The moving process is often stressful, requiring a lot of time and effort. In fact, in a survey of 1,000 Americans, moving was determined to be the most stressful life event by 45 percent of respondents. It’s clear that the moving process is a negative experience for most people, but with the proper effort and planning, your upcoming move can be a more pleasant experience. So, today, QuickTotes is giving you 10 pro-packing tips to make your move successful. Packing is one of the most time-consuming aspects of moving, and without reliable moving totes, it can be rather frustrating. With these tips in mind, you can overcome much of the stress typically associated with relocating to a new home.
10 Pro-Packing Tips
1. Start By Decluttering
The first step in making the packing process less stressful involves decluttering beforehand. Decide which items you will be keeping, selling, throwing out, and donating. Once you have gotten rid of items that you won’t be taking, you’ll have less to worry about packing. You should also make an effort to take measurements of your new space to get a better idea of whether or not your furniture will fit properly. Get rid of any furniture that either won’t fit or that you know you won’t be using. This is just one of our many pro-packing tips that will make your move successful.
2. Pack For One Hour Per Day
Although packing can seem like a time-consuming and draining process at the start, you can break down this overwhelming task into chunks ahead of your move. By using our pro-packing tips, we guarantee this process will run more smoothly. We highly recommend focusing on one room at a time when you start packing. Set a timer and spend exactly one hour per day packing that room. You would be surprised how much more manageable packing can feel when you break the chore up into small steps.
3. Label Boxes With Colored Packing Labels
Organization is our favorite of all pro-packing tips. In order to ensure that you’re as organized as possible, use multi-colored labels to label boxes in accordance with their room. On these labels, write the contents of each box as well as the room it belongs in. On moving day, you can even use colored tape corresponding to the colors of your packing labels to mark the entrances to each room. In doing so, you will make it much easier for movers to know where to go, saving valuable time.
4. Use a Moving Essentials Tote
On moving day, it is highly unlikely that the first thing you’ll want to do once in your new home is to unpack, do laundry, and shop for groceries. Still, you’ll need access to some of these essential items. To make your first night in your new home comfortable, we highly recommend packing a moving essentials tote. Include the items like a new set of clothing, snacks, toiletries, and anything else you or your family will need on day one. This way, you won’t have to immediately start unpacking every box to access the necessary items.
5. Ensure That You Don’t Overpack Your Moving Boxes
Many people make the mistake of overpacking their moving boxes in an effort to have less to move. Unfortunately, cramming all of your belongings into a few cardboard boxes is a bad idea. For one, you may put too much stress on the moving boxes, and this puts them at risk of breaking during the moving process. Secondly, overpacking moving boxes will result in the boxes being too heavy to move efficiently. Instead, you can prevent all of these headaches by renting your moving totes and packing them accordingly. Plastic totes are more durable and can handle more weight than your average cardboard box.
6. Avoid Leaving Empty Space in Moving Boxes
Another important thing to remember when packing is that leaving empty space in your totes will mean that your items are likely to shift around as they are moved. This is usually one of the pro-packing tips that’s overlooked. Unfortunately, packing too loosely can cause the items to be damaged in transit. Instead, fill any gaps in the moving tote with foam peanuts or even towels. This will ensure that your items stay in place even as they’re moved from your old home to your new one. Another pro-packing tip? Wrap things in blankets or sheets to kill two birds with one stone.
7. Pack Clothing the Right Way
In many cases, pro-packing tips don’t include clothing tips. However, packing clothing is the most time-consuming part of moving. Our best pro-packing tip is to save as much space as possible. If you aren’t careful, excess clothing can take up much of the space on a moving truck. To prevent inefficiency, we recommend keeping clothes on the hangers and wrapping them in bundles, covering them with a garbage bag, and then transferring them to the moving truck. This also makes them easier to put away in your new home since they’re already on the hangers.
8. Cover Bathroom Toiletries
Nothing creates a mess faster than a leaky shampoo or lotion bottle. So, when it comes to pro-packing tips for toiletries, our best tip to avoiding a disaster is to wrap the covering of these items in plastic or Saran wrap. You can easily do this by taking off the lid, covering the top of the open bottle with plastic, and then refastening the lid back on top. This prevents any unwanted leaks while you move.
9. Pack Fragile Items Together
When it comes to packing fragile items, one of our best pro-packing tips is to bundle breakable items together. It’s best, of course, to use plenty of padding when packing fragile items. Such items should never be placed into a moving box freely without extra cushioning to prevent breaking. If you take the time and effort to pack these items appropriately, you can save yourself a lot of stress in the long run!
10. Stock Up on Moving Supplies As Early As Possible
Finally, the last on our list of pro-packing tips includes materials. We highly recommend stocking up on all of the needed moving supplies as early as possible. Many people make the mistake of waiting too long to get the supplies they’ll need for packing together. As a result, they find themselves stressed when they’re scrambling to complete the packing process only days before their move. Don’t put this unnecessary stress on yourself!
QuickTotes For All of Your Packing Needs!
Now that you know some of the best ways to prevent unnecessary stress when packing for your upcoming move, we hope that these pro-packing tips will prove helpful. Another way to make your move more successful is by entrusting a reputable moving supplies provider. That’s where QuickTotes comes in!
At QuickTotes, we offer six different residential moving packages designed to provide everything you need for your move. If you need a custom package, on the other hand, we offer a free quote. We have a passion for providing eco-friendly and affordable moving boxes for customers in the Indianapolis area. Contact us today to get started!
Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash