7 Ways To Take The Stress Out Of Moving & Packing

  As a defence kid, I’ve moved homes practically every 3 years. Moving was always a funny mix of excitement and anxiety – what would the new home and school ...

As a defence kid, I’ve moved homes practically every 3 years. Moving was always a funny mix of excitement and anxiety – what would the new home and school hold in store for us? Would I have enough space for my books and toys? What unknown mysteries lay ahead couldn’t really be solved by mum and dad but what they did do right, was moving and packing efficiently – so it was always easy to unpack and set up home at the new place. Armed with the right amount of time and patience and careful attention to detail, here’s how you can move and pack minus additional stress:

Start early

It’s always a good idea to begin organising and packing a couple of weeks in advance. Trust me, you don’t want hundreds of boxes to deal with on moving day. Prepare a calendar, sort your stuff and plan well in advance what you’re going to pack and when.

Don’t pack air

If you’re going to be transporting dressers and sideboards, don’t waste the drawer and cupboard space. Obviously, it’s not a good idea to load it with plates and cups and saucers (they will likely be smashed to smithereens at the end of moving day!) – be smart and fill the empty spaces with linen or clothes or soft toys. That way you won’t be transporting air and will also be able to cut down on packing crates or suitcases.

Develop a packing strategy

Organising will get your everywhere! Pack similar stuff together so it’s easy to find and organise at the time of unpacking. It may also be a good idea to pack “room-wise”, that is bedroom stuff goes in one box, study room stuff in another. Develop your own system of labels, symbols or numbering to mark each box and keep a master list detailing what has gone where.

Ramp up on the packing material

Yes, you will need to buy essential packing supplies like tape, boxes, string etc. But you can also find a shortcut by checking with your local grocer or department store – they are sure to have plenty of large cardboard boxes and bubble wrap that they can spare for your packing needs. Before taking them home – do check that the boxes are minus wear and tear, you don’t want your carefully packed stuff falling out!! Large, sturdy garbage bags are another great way to transport oddly shaped bit and pieces or last minute stuff that you forgot to pack away!

Learn to throw

It’s important to know when to chuck or donate stuff. If you haven’t worn those pants in ten years, it’s unlikely you ever will. Organise your stuff into “what you should take” and “what you should leave” and then throw or donate them to someone more needy. Rid yourself of clutter now, to prevent yourself from adding more weight and taking up more space on moving day!

Err on the side of caution

I firmly believe there is no such thing as too much bubble wrap. Either that or take the risk of a few chipped plates and smashed vases by the end of the move. You can also use blankets or towels to wrap delicate stuff in before you pack. Do ensure the boxes containing glassware and electronics are marked “Fragile” so there is extra care taken when handling them.

Disperse the weight

There’s no point taking a huge box and loading it with a 100 books. Chances are it will be entirely to heavy to lift and you’ll end up repacking by the end of it! Divide up heavy stuff like books in multiple smaller boxes so they can easily be moved around. Save the larger boxes for lighter items like clothes and other knick knacks.