You’ve found the perfect place, and you’re excited to move into your new home. But as you look around your current home, you find yourself bewildered and overwhelmed. It’s time to pack, and you don’t know how or where to start.
If you’re not careful, you’ll be drowning in moving supplies, tape, and paper, and unable to find anything. The Blue Ox Moving & Storage team has a plethora of experience in packing and moving. Here we share how to pack while keeping it organized. You’ll learn about labeling and categorizing your items for a stress-free packing and unpacking experience.
The Importance of Keeping it Organized
There is so much to do when moving, so organization is critical. You can easily organize and manage your move using the Blue Ox Ultimate Moving Checklist. And just like the checklist for moving ensures a smooth move, a checklist and organization method will make the packing experience much more manageable.
Before You Begin
Before you dive into the packing process, you’ll want to take the time to prepare for the process.
1. Sort
Start by sorting through your items…
2. Take Inventory
Write down what you have in category lists: sheets, China, winter clothes, winter accessories, etc, and add by room. You’ll get a clear picture of what you’re packing.Sometimes we purchase items, and they get lost in our homes. Making an inventory helps you to know what you have so you’ll see what you still need. Use good old-fashioned pen and paper, an excel spreadsheet, or an inventory app like Sortly.
Once you know what you have, declutter by getting rid of things you don’t use, don’t need, or won’t work in your new home. When you’re only working with what is necessary, the job doesn’t seem as overwhelming.
3. Prep Everything
Next, dust off your accessories and other items you have to pack. There’s no sense in moving dusty items only to clean them in your new home.
4. Gather Labeling Supplies
Make sure that you have more moving boxes than you think you need. You will also need:
- High-quality permanent markers like broad chisel tip Sharpies in black
- Colored tape to help identify boxes.
- (Post it notes are a great way to differentiate boxes and items according to room)
- Labels
- Bubble wrap
- Box cutters
Labeling Boxes
You’ll want to label your boxes as you pack them. Pack, seal and then label them immediately. Label them on the top and again on the two opposite sides. The sides are important to label because no one can see what’s in the box if the top is labeled and the boxes are stacked.
One excellent method is to label them by room and category. When it’s time to unpack them, it will help know what each box contains so you’ll know what you should unpack first and what can wait until last. When you label your boxes by room, you don’t have to move them twice once they get to your new house. Your movers can place them in the appropriate room as they move them into the house. It will also alert them to boxes containing fragile items.
Assign a color for each room, person, and category. Choose colors as they make sense to you. Your teen daughter loves pink; that’s her color. Green is calming, so it’s the living room. You find oranges in the kitchen, so the kitchen is orange.
Include any additional information on the boxes as needed. A box of all of the surround sound components should be easily identifiable when you get to your new home. Thomas the Train collection, handle with care, gaming systems, etc.
Indicate if the contents are fragile or if the movers should carry it with one particular side up. It may also be helpful to post a piece of colored paper corresponding with your labeling system on the doors or walls of your new home to make it easier for the movers, your friends and family, and yourself.
Packing the Kitchen
The kitchen has so many items of various sizes and shapes. Using your green marker, label your boxes according to the contents as shown below:
- Kitchen – Dishes
- Kitchen – Fine China
- Kitchen – Small Appliances
- Kitchen – Glassware
When you’re looking for the dishes and glassware you need immediately, you’ll be able to move past the box of fine China that you rarely use. To help you pack your kitchen in the most efficient manner, check out our blog post.
Packing the Living Room
- Living Room – Breakable
- Living Room – Non-Breakable
- Living Room – Electronics
It’s easy to break accessories, frames, and small artwork. So, it’s essential to identify these items. And you’ll be able to find them when you’re ready to accessorize your space.
Clothing
Pack clothing according to who owns them and the appropriate season as you pack clothing. If it’s spring, you’ll want to get to those spring and summer clothes before the ones for winter.
- Chelsea’s Room – Spring Wear
- Christophers Room – Winter Gear
- Mary’s Room – Golf Gear
Extra Tips for Packing & Unpacking
When purging, discard clothing out of style, doesn’t fit, or hasn’t been worn in a year. If you would like to donate items, choose a charity that will pick up your items to make it easier, like the Salvation Army.
- Consider storing items that you aren’t sure about discarding just yet. Or for things that won’t be able to fit into your new home until you have made adjustments or renovations.
- Choose wardrobe, art, and television boxes. You can keep your clothes on the hangers and move them into the closet in your new home. And artwork and electronics stay in good shape when packed appropriately.
- Put your small kitchen gadgets into your pots to save space.
- Use plastic wrap around containers to spill-proof them.
- Use your suitcase for items like books.
- Before you disconnect your television, take a photo of the back of your television to remind you which cord goes into which slot.
- Don’t forget your moving day essentials bag with things you’ll need as soon as you move in, like essential documents, medications, device chargers, toiletries, and clothing.
- Make sure you are packed at least a day before moving day.
Professional Packing Services
With this helpful guide, you will be well on your way to a fully packed home in an organized fashion. But often, our clients elect to have Blue Ox Moving & Storage do the packing for them. Along with the packing service, you get the packing supplies needed.
We offer partial and full packing and unpacking services. Our team of professionals takes exceptional care of our client’s belongings and takes all precautions to protect them.
Choose Blue Ox Moving & Storage
For an organized and stress-free move, please make a list of items that need to be moved and give us a call today at 832-934-2583, or reach out via the online estimate request form. Blue Ox Moving & Storage offers an efficient move with no hidden costs or extra charges.
