Moving to a new place can often be a fresh start. It’s the perfect time to sort through items in your house and donate or sell things you no longer need. It can also be a stressful time, especially if you’re not sure where to start and have a lot to pack. Luckily, we at BBX Moving have some helpful tips to get you started when it comes to preparing to pack and what to pack first when moving.
Preparing to Pack
Once you’ve pruned down your possessions and know what you’ll be taking with you to your new place, make a list of the items you’ll be using between now and moving day. Be sure to consider kitchen tools when making your list as the last thing you want is to have to unpack boxes in search of a colander you forgot you needed. Set aside as many boxes as you’ll need for those last minute items. As you’ll likely need these things right away in your new place, be sure to mark the labels on the box to indicate these boxes should be opened first.
Priority Packing
Storage and Basement Items
When determining what to pack first, it’s easy enough to say “start with storage,” however, half the time what’s in storage is already packed. If it isn’t, it’s a good place to start. If you’re moving from a larger space that has a basement, start there. If you come across any luggage while packing up your basement or storage, save it out for packing the items you’ll need right away at the new place.
Art and Knick-Knacks
Decorations, art, and other wall hangings are an easy place to start when packing. Being purely for aesthetics, you can pack them away and not worry about needing them again. They’re also an easy way to boost your packing motivation, as your space will look larger and more empty once the walls are bare. Knick-knacks also fall into the decorations category and can be easily packed away to clear up space and get the ball rolling for some serious packing.
Books
If you’re an avid reader, you’ve likely got a bookcase full of books and maybe even one or two piles around your home that you can pack up. Be sure to return any borrowed books while you’re at it. If you missed the books when you were decluttering, save space and weight and donate any books you don’t want to your neighbourhood book box. The benefit of packing your books early means you can keep those heavier boxes on the bottom of your BBX Moving stack so you won’t have to lift them up and down.
Kitchen Items
You likely won’t be baking cupcakes or cookies in the days leading up to your move. Pack away the muffin trays and baking sheets as well as any other kitchen items you know you won’t be needing to save you time. In fact, it’s helpful to set aside the things you will be needing—try to keep it to one box worth—and pack everything else. If you’ve only got a week or less before moving day, it’s easier to wash the same plate every night than have to pack all of them the night before. Save out one of each bowl, plate, cup, and cutlery set for each person in your home and pack up the rest.
Top Tips
When packing up bathroom items you won’t immediately be needing, it’s tempting to pack away your first aid kit—especially if you haven’t used it in awhile. In this case, it’s better to not tempt fate and keep a few supplies handy for the day of the move when cuts and scrapes are likely to occur.
Save space and supplies by wrapping fragile items like dishes and glassware with your spare towels and bedding. Clothes you won’t be wearing also make great padding and you can use thicker items like sweaters to pad the top and bottom of the box for extra protection.
Lastly, make your move faster and easier with BBX Moving. Our reusable plastic moving boxes make packing easier by saving you time and supplies so you can get packing sooner. BBX Moving Boxes are also stackable, saving you space and worry so you can stack multiple boxes safely out of the way without fear of collapse. On moving day, BBX Moving Boxes speed up your moving process by easily rolling into the moving van on Bungowheels and uniformly filling the space—no need to play Tetris with your odd sized boxes to make sure everything fits. Organize your stacks of BBX Moving Boxes by room and save time when unpacking.
When you want an easier, faster move, contact BBX Moving to get started.
