Relocating: Packing
While last time we described the hidden cost of moving, in today’s article we are going to focus on the best way to pack before the actual relocation. A lot of people really hate the idea of packing all their stuff before they move. In order to pack your stuff without any major problems, make sure you have enough time, boxes and other wrapping material, and also some kind of a system. If you think planning is a waste of time, think again – without a good plan, the whole moving is quite likely to become more complicated than it is bound to. Time Even if you think you can manage all in one day as you are moving just from a one bedroom place, try to get some more time – in most cases it is useful. In an ideal situation you’d want to be done one day before the day of moving so that you have enough time to pack all the forgotten things people always find in the last minute, groceries from the fridge and all the things you are using on a daily basis.
Boxes and packing material
You might have some suitcases and bags – it’s a good idea to use these, but probably it’s not enough. What you will definitely need in a reasonable amount are boxes, bubble wrap and newspapers (for packing kitchen utensils). Also think about acquiring some permanent markers, packing tapes, polyfoam wraps, polystyrene beads, plastic bags and other packing necessities, they will be very practical.
How to get enough boxes? Well, either just acquire them (the price usually varies from $1.50 to $5 a piece), or try asking at shops around your neighbourhood – if you manage to get enough empty boxes for free, your moving budget will be much smaller. Another option is buying or renting boxes directly from a moving company, most of them offer this option. And in order to determine the sufficient amount of boxes you will need, try to answer the following questions: How big is your old home? How many rooms? How many family members? How much stuff have they all accumulated over all the years? and so on. For a normal 5-bedroom house, the moving experts advise that you will need as much as 100 boxes. If that looks like too many for you, just imagine how many boxes will be needed to pack all your stuff just from the kitchen and living room! No matter which way you get them, make sure you have a good selection of sizes. Professional moving companies who offer the renting option, will be pleased to come and inspect your home and give you an estimate of the amount of boxes necessary.
More practical tips and tricks are offered in the complete article Packing before moving.
Tags: movers, moving, packing, relocating