How to Pack Efficiently for a Move

Packing, your father might have told you, is an art. Fortunately for you, it’s an art that’s easy to master once you understand it. You obviously can’t just dump your belongings in some cartons and suitcases and call it a day. No, if you want to utilize your packing space well and keep your belongings safe and sound, there are some things you’ll absolutely want to keep in mind.

1)   Create a packing station

All packing happens here! This is a spacious, wide open place at your home, where you can easily drop all your stuff as it comes up. It will also contain your packing supplies and boxes. Basically, this is the area of the house where the packing magic happens. Number your boxes as you seal them up, so you’ll always know if one is missing after the move.

2)   How to arrange items

Don’t pack air. The trick to packing is avoiding pockets of air in between individual items. Items should be wrapped using clothes, bubble wrap or wrapping sheets, and then carefully placed in the best position in the box. If there’s any space between items, fill it using wadded newspapers. Use additional layers of padding or wrapping to protect fragile items before packing them in. And add saran wrap between caps and bottles in order to prevent them from leaking. Saran wrap will also help items like necklaces remain untangled as you place them in a container.

Always pack heavier items on the bottom and lighter ones on top of them. The more items you’re able to compress in a box, the fewer the number of boxes you’ll need. Don’t over pack to the extent that the boxes become bulky or break, however. Certain items should be grouped together in separate, smaller boxes, such as toys or boxes.

3)   Label the boxes

Number the boxes when you’re done sealing them, and also label them with the room they come from. This practice will make unwrapping a lot less of a hassle. Pack a room at a time in order to not get into an overwhelming mess. As you pack, clean out every room as well, throwing away junk and assigning loose items to the packing station area. It’s usually best to start with the kitchen. And pack the smaller items first in order to get them out of the way.