Moving is stressful, so it is important to simplify as much as possible. Packing for a move can be hard so you want to make sure you organize everything as much as possible.
1. Figure what size move you have.
- If all your stuff is coming from one room then you have a small move. If you don’t have any appliances or more than one closet you can pack with 8 boxes.
- If you have two closets and a couple appliances you have a medium move and you need about 18 large boxes.
- If you have bought all the latest electronics and appliances with 2 closets full of clothes and shoes you have a large move and you may want to get rid of some it. If you don’t get rid of any of it you will end up exhausted from the move.
- If you need 28 boxes or more you should hire someone to move for you.
2. Get organized.
Now that you know what size move you have it’s important to get organized. The more organized you are about your move the easier it will be to unpack.
- Label every box with the room it belongs in. In addition, mark all boxes that contain special items, such as anything fragile. The better your labels, the easier it will be for you to put everything away when it is time to unpack.
- Pack heavy things in small boxes so you can still carry them.
3. Schedule your packing order.
- Start in the living room. Try to start packing at least a month in advance. If you are working five days a week you need enough time to pack. This is where you will need the least things every day. At the end you might have only a couple pictures up that you have to pack at the last minute.
- Next you can pack the kitchen. Leave only dishes and pans that you use every day. If you live with roommates most of the kitchen stuff is probably not yours, but if you have a few favorites that you can keep you will lower the amount you have to spend at your new place.
- Pack the extras in the bathroom. Leave things you use daily, such as your toothbrush, make up and moisturizer. If you have extras pack those away.
- Pack up extra towels and sheets.
- Finally pack up your clothes. Leave enough out to make your move. This is a great time to go through all your clothes to see if there are some things you don’t wear any more. Make sure you try on anything that you don’t know for sure if it still fits.
When you are packing you will definitely find things that you haven’t seen in a long time. You may even make some happy discoveries of things you thought were lost. It’s a great time to decide if these things are worth a move. Just a word of caution: don’t get sidetracked and start going down the memory lane with your eight grade diary or old camp pictures. You can do that when you are unpacking in your great new place!
