5 Tips to Make Packing Easier

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” -Paulo Coelho

Although moving brings new opportunities and new adventures, it is not always easy to do. Most everyone hates the idea of packing. To make moving and packing less stressful, follow these 5 simple steps.

1. Make A Plan

Without a plan, moving can become far more difficult. To help you stay on top of your game, write down a vision of what you want to accomplish. To make sure your vision gets completed, write down goals and deadlines for each project you are hoping to complete. Doing this will help you know how much time you need to set aside for each task. It will also keep you on track and avoid getting overwhelmed or discouraged. It may even be helpful to divvy up your goals with a checklist that can be crossed off when you are done.

2. Get Rid of Stuff

Moving can be a lot easier when you have less stuff. Only pack what you’ll actually use in your new home, donate or sell the rest. To help with this, go through all your items one by one and decide if you want to keep them or not. Get rid of your items if you have not used them in the past six months, if they are broken, or if they don’t bring you joy. If you feel like you don’t need the item, but it’s still in good condition, consider donating it to your local thrift store.

3. What To Pack

Not everything will fit in packing boxes. For starters, you won’t need to pack up your furniture or major appliances. It is best to leave those to the professionals. They will be able to help you wrap them up to make sure they will be protected in the move. When sorting through your stuff, it is important to remember there are some things that can’t be packed. Gasoline, lighter fluid, matches, paint, and nail polish remover are a few items commonly found in garages that movers won’t move. For a more detailed list, click here. It is also recommended that you keep any of your special documents or valuables with you at all times when moving.

4. Pack In Zones

Once you know what you are keeping and what needs to be packed, it will be easiest to pack your items in zones. A zone is a space where similar items are stored. To accomplish this, try packing room-by-room. Focus on one area of the room at a time. This means you would want to store all your kitchen supplies in the same box and your office supplies in another box. To help remember what is stored in your boxes, make sure to label them with a sharpie or marker. Storing your items like this will make unpacking so much easier.

5.Pack Light

Remember the boxes that you pack up have to be lifted into the moving truck, and later moved into your new house. Make sure the boxes you pack up aren’t too heavy. If they are, they can rip or break it will just add extra stress to moving. A good rule of thumb is to pack heavy items in smaller boxes and lighter items in larger boxes. This will make sure you don’t have boxes that are too heavy.

Although packing can be a daunting task, following these tips will help you to feel less stressed and more organized. Happy Packing!!

This post was written by Allison Thomas at Monkey Bar Storage of North Dakota. They help people in the Grand Forks area get their garage organized with custom storage options. She enjoys playing sports and listening to music.