets. Although you don’t need to put your mattress in a box, you also need to prepare it for your move.
- Furniture – Surely, you’re going to bring major furniture like cabinets, drawers, tables, wardrobes, etc. For large ones, make sure you disassemble them first for easier handling.
- Appliances and gadgets – Properly put your appliances in boxes of their size. Pack fans, vacuums, desktops, etc.
- Electronic equipment – Safely pack xerox machines, printers, and other types of machines you own that you can’t leave behind or dispose of.
Reach Out to Us
If you don’t have time and energy for packing to move, you can always request help from Flash Moving. We can do the job on your behalf – and at an affordable price. We have professional and experienced people in this area; each one knows how to pack different kinds of items correctly. Moreover, they’re equipped with the best tools and materials to secure that your belongings are kept undamaged during loading and transport.
The safety of your belongings is essential to us. Contact us now and get the appropriate quotes for your needs.
