Moving to a new home can be stressful, to say the least, and packing can be termed to be the most daunting of tasks. However, packing is not easy on anyone, and there needs to be a “method to the madness” to make moving more systematic and less haphazard. By following these life hacks, it becomes easier to move and unpack, reduce the quantum of work and make the entire process go more smoothly than anticipated. These are some of the life hacks that can come in handy when moving.
10 Tips and Tricks for Moving
These are some of the life hacks that can come in handy when moving. Another important aspect for moving to a new place and job is employee insurance. Always opt for a reliable group medical insurance provider.
- Start Early
Regardless of whether you have enough time on your hands, it is prudent for you to start early with your packing. Start by segregating things you no longer need or use. Put these aside and make plans for getting rid of them. This practice will allow you to reduce the number of things that need to be packed.
- Make a Moving Folder
There can be hundreds of things you need to remember while moving. To make the process easier, start with a moving folder that will contain new addresses, rental or purchase papers, moving contracts, and so forth. Make a physical copy of all these papers instead of a digital one due to the reliability factor and easy access. If there are any questions that come up during the moving process, you can right away refer to the folder.
- Keep Essentials with you
A night before moving – tuck in all the essentials that you would require after you reach the new home. This can include clothes, toothbrushes, toiletries, medications, paperwork, etc. Keep these beside yourself when moving. If things go haywire and the moving does not go as planned, you will still have all essentials with you. While packing, it is extremely important to inform the packers on saving the screws they get from disassembling the furniture. Most of the furniture bought from stores like IKEA comes with self-assembly, and it is important that you retain the screws separately during the loading process.
- Buy Necessary Packing Materials
Stock up the necessary supplies before the move, anticipate beforehand the packing materials that you would require, such as cutters, adhesive tapes, permanent markers, packing tapes, paper towels, garbage bags, and so forth.
- Use the Right Boxes
The rule of thumb when packing is to keep heavier items in small boxes and lighter items in large boxes. It becomes extremely difficult to transfer large boxes during the shifting process for the workers.
- Colour Code your Boxes
You can either simply write on the boxes about the room they belong to. Else, you can put colour-coded stickers on the boxes to designate their location. You can instruct the workers on the colour codes during arrival, and they will ensure that the boxes reach the right location when unloading.
- Take care of the Fragile
The use of bubble wrap and packing peanuts can burn a hole in your pocket. Instead, make use of t-shirts, towels for protecting fragile items such as pottery, chinaware, and glassware. You can even use old bed sheets and blankets to furniture legs to act as a bumper.
- Moving Kitchen Utensils
These might require special care because these items come in different shapes and sizes. While packing dishes, ensure to pack them vertically instead of horizontally, as this reduces the chances of breakage. Also, use packing material on individual items and pack them in sets for sturdy packaging. Cups and bowls can be packed inside one another with paper or cloth in between. When packing glass, use a cardboard box with dividers and wrap them with enough paper for padding.
- Packing Clothes
You can pack the clothes in suitcases and cardboard boxes in a normal manner. Else, you can even pack your clothes along with the hangar with a plastic covering for faster unpacking in your new home. For shoes, you can wrap them individually so that sharp heels or buckles do not damage the other shoes. Also, this can ensure that the dirt from one shoe does not damage other shoes. Another hack is to pack socks into the shoes to ensure they do not lose their shape during the transit process.
- Learn to Pack your TV
Most times movers treat the TV as part of the furniture and wrap it with plastic with padding in the form of clothes or bed sheets. However, the newer TVs can be damaged in the transit process. Hence, it is important to transfer them in their original packaging or ask for a special crate for such TVs.
Final Thoughts
These are the life hacks or tips and tricks that you can utilise while moving in a smooth manner. That said, it is extremely pertinent to have a grip on all things when packing. Give proper instructions to the packers before they get to work.