When you sell your home in Scottsdale, the next step is preparing for the big move – but who really wants to pack and load up a moving truck?
If you’ve opted to hire a moving company, great… but if you’re like many people, you’re going to DIY the whole process, from packing to unloading at your new place.
These seven packing hacks and tips can help ensure everything goes smoothly.
7 Packing Hacks and Tips That Can Improve Your Move
While it seems like packing is simple – you just get some boxes, wrap up valuables and tape it all up – that can lead to big issues (like broken or missing items once you start opening things up at your new place). Follow these seven tips to make your move a lot easier.
1. Get everything you need before you start.
It’s frustrating to have to stop packing when you’re on a roll because you’ve used the last scrap of tape, you’re out of bubble wrap or there just aren’t any more boxes. Get extra supplies before you move – and hang on to your receipts so you can return the excess if you don’t use it all.
2. Use “extras” to pad your boxes.
Towels, sheets and even pillow cases serve as great padding between picture frames and in other boxes, plus you’ll be making the most of your available space when you pack this way.
3. Label everything.
You don’t have to create a detailed packing list for each box you tape up, but at least keep like items together and use a marker to denote what’s inside. A box in the kitchen could say:
- Blender
- Mixing bowls
- Cloth napkins
- Canning supplies
4. Leave clothing in dresser drawers.
When possible, simply seal shut dresser drawers and keep the socks and undergarments in them. That way, you’re using fewer boxes – and you have less work to do when you get to your new home.
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5. Keep an “Essentials” box.
Pack things you know you’ll need immediately – paper plates, medications, toilet paper, coffee maker (and coffee), and other essentials – and don’t put them on the moving truck. Instead, hand-carry the box with you in your car. Make sure your important records are separate, too, including birth certificates and other important documents.
6. Tape parts to the items they belong with.
Screws, bolts and other loose items need to stay with their original items (it’s awful trying to put together a bed frame when you can’t find all the bolts!) – and you can keep everything together by using packing tape to secure them to the bottom of each item.
7. Give everyone a task.
Make To-Do lists for everyone in the house, whether they’re filled with small, kid-appropriate jobs like running rolls of tape and other moving supplies between rooms or they require carrying boxes to and from the truck. Keeping things organized with task lists makes the whole process a lot less stressful.
