No matter how experienced you are at moving–and not most people are–there are always things that you may not be aware of that can make the process more efficient. We’ll leave the actual packing and moving tips for other articles. There are certainly enough of those floating around on the Web. Instead, this article will focus on five little tips that can make your move easier.
Maximize your box space
Don’t just dump everything into boxes indiscriminately. It would be a good idea to have a plan for filling up your boxes. This will prevent confusion when it comes time to unpack your things in there new home, and reduce the risk of damage as well. In general, it would be best to pack heavy items into smaller boxes. You can fill the spaces in between with smaller non-fragile items.
Make use of closets and drawers
Closets and drawers can actually be pressed into service as safe and effective storage containers. If you have clothes, towels, and linen already in there, you might not even have to pack them up into boxes. Of course, you will want to lighten the load a bit so that the furniture can still be easily carried by two people. Keeping certain items in the drawers will provide them with adequate protection and save you the time and effort in packing them up only to have to unpack them when you get to your new home.
Have sandwich bags handy
Sandwich bags are amazingly useful items to have around. You can use them for anything from the nuts and bolts for the crib, wires and connectors for your home entertainment system, herbs and spices, and all other small items that you want to keep together. You can even tape them into the box which contains the items that they are used for. For instance, the nuts and bolts for the crib can be taped to a leg, and the connectors to your home music system can be taped in the inside flap of the box where the unit is stored. This will make it easier to find those crucial items when you have to reassemble everything in the new home.
Bundle up small items
Smaller items that tend to go missing are best kept in a compartmentalized container. A tool box, sewing kit, or even a cigar box can be useful for these purposes. Spare batteries, electrical adaptors, hooks, and fixtures can all be packed away together so you only have to look through a couple of boxes at most in order to find what you need.
Label everything and make a numbered list
You have probably already planned to label each box with the contents using a marker. However, it might be worthwhile to go the extra step and make a numbered list of each box and what they contain. This way, you can simply refer to the list if you are looking for a specific item. This will save you the trouble of having to open up several different boxes to find what you need.