Expert Packing Advice By ATop Movers
There is no doubt that packing and moving can feel overwhelming. Follow this simple step-by-step guide to make things easier.
SUMMARY
TIME MANAGEMENT For a large house, we recommend 1 month of packing time if you aim to pack at least a few boxes a day and a room per week. If you are moving a small house or apartment, give yourself a minimum of two weeks to pack.
CREATE THE MASTERPLAN Consider how many boxes you will need to pack and any challenges that may arise when planning the timing and deadlines for each room.
DECLUTTER Be sure to remove all items and belongings that will need to be thrown out, sold, donated, or given away in advance.
MOVING ESSENTIALS Leave aside any essentials for moving day.
LABEL BOXES Labels need to be clearly legible with what is inside the box, the room it belongs in and clearly mark FRAGILE items.
BOX PACKING SAFETY Overfilling boxes increases the likelihood of the box breaking, becoming too heavy, and causing accidents during transportation.
FORGETABLES Don't forget to keep your valuables, decorative items and sensitive documents in a safe spot and packed. Don't forget to stop buying groceries a week before leaving to avoid food spoilage. Lastly, don't forget to thaw the fridge and throw out any remaining food.
PACKING GUIDE
MOVING SUPPLIES
LABELING BOXES: Marker pens and sticky labels to place on boxes. Even consider coloured stickers to colour code boxes by room.
NUMBER OF BOXES: Try to estimate the number and types of boxes needed per room.
PACKING MATERIAL & TAPE: Find sturdy tape and packing material to ensure your items stay safely inside during the transportation of one home to the next.
Consider cutting costs by reusing old boxes from family and friends or using clothing and towels for packing material.
ORGANIZING ROOM BY ROOM
GROUP TOGETHER INVENTORY: Write down the inventory for each room, to help you identify what will be grouped together.
CENTRALIZED GROUPED ITEMS: Items that are similar but found in different rooms, can be grouped together in the same box.
PHOTOGRAPH ELECTRICALS DEVICES:
Reconnect devices with ease by snapping a picture of the back of each electrical item. ex., TV
PACK WITH HIERARCHY:
Pack from least vital to most used items. Start at the dining room and study area can and move towards the kitchen and bedrooms last.
TAPING BOXES: Start with taping the base, then when closing the box , along the cross shape and lastly across the middle.
PACKING FRAGILE ITEMS: Be generous with packing paper to prevent items from knocking against each other. Always pack heavier items at the bottom and wrap each item individually. You may use towels as a buffer for some items such as pots or pans and use cling wrap to help stacked items stay in place. Make sure to add additional padding to the top of boxes that haven't been filled to the top to ensure they are sealed tight and to prevent collapsing.
LABEL YOUR BOXES: The more detail about the items inside the box the better ex. “Kitchen: Appetizer plates & saucers – FRAGILE”. Next, number your boxes, to keep track of all essential items and ensure every box is accounted for.
BOXES THAT ARE MOVE DAY READY: Instead of stacking boxes like wooden blocks, consider stacking them like bricks, with each one overlapping each other to create more stability and reduce the risks of anything falling when bumped or knocked. Lighter boxes on top and heavier ones at the bottom.
Did you know that the kitchen is one of the most time consuming rooms to pack in any home? When packing dishes, place them vertically in the box, not on top of each other to minimize cracking during transportation.