Before you start packing
It is normal to have a buildup of items you never use while living somewhere. Moving can be the best time to figure out what you do and don’t need so you don’t take anything you don’t want to your new home.
A common way is looking at items and considering if they spark joy or not to decide if you keep them or remove them. This is based on the KonMari approach.
Look at what needs to be packed and get your packing material in advance.
Cardboard boxes are good for a once off move. If you move often you may want to consider getting plastic tubs as they stack well and do not need to be re-tapped together each time you want to move.
You will also want to make sure you have plenty of bubble wrap to wrap up anything that could be easily damaged
You will want to make sure anything hazardous such as paint, bleech, etc are in a separate area. This way when it comes time to packing, you won’t accidently pack these items with your normal items.
When you start packing
When you move to your new home, there will be some items that are essential for your first night. You will want to pack those separately. This way there is no stress to get everything unpacked on the same day as your move and you can rest easily and comfortably.
The last thing you want to do is pack damp clothing into a box or container. You want to make sure all your clothing is nice and dry. Any dirty clothing can be packed separately and done at a later date at your new place.
Good ideas while packing
Packing can take a long time. It is easy to underestimate how much time it can take. The earlier you start the less stress you will have when it comes closer to the time when you will do your move.
This way there is less chance of the box/container breaking underneath and it also makes it easier to move.
As your packing think about which room the items should be going into at your new place. Using coloured stickers, or labels on the boxes to identify which room they should go to can make it easier after the move to unpack everything.
You will want to label any boxes with fragile items in them, so this can be taken into consideration when packing them into the truck.
When packing your boxes/containers you’ll want to put the heaviest items on the bottom. This way they won’t crush anything that is ontop. It will also help the boxes/containers balance better when being moved.
Anything fragile wrap in bubble wrap. You can use any excess bubble wrap to fill in any spaces within the box/container so they do not bounce around.
You will want to make sure that items in your box can not slip or move around. The more tightly you fit everything into a box/container the less things will move and the safer they will be.