The average people who move are couples with two kids between the age of 18-35, and 73% of items they move are household goods. There are some disputes about how many items Americans own, but we can agree that there are so many things that need to be packed and unpacked in every relocation. So learning how to move efficiently will come in handy whether you intend to move soon or not.
Even if every relocation is a painstaking process, it doesn’t have to be unbearable if you’re well organized and plan for your move. Here you’ll find out how to efficiently pack to move and make this process less stressful.
When we talk about relocating, we imagine a tremendous amount of chaos and stress, but fortunately, if you organize it well, this stress will be negligible. There are a lot of things you have to do and think about when relocating to another state, and this doesn’t only involve packing. You’ll have to think about registering a car in a new state, and about the cheapest ways to ship a car, finding a place to live, and many others. The best way to stay in touch with all the things that have to be done is to write down everything in a notebook or on your phone. This will help you a lot in your organisation. When you put everything on paper, you’ll get a clear picture of your finances, schedule, and obligations in the next couple of weeks or months. This list should always be close to you so you can easily find it. Here are some things you should put on it:
You’re probably wondering what the most efficient way to pack for moving is and how can I make moving easier? The answer is: with professional materials. Just like there are the best cars for off-road driving, as well as the best cars for city driving, there are also first-class packing materials you can use for your relocation, and they are often affordable and easy to get. You can buy them from the comfort of your home – just go online and purchase them on Amazon, or for more professional and specific materials, you can order them from a moving company. Most of them have this option in their repertoire. Here are some things you’ll need:
Many of these things listed above can be replaced with things you have at home. For example, you can use towels and sheets instead of cushioning or foam to protect fragile belongings. If you are relocating on a budget and don’t have enough money to buy boxes, you can use garbage or vacuum bags for your clothes and bedding. Buy contractor trash bags for your heavy stuff like books. You can also use newspaper instead of bubble wrap to protect your glasses and dishes.
Now that you have all the supplies you need, you can begin packing. The most methodical way to do this is to pack items you don’t use at this moment first. For example, if you are relocating in the summertime, put away winter clothes or your Christmas ornaments before starting with other things. After you are done with that, you can start with other belongings, but most commonly, you should pack the stuff from the kitchen and bathroom that you use often last. Also, keep in mind that you can pack some things in the car when shipping it. However, give your movers a call to check what kind of stuff you are allowed to ship in it.
First, you will have to clear a room in your apartment to use it for your packing. Go with a room you won’t need, like a basement, garage, or guest room. Go through all the stuff in each room and decide what you’ll keep and what not. It will be good to clean or wash all the things you plan to keep. It will take some time but trust us, it will pay off. There is no better feeling than knowing all your stuff is clean when unpacking in your new home. But if you take some time and go through each room thoroughly, this whole process will be much easier.
Now it will be a good time to decide which furniture you’re going to take with you to your new home. It will be good if you already have a blueprint of your new location or at least some idea of room sizes and layout, so you can decide what to take. You don’t want to pay for a large sofa move that can’t fit into your new place. Take color stickers and place them on the furniture you plan to move. If you have antique furniture, take it to price evaluation to get insurance and do all the necessary restoration and preparation for relocation. Do a deep cleaning of all the furniture that goes on a truck. There are numerous agencies online that can help you with this.
If you are moving to another state alone, getting a bag of essentials shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you’re relocating with kids, making time for this activity can be tricky, but it is necessary. Pack your bags with stuff that you will need to have nearby during the trip to your new location and after you get there. If you’re planning to drive to the new address, great! – you can carry more stuff with you. So if you ever wonder if owning an RV is worth it or should you buy a family car, now you will have your answer. Here are some things your carryon bag should have:
Once you start going through all the rooms in your house, start making a pile of things you don’t want and what to get rid of. Organize a yard sale and make some money along the way. When decluttering your home thoroughly, you don’t want to throw away something valuable or important. While going through your rooms, designate two piles: one of the things you wish to keep and one you want to give away. And later on, go through your giveaway pile again to check if anything important ended up there by accident. Do this at least one month before the move. This will help you with packing (you will have fewer things to deal with), and you will have time to organize a yard sale or donate this stuff somewhere.
If you are a fan of custom-made cars and a project happens to be sitting in your garage right now, maybe it is time to finish this project one way or another. You can choose numerous options and decide what to do with a totaled car, and one of those options can be to move this car with you. Contact your car shipping company and ask them for car shipping advice in this matter. Maybe it is cheaper to sell a car through an auction than to bring it with you. If you have some things that you never use, now it’s time to get rid of these items. Don’t be lazy and think you will sort these things out once you move. This usually never happens. You will only end up with a garage or basement full of unwanted stuff again.
If you wonder, How can I move my house faster and efficiently? Well, the answer will be in downsizing, and there are a lot of things in our kitchen that you might not want to bring with you, so begin downsizing your kitchen way before other rooms. If you have canned products and other food in your cabinet, eat it – most movers won’t move them. There are probably too many plastic containers without their respective lids. Throw them away and buy glass ones once you move in. You should also defrost your refrigerator at least 48 hours before the big day, so keep in mind that there is food there that you need to eat or dispose of as well. Check this video for more tips on downsizing.
Purchasing moving supplies is only the beginning. If you wish to pack your boxes like a pro, you will have to follow these tips. Also, if you’re wondering When should you start packing to move? It would be best to start this three weeks before, or at least one week before your moving truck is scheduled to arrive.
What is the most efficient way to pack for a move? Using a labeling method is one of the best tricks you can resort to. Not only will packing go much smoother, but unpacking will,and loading on a truck too. Use a combination of labeling systems. For example, assign a color for each room, a number for each shelf of a closet, and write down an inventory list of stuff inside each box. This way, when you look for something, you don’t have to open each carton to find it.
Now that you know the answer to the question How do you move efficiently and the big day is here, it is time to put all the preparations you have done before to good use. On this day, you should have your bag of essentials ready, and pack a box of things you will need at your new home. This box should contain bedding, plates, and mugs for each family member, the wifi router, cables, and cleaning supplies. There should be everything you will use on the first day of your arrival. Label your box and make sure your movers don’t put it on the truck by accident. Also, you should have some cash ready so that you can tip your movers as well.
There are a couple of things you should do to prepare your car for shipping. First, you have to find a USA auto transport company and decide which type of service you want, the enclosed trailer option or the open trailer option. When talking about open and enclosed auto transport, the main difference is in the price and safety. The enclosed trailer is better if you have some of the most expensive cars in the world or if you own electric cars, custom-made, classic, and driverless cars. In comparison, an open trailer is cheaper and more commonly used, and it is also an excellent choice if you have more than one car to ship. After this, you will have to get gas out of your vehicle, do some car washing, and take a picture of your car for insurance purposes. And finally, there’s a decision to be made between door-to-door auto transport and terminal to terminal car shipping.
