By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Rome wasn't built in a day, and your home won't be packed in one either. Create a realistic timeline for yourself. Carve out time each day for tackling one space or one job at a time. Start with the areas that are less used so that when you pack, you won't miss those items. Even putting aside an hour a day will help get the job done.
Once you have decided where to start, make piles of what stays, goes and gets donated. If you have larger items that need to be hauled away, consider calling a company to help pick up those items like lawn mowers or furniture. If you have items for donation, schedule a day for donations to be picked up and add that date to your timeline so you have just one pick up date for all donated items.
While you are creating your timeline, schedule a time to pick up packing supplies. A great place to get these items is your moving company. You may need to make more than one visit to pick up supplies, so factor that in as well. You will need items like bubble wrap for fragile items, various sizes of boxes for items like dishware and clothing as well as sturdy boxes for heavier items like books. Don't forget the packing tape and labeling supplies.
It's tempting to just pick up random items, throw them in a box and call the job done. However, this method could lead to unpacking chaos once you get where you are going. As you work through a room, be sure to keep like items together. Be sure to label boxes as clearly as possible. For example, putting “Kitchen” on a box is good but labeling it with the kitchen and the items inside will help determine exactly where it goes once it reaches its destination.
As moving day comes closer, think about scheduling a day to invite family and friends to help pack. More hands mean less packing time. If the issue is having too many hands, in the form of kids and dogs underfoot, ask friends and family if they can take your kids or pets for a few hours while you get the work done.
As you get closer to the moving date, you may start to feel overwhelmed. Work with your moving company early in the process to help determine what items they can help pack. Once you know what items will be taken care of by the professional movers, label them. This will help alleviate the stress you may be feeling.
Moving can be stressful but it doesn't have to be if you have a game plan. Work with your moving company to make your big day as seamless as possible.
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