People have a negative view of moving, in no small part due to the packing process. Moving and packing your things is where most of the work takes place in moving, and people want to get it over with as quickly as possible. That is why many people search for the best packing tips to speed up the process.
What Are the Best Packing Tips?
In the beginning, you probably have so much on your mind that packing seems like a hassle. Meanwhile, once you get to your new home, you probably want to settle as soon as possible, making the packing process slow. So anything that can make things go faster is welcome. That is why we have some of the best packing tips for when you’re moving.
How Can These Tips Help
Many people wonder why they need to bother trying out these tips and strategies for packing. If you follow it, you will still have the same number of things to pack. While the latter is true, the purpose isn’t to reduce the amount of work you do but the time you spend doing it. One problem people often have when it comes to packing is that they don’t have a plan, and they don’t know where anything should go or how to organize things.
That means filling each box takes much longer than it should. Then some people just throw everything in a box and call it a day. Sure it might seem faster, but that will bite you in the butt later on. When it comes time to unpack, you will have a terrible time trying to find everything and sort it out. Packing tips ensure you spend less time packing and unpacking for the whole process. Another thing you should remember is that problems arise because people don’t plan.
Like what if you leave something or an item breaks after packing. Without a clear plan or knowledge of these tips, issues like this will be far more frequent, and you won’t have an answer for them. Some problems can hinder your ability to pack. For example, you probably have a lot to deal with regarding getting all the documents in order. With all of that going on, having a plan for packing beforehand can save you a lot of stress.
Tips to Improve Your Packing and Unpacking
Put the Heaviest Items First
Arguably, the golden rule for packing and what everyone should do is packing heavy items first. If you don’t know what it is, you always place the heavy things first in a box. This is why you see bag boys putting your milk before your eggs in the groceries when packing a box. This rule is because if you place lighter items first, the heavier things will be pressing against them. In these situations, there is a much higher chance of something breaking or getting damaged during the trip.
Some people don’t think of this and just place items randomly in the box without caring how it might affect the contents. This rule applies to heavy items, not necessarily large items. There are a lot of cases where things are big but weigh almost nothing. Conversely, some items are small but very dense. You should always go for the heaviest first.
Take Pictures Before Sealing the Box
When you have so much stuff in a box, it can be hard to keep track of everything, even with a packing plan. For that reason, you can also have difficulty telling if everything is there or if something was lost, forgotten, or stolen. That is why one thing that people do is take pictures of all their boxes before loading them up on the moving truck. These images can be a reference to see what you packed inside to double-check everything. If you find something missing, you can just look to see if it’s supposed to be there.
If something is missing, you can use this as evidence to report possible thieves in the moving company. Although it might not be a pleasant thought to think ill of other people, you should be ready for the possibility. Doing this gives you immediate evidence and can get the moving company to act.
If it isn’t there, you can at least be sure it isn’t in that box and search the others for missing items. Having all these pictures lets you work your way to finding lost things.
If you have all packages recorded, you can quickly determine where all of your stuff should be. Some people even go the extra mile of preparing a packing list of the contents of each box. They will list it down and either place it in the box or keep it in their phone. Whatever the case, it makes unpacking easier since you know where everything goes.
Make Use of Compression Bags
Within the box, you may need to pack things further to prevent them from mixing or spilling. These can be toiletries, food, clothing, or anything you don’t want jumbling together. Usually, people use boxes or small bags to separate these things. While they do get the job done, they take up a lot of space and lack flexibility, leading to wasted room. With compression bags, not only are they small, you can suck out the air and leave the bag vacuum sealed.
When this happens, the bag is left much smaller, barely bigger than its original content. That leaves you with more room in general for you to pack more things. So if space is a problem for you, it offers a clear edge. The other advantage is that a compression bag isn’t rigid, making it more flexible.
This flexibility gives you the option to fold the bag up and allow it to take up even less space. If you can get the bag small enough, it’s a simple matter to tuck the bag in a tiny corner. The only issue with these bags is that they need a vacuum to seal thoroughly, and you can’t seal them by just sucking the air with your mouth, meaning you need to have a vacuum ready.
Keep All Essentials Close to You
Some items8 are more important than others. You will have items you use daily, essential utilities, or personal keepsakes. So most people prefer not to take risks and keep crucial things with them. Thankfully not every item you pack needs to go into the moving truck with everything else.
When you’re moving, you should have room in your car for a few smaller boxes, and you should take advantage of that and keep some of the essential items with you. Since there isn’t a guarantee of the moving truck arriving immediately, you will need to keep some items ready. You will need some food, toiletries, and clothing with you as soon as you reach your new home.
So it’s best to take those all with you. The same also applies to some expensive or rare items. If you have something like jewelry, art, or other small but valuable goods, it would be best to keep them close. Things like this are easy to lose, so some minimize the risk. Even if some items aren’t expensive, they might still have sentimental value.
You might also have personal reasons for keeping things with you. Things like albums, heirlooms, or other precious items easily stay close. If you want to ensure they arrive safely, reserve a few small boxes and separate them from the others.
Fill Each Box Thoroughly
Regarding packing your things, there shouldn’t be room for half-measures, including how much you place in your box. Some people just set as much as possible until it’s complete before moving on, and the problem is they don’t make sure it’s densely packed. While it might seem quicker, it can lead to several issues. For one, it increases the risk of items getting damaged. If you don’t tightly pack everything, items will jiggle around, increasing the chances of something breaking.
The other problem with this method is that it doesn’t optimize space usage because you still leave empty spots. Even the gaps between boxes can be used to place smaller things like books or toys. Lastly, there is a chance mover might not accept it, and if anything gets damaged, they’re the ones who will be held responsible.
Therefore, some movers prefer not to receive boxes that seem unbalanced or not correctly filled up. That is why if you still have extra space in the sides or corner of your box, you can fill them up with towels or pillows. Not only does it make the package more compact, but it can also act as a cushion which reduces damage.
Summary
Regarding moving, you don’t just need to think of the big picture. Small changes like this can make a huge difference in how the process goes. It’s even better because the best packing tips shouldn’t be a huge derailment to your strategy but can still help. They can reduce damage, make the process faster, and make your life easier. All of this without needing to take any significant steps. Not only will it help you, but also your movers who have to deal with it. With these in mind, we hope your packing experiences go much smoother after listening to these tips.
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