Moving house can be both exciting and frightening. Whether moving for another job, studying in another city or simply starting a new life, moving home can be demanding, stressful, confusing and expensive. No matter how simplistic the décor, moving house requires patience, time and some strategies to ensure everything goes well.
You have to be ready for moving day. In this article, you’ll learn how to prepare, factors to consider, and when to start packing when buying a house.
Should I Start Packing Before Appraisal?
You should always pack before appraisal because it will make the appraisal go more smoothly and quickly. It is also a good idea to get rid of anything you no longer need or want, like old appliances and clothes. There are reasons why you should start packing before appraisal:
- No junk is packed: You won’t have as much waste taking up space in boxes and, therefore, less room in the moving truck, etc. The last thing you want is to buy or rent a bigger moving truck because you have too much stuff.
- Your items will be in better condition: You have taken a little bit of time to clean and repair anything broken in advance, and there will be no hurry to complete the packing.
- Moving on the planned day: When moving day comes, you will not have as many issues scheduling movers if you start packing way before the appraisal. When you are late to pack, there are chances you may have to postpone the moving day until you are ready.
- Packing with available supplies: You don’t waste your money on the supplies needed for moving if you start packing before appraisal as you won’t need them! With time you will find all the packing supplies you need.
What Should I Start Packing First?
When you are getting ready for a big move, one of the biggest headaches is figuring out exactly what to pack when. A few tips on how to prioritize packing when moving may help you out when you’re in a pinch and in a hurry to get things finished before your moving date. Start with these six categories when packing.
Packing in the Least Used Room
The most used room in the house will probably be the living room or kitchen/dining room combo. These rooms are filled with furniture and items that need to be taken care of throughout the day.
Pack these two rooms last because they are high-traffic areas and can get dirty quickly if not packed right away.
The rooms you should pack first are the rooms in your house with less traffic and items. These will probably be your bedrooms, bathrooms, and home office. Put on some music and get to work! You can pack these while you listen to your favorite song or two.
Pack Items that Are In Storage
Storage is necessary for many households, especially if there is a lot of clutter in the house that needs to be stored. There might even be some items that need to be stored since they are not regularly used. Some of these things may include:
- Seasonal or out-of-season clothing
- Furniture
- Decorations
Pack these items first because they are sitting around collecting dust and aren’t currently being used. This way, you won’t have to worry about finding them before you move.
Pack the Most Difficult Room
Moving out of your home will be a stressful experience no matter what, especially if you have a ton of furniture or fragile pieces. You will want to pack those pieces last to avoid breaking anything or making a bigger mess than necessary once the “fun” starts.
The most difficult rooms are the kitchen and living room. Start with large and heavy items such as couches, appliances, wardrobes, etc.
Pack Out of Season Items
When you pack out-of-season items, try to avoid going through your entire house. If you have clothes hanging in the back of the closet or the garage, they most likely haven’t been worn for a long time.
You may not need the seasonal items soon until next year. Start packing these items first because they won’t be taking up any space for at least nine months (if not more).
Pack Decor and Books
Finally, make sure to pack your décor and books last. These can take up a lot of space in boxes or storage bins. Therefore, start with them when you’re almost finished with everything else. Make sure to use smaller boxes if there aren’t many books and large boxes for larger items unless you want a lot of trips.
Pack Shoes and Jewelry
Last but not least, pack your shoes and jewelry. This might be the most tedious process because you will have to pick them up from every room in the house and put them in individual boxes. Be sure to use smaller shoe/jewelry boxes or shopping bags if there aren’t enough larger ones.
What Will Packers Not Pack?
You’ve spent months planning your move, and you finally packed up all of your belongings and loaded them into a truck. You might assume that if something in your house isn’t moving with you, then it must be safe there for the time being, but this is not always the case. The following list contains items that could present serious dangers during a move:
Potentially Dangerous Items
For the safety of the movers and your family, you can pack things that may seem dangerous. Some of these things are:
- Gasoline
- Propane tanks (full or empty),
- Guns (loaded or unloaded)
- Paint cans (empty or full)
- Chemicals such as cleaners and pesticides, aerosol spray cans
Food
This includes commercially packaged food along with fresh fruits and vegetables. If you’re moving and the food in your fridge and pantry is included in your move, then it’s safe to assume that the movers will take care of it.
However, if you have any food such as fresh meat or dairy products leftover from dinner last night, don’t count on your movers taking care of it.
Valuables and Documents
Many people consider their valuable jewelry and important papers like birth certificates and passports to be among their most cherished possessions. The valuables can easily be stolen during the packing process.
Does Everything Have To Be in Boxes For Movers?
No. Not everything has to be in boxes for movers, but some things should be boxed.
Movers will not box every item, especially if they move your furniture into a storage unit or truck onsite. That’s where you come in. Movers will offer to move the boxes you have packed into your new house. But that is only if you already have all of your boxes prepared and ready to go.
If you do not pack all of your belongings up before moving day comes, most companies will allow you to purchase pre-packed boxes from their company at an inflated price due to convenience. If this is something they do not provide or sell, they might suggest heading over to U-Haul or another self-storage company to purchase boxes.
If you do not pack all of your belongings into boxes, movers will very likely wrap some items (like TVs and the like) with moving blankets to protect them during transit. This can be costly because it may require additional trips to complete this task, especially if you have a lot of larger furniture pieces that cannot fit on their own in the moving truck.
Moving companies are permitted by law to charge for extra trips if they need to go back out onto your property more than once. If they already offer free packing supplies, you might as well utilize them! It’s just silly not to since part of their budget no doubt includes these costs that you would otherwise incur yourself had you decided against purchasing the pre-packed boxes.
How Can I Make Moving Less Stressful?
Moving is one of the most stressful events in any adult’s life, but it doesn’t have to be. With these tips, you can make your move much less stressful and more manageable.
Make a Plan
Making a plan is key to making moving less stressful. A good plan will help you to prioritize and manage your time well. To make an effective plan, consider these questions:
- What deadlines do I need to meet?
- When can I begin packing?
- How much time do I have for each step of the moving process?
The answers to these questions will allow you to determine when it best suits you to pack and when you should start calling movers or other companies that may help.
To create an action plan, break down these big tasks into smaller ones that are easier to manage day-to-day. For example, you can schedule out five to seven days for packing and labeling. If needed, break the week into two-day windows, so you also have time to relax.
Logistics such as moving dates and contracts with movers should be included in your plan. When it comes to moving day, Avoid rushing by having everything packed well in advance – this will save you a lot of stress and headaches later on!
Use a Labeling System
When you start packing after buying a house, plan or create some labels to help you identify your belongings and boxes. This system will greatly improve the efficiency of unpacking afterwards. Label every box with its contents before stacking them neatly in your home or storage unit.
You can either use one system for all of your boxes or create separate systems for different rooms of your home. If you are using boxes that the mover provided, make sure they are clearly labeled with the intended destination room, so movers know where to drop them off.
Start Packing Ahead of Time
One of people’s most common mistakes when moving is waiting until the last minute to pack everything up. After all, it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re busy at work or attending classes. The best way to avoid this last-minute stress is by packing a little bit each day in advance.
