9 Packing Tricks To Make Your Move A Breeze
The good news is you have a new place! The bad news? Now you have to move.
Everyone hates the stress of moving, even if the new place is your dream home. You have so much more stuff than you thought, and the idea of packing it all up seems overwhelming. How do you make it as easy as possible and ensure your stuff comes out in one piece?
1- Color Code Boxes By Room
As you’re packing up, use different colors of duct tape or labeling to show what boxes go to which room. This tip will save time when unloading into your new home, and you won’t have to answer questions from your helpers about where to put everything.
2- Clean Out the Fridge Ahead Of Time
Unload, defrost, and clean the fridge about 48 hours before moving to help prevent stale mildew smells from building up inside the fridge during the move. It will also help if you unplug the fridge and leave all the doors open during this time. Remove any glass shelves and pack them separately. For extra odor protection, tie up unused coffee grounds or charcoal in a sock and place it inside the refrigerator on moving day.
3- Use Styrofoam Dishes
No, not just for eating when all the dishes are packed up. Instead of wasting time and money on packing paper or bubble wrap, simply stack Styrofoam plates between each breakable plate, and do the same for glasses. Quick and easy! Bonus tip: Pack your plates vertically to help prevent breakage.
4- Have A Moving Sale
Give yourself a few weeks’ head start on packing because it’s easy to underestimate the sheer volume of stuff you actually have. As you go, set aside things you no longer want, need, or use. Have a yard sale during a weekend before the move to get rid of these things, instead of wasting time and effort packing them up. Anything that doesn’t sell can be donated!
5- Get Free Boxes
Almost any grocery store, liquor store, or home improvement store recycles their freight boxes. Many of these are sturdy enough for books, dishes, and other heavy or fragile items. Buy larger boxes for bulky items like coats and bedspreads, but save the cash on smaller boxes by taking them off the store’s hands.
6- Use Plastic Wrap
Plastic wrap is handy for a number of uses during a move. Use it to wrap up your silverware and utensil drawers, your dresser drawers, and to keep any furniture doors securely closed. You can also wrap stacks of boxes together to make it easier to move them with a dolly.
7- Keep Sandwich Bags Handy
Sandwich bags can help keep smaller things like furniture hardware and electronic cords from getting lost or tangled. Any time you have to take something apart, store the hardware in the sandwich bag and tape the bag to the furniture for easy reassembly when you arrive in your new home.
8- Bag Up Your Closet
Slip garbage bags or garment bags around the clothes hanging in the closet for easy transport and unpacking. Just tie the open end around the neck of the hangers to keep everything bundled together. This saves on boxes, too!
9- Treat Your Friends Right
Count yourself lucky if you have a friend or two to help you move. In addition to the standard beer-and-pizza exchange, offer them first dibs on anything you planned to sell or donate. It’s a fun way to let them know how much you appreciate their help.
