A DIY Guide to Packing for a Move
Packing, although a stressful entity in its own right, can actually be the least stressful part of the whole relocation process. It can certainly be more stressful to actually find the right home for you, and then find someone else to take your soon-to-be former property off your hands (if you’re a home owner). When it comes down to it, packing might even look like a privilege in relation to the other parts of the moving process. But, it will only look that way if you plan your packing meticulously; leaving it all the last minute will make packing the most stressful part of the moving house process. Below is a brief step-by-step guide to ensuring your packing is stress free and efficient:1) Draw up a packing scheduleThis should be done as soon as you know your move-out/move-in date. Scheduling your packing so you do a bit each day will make the task go much easier, if the schedule is followed. Writing up a schedule also gives you an opportunity to delegate packing tasks: packing everything yourself is an unnecessary (unless you are moving alone) and deplorable chore. Dishing the tasks out to your partner or friends, or kids if you have them, will make the packing task that much more manageable. It is important that you plan to pack a bit each day, starting with the items you don’t use on a daily basis, and finishing with the ones you do. An hour or so of packing each day for a week, two week, or a month, will make the mammoth task that is packing seem fairly easy. Even if you don’t decide to write up a codified schedule, you should be sure not to leave it to the last day – that is when the stress will take over the process.2) Source your packing materials early In order to stick to your schedule, you must have the right tools and resources. The three essential packing materials you will need are boxes (be they cardboard or plastic), bubble-wrap, and tape. Boxes are used as vessels to transport your items in, and bubble-wrap is used to protect particularly valuable or fragile possessions against potential damages incurred during the move. Tape – duct tape specifically – is used to ensure the structural integrity of cardboard boxes (if you are using them), and making sure the boxes are shut tight.3) Decide on how you are going to transport your packed itemsPacking is just one stage of the process – you also have to consider how you are going to move your packed items from your old home to your new one. You have three main options when it comes to transport, excluding doing it yourself in your own vehicle: you can either hire a removal firm, hire a man and van service, or hire a vehicle to drive yourself. What you chose will largely depend on your individual circumstances. But regardless of what you choose, be sure to book a service early; the last thing you want to happen is to be left without a transport service. If you do chose to hire a removal firm, then you should consider if they offer a packing service. If they do offer such a service, you should consider if it’s right for you. Although it will cost more than doing it yourself, it could save you a lot of time and hassle. It is ultimately up to you to balance cost against convenience. For the price you pay, a packing service will take care of all your packing needs, leaving you free to focus on the other aspects of moving.