Making a move is exciting, but before you can get comfortable in your new home, you have to pack. Getting all of your things organized can certainly seem like a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be. Leave behind your worries about breaking your good china or losing your favorite pair of shoes. With these tips, your move will be smooth sailing.
Don’t Wait to Get Started
Do yourself a favor and don’t wait until the last minute to start packing. It’s easy to get caught in a cycle of “I’ll do it tomorrow,” but it’s best not to procrastinate. You’ll be able to organize your items better if you establish a steady pace early on rather than a fast pace later. Packing is a big project, so start soon enough that you can break it up into manageable chunks of time. That way, you won’t find yourself getting overly-exhausted from packing.
Don’t Mix Items
When you’re packing, don’t just throw your belongings willy-nilly into the nearest box. Go room-by-room, so when you start unpacking, you can easily place them in the room where you know the items belong. You won’t find yourself frantically searching for the forks only to find they somehow ended up in the box with your shoes.
Color-Code Your Boxes
Instead of hand-writing on every single box which room it goes in, use sticky notes or colored stickers. Create a key detailing which color is assigned to which place, and label your boxes accordingly. If you assign the color red to your kitchen, you can keep track of your kitchen items by placing a red sticker on every carton with kitchen items.
Get Rid of Stuff You Don’t Need
Do you know what makes packing easier? Having less stuff to pack! While you’re organizing your items, think about what you need to take with you, then work on decluttering the rest. If there’s something you haven’t used in years or that you didn’t even know you had, you can probably get rid of it. Consider donating these items if possible or selling them if you want some extra cash. If you can’t do these things, don’t be afraid to throw stuff out.
Pack Essentials Separately
Unless you have superpowers, you probably aren’t going to unpack everything in one day. It’s going to take some time, so it’s best to make sure your essentials are easily accessible for the first night. Keep items like your toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper, medication, make-up, shampoo, and other toiletries nearby. Put them in an overnight bag, so when that first day of packing is over, you’ll have everything you need to get a good night’s sleep.
Moving should be something to look forward to, not something to stress over. Practice smart packing techniques like these, and before you know it, you’ll be calling your new place “home.”