When you need to move home, you have plenty of things to do. Packing is one of them, but surely it is not the most important one. That would be finding the best movers and packing supplies Sydney has to offer. But before making such an important decision you might want to review these packing tips and ideas that can make your job easier. In this article I’m going to share with you 10 great packing tips for moving home to tidy and organize your home before the big move, making unpacking a lot easier after, as well as some additional resources such as packing materials.
Check out these great tips for packing to move home.
Decluttering before moving
Go through your belongings at least two weeks before the day of your move. Go room by room dealing with one at a time. It is best to start with the bog items that are hard to move, like heavy tires, heavy pieces of furniture, or hazardous chemicals. If you have such items in your home, consider calling a haul-away service or dumpster rental company or to help you out. But perhaps, choose a dumpster rental like Eagle Dumpster Rental so it can handle more in one go and is a lot cheaper than a haul-away service.
Sorting your items and deciding what to keep and what to sell
Sort your belongings into three categories; keep, trash, and donate. If there is something you no longer use and still in good condition, then sell it online or at a garage sale. If there are things that don’t sell but are in good condition, donate them. Trash anything that is junk.
Designating a “don’t pack zone”
There are items you don’t want to be packed or loaded into the truck. These are items that are important to you and hold a great deal of sentimental value, like family photos, jewelry, or financial documents. There are items prohibited by moving companies because they are perishable or hazardous. Have an area in your home or even an entire room to keep these things. You need to make sure people helping you with the move know about this so they don’t load the boxes.
Knowing what items movers won’t take
If you have hired professional movers to help you with loading or transporting your belongings, then make sure you know the items they are not going to transport for you.
- Ammunition
- Aerosol cans
- Kerosene, charcoal, propane, and lighter fluid
- Batteries
- Fertilizer
- Chemicals and solvents
- Firearms
- Fireworks
- Fire extinguishers
- Matches
- Gasoline/fuel/oil
- Oxygen
- Nail polish and remover
- Paints, varnishes, and paint thinners
- Pesticides
- Perishable food
- Pool chemicals
- Plants
- Scuba tanks
- Propane tanks
- Weed killers
Knowing what to pack first
Start with items you use the least (guest rooms and storage rooms) then to the more commonly used areas like the kitchen and bathrooms.
Focusing on one room at a time
There are items that are more difficult to pack than others (like jewelry). It can be tempting to leave them for later, but fight that urge and do it right away. When you completely pack a room before moving to the next, you are not going to leave things to the last minute. It makes it easier to see your progress and how much is left to pack.
Pack dishes with care
You need to give breakable items special care. Wrap each item individually and use extra packing paper. Don’t stack the dishes horizontally, always vertically. Pad the bottom and top of the box using a towel or cloth. Mark it fragile so the movers employ extra caution when moving it.
Using a plastic wrap on liquids
Remove the lid of the container, cover the opening using plastic wrap, then replace the lid. This will help in preventing leaks if the container tips over.
Wardrobe boxes
Consider splurging on wardrobe boxes if you have the money. You can expect to get them for between $10 and $20 (depends on height). They have bars that will help when moving your clothes when still on the hanger. You will remove your clothes from the hanger to the box. Packing and unpacking become easier and faster. Buy Gaylord boxes here.
Using budget-friendly methods when you transport clothes
Try the trash bag method if you are moving on a budget. Start by putting the trash bags around the clothes when they are still in the closet. Tie the tip so that the hangers are sticking out.
Getting rid of clothes that you don’t wear or don’t fit
It is important to remember your closets during the decluttering process. Make sure you are ruthless during this process. if you have won’t something for the past year, then there is a chance you are not going to wear it anytime soon. There is no need to take these clothes with you because it takes valuable space in your moving boxes. Donate the clothes to someone. You shouldn’t feel sentimental when it comes to clothes that don’t fit you anymore – if your size changes in the future, you get the chance of getting yourself new clothes.
Identifying small items using tissue paper or colored tape
Use colored tissues to wrap small and breakable items or put a piece of colored tape outside. This will help prevent it from getting thrown accidentally because someone thinks it is only packing paper.
Using clothes and towels as packing materials
Linens, towels, and smaller clothing items can be used as fillers for boxes. If you don’t have packing peanuts, use socks and washcloths because they are effective when it comes to keeping things from shifting. Wrapping fragile items using a thick towel provides extra padding. This will minimize the number of boxes needed and you save on packing supplies.
Getting rid of unwanted items through a garage sale
If there are items you have deemed nonessential, list them online or organize a garage sale because you can make some extra money to use for your move.
Shipping books via USPS
Books are heavy, and movers are going to charge you by the pound. It might be a good idea to ship them using U.S. Postal Service as Media Mail. Visit their website and check out how much they charge per pound then compared that with what the movers are charging.
