Sometimes the process of home buying takes several months and there’s ample time to sort through your own belongings in preparation for a move. But often families have to move suddenly. Whether it’s a job change, a home search that went unexpectedly fast, or just plain procrastination, moving the entire contents of your home on the fly can be a daunting task. Sure, you could have professional packers help, but that adds a lot of extra cost. If you have a month or less to move and you’re doing your own packing, check out these sensible fast-move tips for a smoother process.
Start right away. With a month or less to move, you need to start now. Packing always takes longer than you think, no matter how good you are. And don’t forget to contract the moving company ASAP as well. Keep in mind that summer is the busiest season for movers, so scheduling in advance is key.
Make a packing plan. Set your list of tasks with deadlines. Which rooms do you pack first? What will you still need in the next few weeks that should be packed last? Packing things first that you use the least makes sense. A plan reduces frustration and allows you to feel accomplishments as you check items off your list. The timeline helps keep you on track.
Devise a sorting system. Inevitably, packing means you first need to sort what you want to keep and what you don’t. Why carry unused items that have gathered dust for years to your new dwelling? Usually three sorting categories suffice: Donate, trash, or keep.
Save money by reusing boxes. Just because you’re in a hurry, you don’t have to spend lots of money buying new boxes. If you’ve contracted a moving company, most give you the ability to pick out what you need from a used box area, where other families have returned their disassembled boxes. It’s a greener option, too.
Designate a packing room with all your supplies. Momentum is key, so you need a room where you grab pre-assembled boxes and stored packing tape. This also helps minimize a chaotic mess of empty boxes mixed with half-filled and full ones in the same room.
Use the right box for the right stuff. Big boxes are for lighter items. Smaller boxes are for heavy ones. If you reverse the two, you’ll end up with a large heavy box that will fall apart upon moving and more small boxes than you need. That slows down the process and can result in repacking.
Pack one room at a time. It will feel like you’re chasing your tail if you’re doing a little in this room and a little in that. You reap more satisfaction by focusing on one room at a time so that results are more noticeable early in the process.
Don’t move air. Fill whatever you can. People think they need to empty dressers and pack their clothes. As long you don’t have anything super heavy in your dressers, leave them full. This saves a lot of time and cuts down on quantity of boxes. Movers should strap dressers shut when they carry them. Also, don’t move empty suitcases. Filling them up makes more sense than adding more boxes.
Trash bags can be your friend. While it’s best to keep items boxed for stuff the movers will carry, you can fill up your own car with softer, lighter items. Strong trash bags are flexible and can morph into other shapes as needed when part of a full load.
Label every box on two sides. Put the intended room name and the category of contents on each label. This might seem like an easy step to forego, but you want to create some time saving and organization on the other end of your move. Labeling boxes lets the movers know where to put them and also allows you to find items more easily.
Moving isn’t just a lot of physical work. It’s tasking on the brain as well because you’re constantly making decisions what to keep, what to toss, and how to pack things in a way that makes sense. Set your packing schedule and enlist help from whomever you can. With a plan, a helper, and a few tips, you’ll get it done on time.