Change of Address: 10 Moving Tips for Packing and Unpacking

10 Moving Tips for Packing and Unpacking

How many of us consider ourselves to be expert packers and unpackers and/or movers? There are several of us that have moved many times and gotten a system down that at least works for us (granted, it may not be for everyone). Yet, it still takes time to get all your belongings packed up at the old place and moved into the new place (unless you are a permanent road warrior and just take a few things from place to place). Here is a list of 10 moving tips for packing and unpacking that make things easier (much, much easier at least for me).

Packing: Mark your boxes with old room and the new room so you know where to take them. Unpacking: Always take the boxes directly to the new room they are going to instead of having a central storage location.
Packing: Include a quick description of what is in each box not just the old room it was in and if possible prioritize the contents as well (A – need immediately, B – need within a week, C – need within a month or more). Unpacking: Using the descriptions you can choose which boxes to unpack first based upon priority.
Packing: Pack your old home one room at a time starting as early as possible with the least used rooms in the house. Unpacking: Unpack your belonging in the new home one room at a time using the markings on the outside of the box as your guide.
Packing: Pack your clothes by season if possible (Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall). Unpacking: Unpack the clothes you need last toward the back of the closet or bottom of the drawer. So if it is Spring, put your Winter clothes in the back of the closet.
Packing: Pack each drawer in your bedroom dresser in a separate box and mark the location that it came from (top/bottom and left/right depending on how big your dresser is). Unpacking: you can quickly unpack your dresser using this technique and know right where everything is.
Packing: Pack your kitchen cupboards by cabinet and mark the location of the cabinet in the old home on the box as well as the contents. Unpacking: Using your old home as a guide you should be able to find a new home for everything in the kitchen more quickly.
Packing: Pack your kitchen drawers each in separate boxes and mark the location in the old home. Unpacking: Using the location in the old kitchen as a guide you can quickly find a new place for your utensils, junk drawer (we all have them), etc.
Packing: Pack the contents from your refrigerator and pantry in clear plastic tubs and very carefully. Don’t keep anything that you don’t absolutely need. Plan ahead and reduce the amount of food and consumables you have on hand to a minimum.
Packing: Pack and keep critical paperwork somewhere readily available at all times. This includes any documents from the new home, your will, your insurance papers, your tax filings, and anything else that you absolutely need to have. Unpacking: Keep them together until you are positive you know where they are going to go in your new home (together in a box is better than roaming the house loose to possibly get lost or thrown away).
Packing: Pack liquids, cleaners, medicines, and other items that could spill or be dangerous in clear plastic tubs. Unpacking: Get all of these out and in their new places as quickly as you can these are usually items you need sooner rather than later.

In terms of furniture, electronics, and other items that need to be moved. Pack them as best you can being sure to protect anything that could easily break in transport. These items are big and usually the first on the truck and the last to get off the truck. When you unpack them just move them to their new location right away and before you know it your new place will feel like home.

After getting going on this article I realized that I could go on and on about moving and I’m sure I probably will in future articles but for now this should help give you some quick tips for packing and unpacking that you can probably apply to other areas of your house very readily. Have a great move!