This Is How to Pack Efficiently for a Move

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Would you be hard-pressed to find someone who actually enjoys moving? Yes.

Is moving often lifted among the top most stressful life events we can experience, ranked right up there with death and divorce? Yes and yes.

Why is that? Aside from selling your home, finding good schools for your kids, and the like, people, in general, do not know how to pack efficiently for a move.

Not only does it feel slightly overwhelming, but things can get so haphazardly arranged that by the time you are in your new place, you have no idea where anything ended up. However, there is a way around that by taking some simple, efficient steps.

How? Here is your guide to easy home packing tips.

Keep Things Organized From the Beginning

Start a moving binder or file to keep everything organized. Start a schedule or calendar as to when certain rooms will be packed and by when. Monitor your progress by checking each room off as it gets accomplished.

When should you start packing? As early as you can. Go from room to room and pack all nonessentials that you won’t need between now and the time you move.

What is included in your list of nonessentials? Any decorative items — wall hangings, knick-knacks, candles, or picture frames — are a good start. In fact, packing away some of those items away might help sell your home faster if it’s on the market.

In some parts of the country, nonessentials also include clothes that are not in season. For example, if you are moving while it’s warm and sunny outside, the parkas, heavy winter coats, boots, and long johns can be packed early and ready to go.

What are some other efficient packing tips? As you pack, try to do so by room, not zigzagging all over the house as you go. Decide which room to start with and go from there.

It can be very easy to look at everything left to do in the whole house and get carried away. However, if you follow a system of doing one room at a time, you keep things organized. That way, what belongs in your living room doesn’t end up in a black hole among all your bedroom or bathroom stuff.

Also, label boxes clearly as you go.

List the items each box contains on the side, as well as what room it belongs in. If possible, color code the boxes by room with some colorful tape or markers. And of course, keep the color code list with you in your moving binder for reference.

Get Rid of Things You Know Longer Need (Or Want to Pack)

One of the best times to clear out clutter is before a move. While you are formulating the whats, whens, and hows of your move, start looking around. Are there things you can part with?

Clutter can essentially be divided into three categories: sell, donate, or throw away. For example, a video game system that the kids don’t use anymore might fetch a small fee with online selling platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

If you do not have time to sell, charities would be more than happy to take gently-used wares off your hands. Places like Goodwill can even arrange to pick up your extra items for you depending on the area you are in.

Don’t forget to take into account larger items like furniture. Assess whether or not all the furniture you have will fit into your new place. And if it doesn’t, selling or donating the furniture to charity will help minimize the load on your moving truck.

And of course, trash the junk. If you haven’t used it in a couple of years or more, and it looks like it’s seen better (much, much better) days, it could be time to can it. Unloading extra clutter will help you cut back on the amount of stuff you need to pack and make packing a lot less complicated.

Pack Everything You Will Need the First Week or So

When you first unload everything into your new place, the last thing you will feel like doing is opening boxes to find a clean pair of underwear or towels. So pack some essentials together that will help you survive the first few days in your new digs before you are able to unpack everything.

What are some things to include? A few clean changes of clothes and toiletries is a good start. Also make sure to include clean bed sheets, soap, and chargers for your electronics. 

Of course, having a packed first-week survival kit will do you no good if it gets packed at the bottom of the moving van or goes unlabeled. So put these things in an easily identifiable suitcase or large storage tote, and make sure it’s easy to access once you arrive at your new home.

How to Pack Efficiently For a Move

Yes, moving can be a pain in the butt. But packing does not have to be. If you learn how to pack efficiently for a move and then implement a few of these home packing tips, you will be settled in your new place in no time with minimal stress involved.

Are you looking to sell your home in the Austin area? We can help! Contact us to learn more about how you can sell your home fast today!