Packing things properly can make your moving day that much easier and can make unpacking less of a chore. Here are Alongshore Removals top ten tips when packing your house to move.
#1 Start packing early
Even if you aren’t moving for a month there are lots of things you can pack now and trust us, you will be surprised how much you have and how long it all takes if you don’t. The back of cupboards, the garage, those kitchen cupboards you only open twice a year, all of these things can be packed up early.
#2 Clear a space for your packed boxes
Having boxes piled in odd spots around the house for three weeks is no fun. Clear a space in the garage, spare room or even a corner of the family room and put your packed boxes there.
#3 Cull as you go
Culling is always a pain but can be a bit simpler when already packing, and is better than unpacking and trying to find space for something you never use in your new house. Get two T-Chests and label them charity and Council clean up. As you pack if you come across something that you don’t use, pack it in one of these boxes, if they fill up just get another T-chest and start again.
#4 Pack tightly but don’t overfill
Tightly packed boxes mean you use less and also mean less chance of breakage or damage. However, make sure you are using the right sized box so you don’t end up with heavy, overfilled boxes which makes them harder to move and to unpack. Even if you’re not worried about your poor removalists, you will most likely have to move the box once packed or when unpacking so do yourself a favour and make sure they aren’t too heavy.
#5 Get the right packing materials
We recently moved a young couple trying to save a few bucks by not buying boxes or packing materials, as a result they hadn’t finished packing and even the packed belongings were awkward to move and fit in the truck. What should have been a half day move, blew out into a long day, with the couple feeling guilty and dreading their unpack. Moving boxes and packing materials might cost a bit, but they are worth it to make sure everything is packed well and your move goes smoothly.
#6 Label your boxes and your rooms
Labelling your boxes means you know what’s in them when unpacking, but can also mean your boxes end up in the right rooms so you have everything on hand in each room when unpacking. Label each box with the name of the room and if possible a short description of what’s in them eg Kitchen – dishes. Also, create labels for each room (A4 paper, a marker and some bluetac is all you need), stick them up in each room and do a five minute walk through with your removalists meaning everything is in the right spot for you to unpack. If you have a particularly large house, get a floorplan from your real estate agent, label it and give it to your removalists as well as the walk through.
#7 Create a handyman kit
A tape measure, hammer, screwdriver, allen keys, wrench, extra tape (masking tape, electrical tape and heavy duty tape) and some spare screws and nails means your prepared for any situation when you arrive.
#8 Create an essentials box and a last minute box
The coffee machine may not fit in your overnight bag, but trust us you will be wishing you knew where it was the first morning in your new house facing a day of unpacking. You will also be surprised how many last minute bits and pieces there are, and when you have already packed everything you might have used to move them, it’s a pain.
#9 If you don’t have time to pack, hire packers
A lot of people underestimate how long it will take to pack and as a result aren’t organised on the day of their move, meaning it takes a lot longer and costs more. Spending that money on professional packers makes your life that much easier and depending on how far you got could actually save you hundreds of dollars. Good packers (like our guys at Alongshore) can pack a 3-4 bedroom house in around 4 hours, and based on our rates, three hours of packing is about the same as two hours of moving, so you can see the math quickly works out.
#10 Take photos of the back of your electronics
Take a photo of the back of anything that has more than two cables. Trust us you will thank us when you go to reconnect them!
They are Alongshore Removals top ten tips for packing up before your move. If you’d like help with your move, packing or packing materials give us a call.