Moving house is a big job and can require a whole lot of preparation, planning and plenty of patience. Get the one up on a potentially messy moving situation, avoid future sweat and tears and check out our handy packing tips for moving house:
Keep all your everyday essentials in an easily accessible, labelled box
There’s nothing worse than moving house and not having a clue where you’ve left your everyday essentials. After a long day of moving, you’re really going to want to brush your teeth or kick back with the book you were halfway through reading. With a bit of pre-planning you can cut out a lot of time searching through your belongings for the stuff you need the most.
Keep the things you need together and place them in a box which you’ll be able to access easily both before and after the move. The first day after a move is bad enough without scrounging around for your favourite things.
Throw out things you don’t need
It’s much easier to downsize while you’re packing than when you’re unpacking. When you move house, you’ll have enough on your mind without having to deal with unwanted junk.
Decluttering will make your move (and life) way easier so it’s better to do it sooner rather than later. Chances are you really won’t be needing that half-broken flickering lamp in your new crib, so throw it out.
Label everything
Leave no box unlabelled. Sometimes you’re in a rush but make sure you label boxes neatly and correctly as soon as you’ve packed them up. It’s easy and efficient to sort your things by room (eg. kitchen, lounge room) and that’s probably the best way to label your boxes too.
Group things together to avoid excessive labelling as well. Simple and short labels are much better than a never-ending checklist scrawled across the side of a box, or dozens of crossed out, distracting descriptions.
Pack up things you don’t use regularly a few weeks beforehand
There are some things and you can leave to the last minute and there are some things you can’t. Packing is definitely one of those you can’t. Where you can, start packing early and box up some of your belongings you won’t be using in the weeks leading up to your move. Paintings on the wall? Your extensive book collection? Sure, you can’t live without them, but you can actually live without them for a week or two and it would make your life much easier if they were out of your way.
Try as hard as you can to finish up any leftovers and toiletries
Towards the end of your move, spare room in boxes is as precious as gold, and you really don’t want to waste it with that half filled Milo can or a quarter filled box of toiletries. Try and empty your pantry, fridge and bathroom cabinets as much as possible, and avoid buying new products too when you can easily hold off for a few days and leave it until after the move.
Drawers, clothes baskets, suitcases and spare bags are your friend
You’re bound to run out of boxes and towards the end of packing any spare room is like gold. Keep in mind that things like clothes baskets, empty and clean bins and any crates or storage containers are great for storing things like clothes, accessories, small toiletries and other bits and pieces and you’ll inevitably find around the house.
When you’re storing items, use your Tetris skills
In order to pack a space effectively, you’ve got to think about saving space right from the very start. Stack chairs, use shelves and drawers effectively and don’t be scared of being a little creative (unless it’s with your grandma’s vase.) Lighter items like cushions and fold-up furniture can be stacked almost anywhere so focus on heavier furniture first, or items in clunky and awkward shapes and sizes, and store smaller and less fragile items wherever they fit towards the end.
Need some extra space to make your move a little easier? Rent A Space has a great range of storage options available in a number of different shapes and sizes. Visit your local store and find a storage solution which is right for you.
