As the moving date approaches, the thought of packing your belongings kicks in, and a constant question hits you: when should you start packing to move? We have shared detailed packing tips for a stress-free relocation in this blog to ensure you are prepared for your moving journey.
Packing Schedule for a Move
Setting a schedule for moving preparations is crucial. It helps you stay organized and accomplish every task before the moving day, saving you from last-minute hassle. Regarding moving, packing is the most difficult and time-consuming task. However, it can be made easier by creating a timeline for packing household items. Follow our packing timeline to streamline your moving journey.
One Month Before Moving Day
The best time to start packing for relocation is one month before your scheduled moving date. You can use our practical moving guide to make your move hassle-free. Complete these tasks in the first month to minimize your burden of moving.
-
Gather supplies: Gather moving supplies as much as you can. Sometimes supplies get short, so to avoid this problem, stock up on supplies timely.
-
Declutter: Declutter your house. Check every household item and analyze them. Start with one room and then move to the other.
-
Sort infrequently used items: Assemble items that are not needed anymore in one place. If they are irrelevant, then discard them or sell or donate them.
-
Decide if you want to hire movers: One of the important decisions you need to make is if you need the help of professional movers. They are the easiest and most comfortable packing option, but this can be expensive too.
-
Rent storage if needed: Decide whether you need storage. Book it early if you have too many items that cannot be adjusted in your new house or need storage temporarily.
Two Weeks Before Moving Day
The two weeks before your move must be well-spent. Book your movers and start packing. Use our packing tips for a stress-free relocation.
-
Start Packing: Planning for packing before a move is essential before you get into the business. Also, if you have allocated a budget and completed tasks within one month, you can start packing your belongings.
-
Clear your wardrobe: Clear your wardrobe and put your clothes in a box or suitcase. If you don't need certain clothes, you can discard or donate them to loosen some burden.
-
Pack kitchenware: Pack your kitchenware in a secure and clean box. Keep their packaging disinfected to maintain their hygiene.
-
Donate and Sale: Start a donation drive or garage sale. You can easily earn money by selling items to your neighbors and friends. Continue it until you have sold and donated everything.
-
Label everything: Label every box after you have filled it with your items. It will prevent confusion and keep everything organized in a manner. Use color-coding techniques while labeling boxes.
One Week Before Moving Day
When should you start packing fragile items for a move? The answer is one week before your scheduled time. Besides this, only a few duties will be completed before one week.
-
Pack essentials: It is the best time to pack and secure your fragile and valuable item. During this time, there will be less chance for fragile and valuable items to be damaged.
-
Cancel Membership: Cancel your gym membership and any other services you use if you are moving far away. To prevent being billed for the following month, complete this as soon as possible.
-
Do The Cleaning: Do a thorough cleaning of the room that you have emptied. Fix any broken handles or lights. It is because your landlord may charge extra when you move out.
-
Update Address: Update your documents, such as your home address or any other important document, to prevent any loss of posts.
Day of the Move
The most awaited day has arrived. You don't have to worry if you have made or followed the packing timeline for a smooth move. Follow the last steps to make your upcoming journey hassle-free.
-
Call the movers/rental truck: Start your moving early in the morning. Call the movers/rental truck and let them do their job of loading and unloading.
-
Check your House: Survey each room and attic to ensure you have caught everything. Keep a packing checklist in your hand for a smooth move.
-
Get the boxes loaded: Get the movers to load your items carefully. If you are loading yourself, start with the bulkiest items, followed by small boxes and bags.
-
Protect Your Belongings: Ensure the movers use proper moving supplies and equipment to carry out the move.
Steps To Prepare for Packing and Moving
When should we initiate the packing process for moving? As exciting as it is to move to a new home and new place, it is much more complicated and time-consuming to pack up your whole house. It is necessary to be fully prepared for your impending move. Otherwise, without proper preparation, you will be greatly burdened by last-minute packing and likely to make many mistakes.
Here are some efficient steps and strategies for moving that you can follow:
Make Plan
Creating a moving packing plan is crucial for smooth moving. First, you should buy a planner or folder to write a packing checklist, inventory, and packing supplies list.
Inventory
Organizing belongings before moving can greatly reduce your moving-related stress. Before you pack, make an inventory of all your belongings. Divide it into different categories of rooms. It will help you know your and fragile items' packing needs.
Packing Supplies
Gather as many packing supplies as you can. There are never enough supplies when moving. Boxes, tape, straps, bubble wrap, scissors, bags, and markers are essential packing elements.
Packing Tips
Packing is a very time-consuming task. When you have a huge load of items, you will need clarification about what and how to pack them. Here in this blog, we have mentioned different useful packing tips that you can use to make your packing smooth.
-
Declutter: The more items you have, the more burden you will have to pack them all. Donating, selling, or discarding items you don't need is recommended.
-
Fragile items: Fragile needs proper care and handling skills. Suppose they are small items; wrap them up in your clothes. Use bubble wrap, Styrofoam, and straps for big items to prevent damage.
-
Labeling: Label all your boxes with a marker properly. So, when you move the boxes to your new home, you can place them in the right place without misplacing them.
-
Check the Weight of the boxes: Keep the Weight of your boxes less than 50 pounds. They will be easy to move and prevent boxes from opening from below. Also, place heavy items at the bottom and lighter items on top.
Time Taken for Packing
How long will it take to pack up your house? Well, it depends on your home’s size and your personal or mover’s speed. Managing time for packing and moving tasks is not a one-day job. It is best to spend optimal time on packing to avoid any mistakes.
If you are hiring top city movers, they take only a few hours to pack all your things. But if you are doing self-service moving, then it all depends on your stamina. Here are some ideas of how much time it will take for you to pack your house completely based on your home size:
- Studio Apartment 1-bedroom takes 10-12 hours.
- Small Apartment with 2 bedrooms takes 1-2 days.
- Medium-sized house with 3-4 bedrooms takes 2-4 days.
- Large House 5+ bedrooms 4-7 days or more.
Learn More: How Much Do Movers Cost For A 2-Bedroom Apartment
Factors That Affect Packing Time
Some factors can affect your overall packing time.
-
Size of your Belongings: Packing time depends heavily on the number of personal belongings and valuables. It will take you longer to pack and move the more items you have.
-
Fragile and valuable items: The more valuable and fragile items you have, the more time it will take you to pack. This is because you have extra consideration and care for these items.
-
Number of helpers: If you have many hands-on decks, then your packing will likely be complete in a short amount of time. You can divide tasks among each of your family members to save time.
