8 Packing Tips for Moving into a New Home

No one enjoys packing up their personal belongings and transferring them from one location to another. However, if you’re planning a move from one home to another, you can make the process less complicated by following a few tried-and-true tips and techniques.

Only Take Items You Will Use

Right off the bat, it’s important for you to use your move as an opportunity to declutter. As you prepare items to pack, ask yourself some serious questions.

Will you use the item again? Has it stayed in a box since your last move? You can always try to sell belongings or donate them if they’re in usable shape. Alternately, chose to throw out what you will never miss. This includes old documents, which can be shredded for your protection.

Plan to Move Fragile Items Yourself

Have some treasures that are highly likely to break with just a little jostling? You’ll probably feel better if you simply move them yourself. This goes for large and small items, such as big mirrors and china trinkets. Of course, you should still pack them carefully into your vehicle and make certain they won’t jostle around from Point A to Point B.

Hire a Babysitter for Young Children

Young kids have a way of pulling items out of moving boxes and driving parents crazy during packing. Instead of starting a war during a stressful-enough period of your life, get a babysitter to watch children younger than about age seven. Not only will they be happier, but you’ll also have more peace while packing up.

Get the Right Boxes for the Job

All boxes are not created equal. You should have different-sized ones on hand to accommodate the variety of items you plan to move. For instance, smaller boxes are great for transporting books because it’s tough to overpack them. Larger boxes are better suited for lighter objects like toys, linens and more.

Be careful when you accept boxes from certain stores, though. Some boxes may be free for the taking but could carry critters in them. Insects adore cardboard, so be cautious when asking your local grocery for leftovers.

Use Suitcases to the Hilt

Why should you move empty suitcases? It makes much more sense to pack them up with your extra clothing rather than take them from your old home to your new home without anything inside. Plus, you can make sure that you add toiletries, just like you were going on vacation. Then, when you get to your new home, you’ll know you have everything on hand for the evening without having to unpack too much.

Make Use of Towels and Rags

You don’t need to buy all the bubble wrap in the universe to have padding for your favorite delicate treasures. Just pack them between layers of towels and rags. Most people have lots of towels and linens in their homes already and they make practical padding. A bonus is that they’re cleaner than the newspaper, so if you use them with dishes and glassware, you probably won’t have to clean the items before restocking the kitchen.

Seal Your Boxes Appropriately

Nothing is worse than having a box suddenly come apart in your hands because the bottom wasn’t securely taped. Instead of merely concentrating on the top of your moving boxes, pay attention to the bottom of the boxes, too. Every box should hold its shape. If it doesn’t, you need to seal it better or perhaps pack it with lighter items.

Color-Code All Packing Boxes

When you get to your destination, you should know immediately where to put each box. Color-coding helps tremendously. Simply assign each living space with a special color and then mark the corresponding box with a colorful Sharpie. Voila! You’re ready to move in with ease.