Got a big move coming up? Read through my ultimate list of packing tips.
CLOTHING
Clothes can be one of the most unwieldy endeavors when it comes time to pack up your house just because there’s so much of it. Packing clothing can feel like slowly getting buried under a mountain, and with a move happening, that’s just not the kind of stress you need!
Need a few tips for making it less of a hassle? I’ve got the perfect ideas for you. These three tips will make packing your clothes a breeze and get you back to the things that really matter.
Pack Off-Season Clothes First
One of the hardest things about packing clothes is knowing where to start! Fortunately, I’ve solved that one for you, and you’ll never have to worry about that again. Just start by packing the clothes you don’t need for the current season. Summer clothes can be packed normally, and big, bulky winter clothes store well in vacuum-sealed bags that reduce their size so that you save room in the truck.
Pack Hanging Clothes in Trash Bags
Having trouble maneuvering hanging clothes? Try this easy hack. Group hanging clothes together in bundles, and deposit them in trash bags. Tie the trash bag’s tie around the top of the hanger bundle, just below the hook, to fashion a makeshift garment bag. This will make all your hanging clothes much easier and less unwieldy to transport!
Leave Clothes In Dresser Drawers
Did you know? You don’t have to take your clothes out of the drawers they’re in to move them! Treat your dresser drawers like large moving boxes, and simply take them out of the dresser, but leave the clothes in them for transport. Secure them with large rolls of plastic wrap (these can often be purchased in packing supply stores) and load them onto your moving vehicle as normal. Packing clothes doesn’t have to be a terrible chore! Chip at it a little bit at a time, and before you know it, you’ll have your entire wardrobe packed.
TELEVISION
What’s the biggest thing in your living room? If you’re like most people, it’s your TV! If you’re having movers deliver the television, then inform them the dimensions of your television before the move. Oftentimes the movers will be able to accommodate your TV with their own specialized equipment. If you don’t have movers, though, and you’re stuck moving on your own, there are a few tips that can make transporting your TV easier. If you have the original packing materials it came in, that is the best thing to transport it in. If you don’t, though, that’s okay! Just get access to some padding, like blankets, bubble wrap, or both.
Wrap your TV the way you would wrap a present, making sure the whole thing is wrapped and padded tightly. Use moving straps (like the kind you can get from truck rental shop) to secure it. If you don’t have moving straps or access to a place that sells or rents them, you can use household items like duct tape or even plastic wrap to keep your padding in place. Once your TV is securely padded, then you want to place it somewhere on your moving vehicle where it will be sturdy and safe. The best place is on the very back of a moving truck, tucked behind everything else that needs to be transported so that it stands upright. As long as it’s protected from the sharp corners of boxes and other furniture, your TV should be safe from most bumps that might damage it.
Have you ever moved with a big TV before? Is it easier to move it in the box it came in, or wrapped in padding? Have any advice? I’ll look for it in the comments!
VIDEO GAMES
Got an impressive collection of video game equipment? When you move, expensive things like your Playstation don’t need to be at risk of experiencing the bumps and bruises of the road, so here are a few tips for keeping them in great working condition.
Use The Original Box
You may think the original box is just trash after you open it but consider saving it in a closet in case you need to move. The most secure box to transport your game system in is the one it was made for! If you don’t have access to the original box, get a box that will fit your system, and make sure to have enough packing material handy so that nothing inside moves around.
Unplug Everything
Cords get tangled. To avoid any frustrating tangling or even damage, detach all the cords that come with your system before you pack it. Secure them tightly by wrapping them up with rubber bands or plastic wrap, and clearly label what each cord is for so that you’ll be able to get your system hooked up quickly and easily when you need to.
Similarly, you’ll need to take any batteries out of your controllers (they can leak) and wrap any cords around them in order to keep them tidy and together. You can wrap them loosely with packing material but try not to put too much pressure on the face of the controller, as this can damage the delicate circuitry of the buttons and analog sticks.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
It may be tempting to load your packed game system on to a hot moving truck, but you might want to reconsider. Extreme temperatures can ruin delicate electronics, so make sure that your box gets labelled clearly and ends up somewhere in your car rather than in a moving van without air conditioning. Do you like video games? Leave me your favourite one in the comments!
DISHES
One of the trickiest and most stress-inducing things to pack are your dishes. China is breakable, and often have sentimental or heirloom value, and there’s nothing worse for breakables than a truck that could hit a bump on the highway. Fortunately, you can avoid most disasters with a little careful planning.
Getting Ready
Packing dishes correctly is easy, and you don’t need many supplies to do it. You’ll need some sturdy boxes, not too large, and some cushioning material to wrap your dishes in, like paper or bubble wrap. If you check on Amazon or at retailers that sell packing materials, you can even find boxes that are made specifically for transporting dishes.
Step One
First, you’ll want to take some of your packing material, and use it to line the bottom of your box. Crumple up newspaper or pad it with a layer of bubble wrap. This is to protect against unexpected bumps on the road. Then, carefully, wrap each individual dish in paper, bubble wrap, or thin foam, and secure with packing tape.
Step Two
After each dish is wrapped, place them in the box on their sides. (Don’t ever stack dishes flat; this can lead to damage.) Keep adding plates until the box is tightly packed and fill any space that is left in the top with more packing materials, bed lines, or old towels in order to fill space and provide further cushioning.
Step Three
Close and secure the box with packing tape, and make sure you mark the box as fragile, so either you or your movers know what’s inside. Tuck boxes like this in places they can’t be moved, like under bigger pieces of furniture where they fit snugly, and you and your dishes will make it to your new home in no time!
BOOKS
If you’re a book lover, you’ll know that traveling with books can be a hassle! It doesn’t seem like they ought to be so heavy, but a bookshelf’s worth of books is heavy, especially if all stacked in one box! Whether you’ve got movers or you’re moving the books yourself, this method will make it easier on everyone involved!
Sort
The first step in packing books? Deciding which books to pack. Moving is a great time to declutter, so get sorting! Go through each book individually and decide if it’s something you really must have in your library or a book that you’ll never read again. If you don’t think you’ll find yourself having use for something, then consider donating it to a used book shop or your local library.
Collect Boxes
Here’s where most people go wrong. When you’re looking for boxes to transport books in, don’t try to move them all in a few larger boxes. Instead, opt for several medium or smaller sized boxes, in order to keep the weight of each box as low as possible. When it comes to a flight of stairs, a box of books might as well be a box of bricks!
Pack
Next, we pack your treasures. The key to this is arranging them in the box so they won’t get damaged, and there are a few ways to do this. You can either place them in the box exactly the way they are on the shelf, or you can place them with the spines facing down and the pages facing up. Placing books with the pages facing the bottom of the box can cause damage, and so can being packed too tightly, so remember to be gentle. What books are essential to your collection, no matter where you move? I could use a good read, so let me know in the comments!
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