Everyone knows that packing up and moving homes is a dreadful task. If you’re building a new home the assumption is that this horrible task lies somewhere in your not-to-distant future! Here’s some great tips to make the move just that little bit easier
Make an action plan
Making a plan before the moving process begins is your best bet to ensuring a smooth shifting process. Make a plan to pack – which room will you pack first, will you need to leave some items from a particular space out, how many boxes will you need, do you have enough tape, scissors, packing foam. Ensuring you have planned all these things in advance will mean you won’t be running around on the day trying to find things you need but haven’t planned for!
Declutter
Ah, as Marie Kondo says – if it doesn’t bring you joy, get rid of it! Decluttering before you pack allows you a fresh start in your new home! You’ll already have thrown away unnecessary items so there’ll be less sorting to do when you arrive to unpack at your new home.
Lists, lists, lists
As this blog writer who has moved approximately 6,482 times in her life knows, the best way to a smooth moving day is to write lists! List writing is not only an effective tool for organisation, it’s also a great tool to shift some mental load from yourself in preparation for that big day. You don’t need to add more stress to the day by trying to remember everything that needs to be done, write it down! Prepare yourself a packing list, a to-do list for booking cleans and pest control, for organising kids and pets on the day, a list for things you need to leave out – keeping a bad of essentials handy is the best secret weapon on moving day! A bad full of clothes, pyjamas, toothbrushes and all necessary items for family members ensures that if you don’t quite make it to fully unpacked come bed-time, you can still get those kids down with ease.
Label, Label, Label
Labelling in any area of life is important but when moving labelling is of the utmost importance. If you’re packing boxes and not labelling them, you’re living life far too on the edge! Ensuring that each box is labelled with a brief description of it’s contents and, if possible, which room it will need to be placed in can save time and confusion during the unpacking process. It will also help other people that are assisting with your move to know where a box needs to be placed at the new home! This will mean less time wasted double handling boxes that aren’t placed in the correct space for unpacking
Essentials
Keeping the essentials in a readily available space will ensure that if the day doesn’t work out quite as planned and your stuck having to shower and feed the children and haven’t quite had time to completely unpack, you’ll still be prepared. Keeping a bag with pyjamas and a spare change of clothes for each household member, chargers for phones and tablets, toothbrushes and toothpaste and any other little items you’ll need to ensure you can easily get everyone into bed after a long day. Writing a little list of these items before packing will help ensure you’ve checked every box. Keeping snacks and a quick and easy dinner or lunch prepared in an esky will ensure less money is wasted buying take out food and service station snacks while you’re on the go during moving day
Clean before you pack
Now is the perfect time to give all those items you don’t usually clean a quick wipe over before they get placed into their boxes for moving. Have a bucket of cloths ready and any disinfectant spray you would normally use and wipe everything down to ensure you aren’t taking any unwanted visitors or extra dust into your shiny new home! If you plan to take curtains or upholstery items to the new house make a plan to have them cleaned in the weeks leading up to the move to ensure there is minimal room for unexpected work to be done after you have finished unpacking.
Preparation is key when it comes to moving homes and the best way to a smooth moving day is to prepare with these measures. Make time before you move to make sure you’ve got everything lined up to minimise surprises on moving day. Delegate tasks to make the packing process a little easier and give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Good luck!
