When you start packing, your joy quickly morphs into horror as you watch piles of things fall before you. It is not easy eyeing a stack of clothing and wondering how you will tackle all of them. Apart from clothing, various other items need tending. So, it’s easy to say packing can become a nightmare fast.
Who doesn’t want to get done with hard labor right away? However, you can make your life easier by following hacks designed to give you shortcuts in your packing process. So if you’re feeling intrigued, here’s what you need to know about packing:
- Pack Your Dressing Drawers
Ideally, you may need to unpack your drawers before you can take them away. However, you can pull out drawers, roll your clothes into a tight bundle, and wrap them up. If the dresser is light, you use an aluminum wrap or leave it inside the dresser, and the same goes for other drawers. You can stuff them with tightly packed clothes and wrap them up. This furniture can go right into a moving van and move to your new house.
- Look Into Storage Units
If you’re looking for a storage facility, a unit can be the perfect solution. These facilities offer climate control and safety from natural disasters like fires or earthquakes! However, you should always use location services to help you narrow down the list of storage units in your area. Suppose you lived in Rowlett, Texas, use your local search engine to find a storage unit. You can lookup for keywords such as ‘storage units Rowlett TXnear me,’ and you’ll match with the best storage units in your facility. Storage units are spacious facilities designed for all your belongings. You can even move furniture and filing cabinets to help keep your stuff in order.
- Cancel Utilities
Don’t leave your utilities for the last minute. Utilities comprise any service you get billed for. These include electricity, cable, water, and even the internet. If you’re availing of any mailing or gardening service, they all come under utilities, which need to be canceled. You should call them up and immediately cancel all of these services. If you leave them for the last minute, the chances of you forgetting about them are pretty high. The same goes for posting anything online. If you want to sell products online, do it from the get-go; don’t leave anything for the last moment.
- Check What Movers Don’t Handle
If you’re thinking of hiring professional movers, smooth out all details with them. There are some possessions these movers don’t handle. So instead of leaving everything at the last moment, ask them beforehand. That will help you arrange separate transport if they’re not taking any item. You may have to take some things with you in your car.
- Make A Rough Estimate Of What You’ll Need
As you’re packing, you will need different supplies. You’ll need boxes, markers and even masking tape, so a rough estimate can help you calculate. You don’t want to go off-budget, but you also wouldn’t want to undermine the packing process. So it would help if you make a list and stick to it. Ask friends and family what they needed while they were in the middle of packing. You can always benefit from others’ experiences.
- Utilize Towels And Thick Clothes
Towels and thick clothes like bed covers take too much space. So instead of wasting a box on them, wrap possessions in them. Fragile glassware will fit perfectly in towels. They’ll be snag and cushioned against each other. So when you’re loading a moving box, you don’t have to worry about items breaking. You also limit mobility, so the chances of any item rolling are less.
- Use Suitcases
If you have suitcases in the house, use them for packing. Suitcases are sturdy and quite spacious. While you can put your clothes in them, consider putting other items too. You can use suitcases to put more things in one place. Consider putting your plates and cutlery with towels in between them. Don’t forget to cushion any glass item with a thick cloth. As you stack them, ensure you immobilize all your glassware. Suitcases are also a better option than boxes but don’t go spending all your money on them.
- The Kitchen Goes In The End
You’ll need food and drink as you move about your packing. The kitchen always goes to the end. So don’t pack away kitchen items such as plates and utensils. However, you may pack up baking sheets and trays if you don’t intend on using them. The same goes for pots and pans if you don’t intend on cooking. Anything that you’re still using will always go in the end. That includes bathrooms and having sleeping arrangements for yourself.
- Keep Deadlines For Yourself
You may feel tempted to keep procrastinating, but you shouldn’t. Deadlines are a way of keeping yourself disciplined. If you keep targets for yourself, you can make the most of your time. Packing can take several weeks, depending on how big your house is. If you’re doing it all on your own, then you will need to time yourself. Moving can get aggravating if you keep stacking things on top of each other without clearing up. Don’t touch any new pile without clearing any older pile. Also, never create clutter for yourself, or you’ll end up overwhelming yourself.
- Color Code Everything
Let yourself get carried with color-coding. Color all your boxes and use masking tape with color on them. If you can get colored boxes, pack all your items into them. Dedicate a color for each room, so when you unpack, you know what you’re touching. Color coding also gives you an idea when you move to unpack what will require the most time. You can guess by the number of colored boxes taking up space on a moving van. If you have children, help them decorate their boxes with stickers.
- Ask For Help
If you feel like you can’t handle your house by yourself, then ask for help. Friends and family are always there to support you. If you have a packing system in mind, make sure you run it by them. Such as what chemicals need to go in what box and how to pack your jewelry. Make sure when you’re asking for help, you know how to ask. If you ask for help and end up packing everything haphazardly, that undermines the entire process. You may have to pack up your stuff over again.
- Wrap All Sharp Objects
If you have knives or power tools, you may want to be careful with them. In your haste to unpack, you can end up injuring yourself. Oven mitts or any thick fabric as towels are best for these materials. Not only does it keep your hands protected, but it also prevents the tool from damaging any boxes. You won’t endanger any moves as they help you take your boxes to your new home. So when packing anything potentially dangerous, take everyone’s safety into regard.
Wrap Up
The last thing you want is your moving day to be hellish. But if you’re not careful, it can easily transcend to that level. So as you pack, help yourself out a little using hacks. Using nifty tricks such as using suitcases and towels to act as cushions can help you pack away much faster. Make sure you have a proper plan and stick to it, and finally, moving will become easier for you.
