If you ignore the back breaking work of getting your 300 pound sofa into and out of the moving truck, the worst part of moving is packing. Who wants to live for days and weeks on end in rooms full of cardboard? Who actually wants to pack? Short of hiring movers to do the packing (rarely a bad idea), is it possible to pack and still have a life? Sure! Sort of.
Many packing novices start out by packing everything they see. While that’s certainly a way to get the job done, it’s not the way to keep your life as normal as possible. As a packing veteran, here’s how I do it:
Ask your moving consultant for help – Even if you aren’t paying your moving company to pack for you, you can ask them specifically what boxes you need and how to pack them. They are a great resource. Use them.
Set up a goal – I generally set a goal of five boxes a day. That gives me time to work and time to enjoy at least a bit of my evening. The larger your household, the more help you should recruit and the more boxes you’ll need to pack every day. Simply divide the number of boxes you’ll need to pack (see above) by the number of days before your move, There’s your goal.
Pack books, music and videos first – These are the items that you’re least likely to need before your move. If you do pack something you absolutely need, download it.
Pack clothing next – Set aside the clothing you wear every day, but pack everything that;s out of season or that you know you won’t be wearing before the move. Save some comfortable clothes for moving day.
Then pack the pictures on the wall – You might even want to take them in your car to the new place by wrapping them in blankets and securing them in your car. If that’s not an option, your mover will have picture and mirror boxes,
Pack the knick-knacks – You don’t need those, right?
Pack everything in your kitchen that you don’t use every day – You might have to do a little more dish washing but if you leave one place setting, a couple of pots, pans and other utensils, the kitchen should be a breeze come moving day.
Try to not buy groceries – Trust me when I say the last thing you’ll want to move are the goods in your fridge. If you are moving across country, give it all away unless it will fit in a cooler. If you are moving locally, move the perishables in your car. The less of it you have, the better, This might mean a few days of takeout, but on the bright side, that leaves you more time to pack.
None of this will make your move exactly convenient, but if you follow these pretty simple steps, it shouldn’t completely take over your life.
Featured image via Caitlin Childs/Flickr.
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