Packaging & Prepping Tips

Moving places is always a stressful experience, as it needs proper coordination and thorough organization. Good planning is the key to a successful move, and it can save tremendous amounts of time as well as emotional and physical strain. Before getting any of the physical part

done, it's important to be aware of the materials that will be needed in the process of packing:

Boxes:

Recipients of your belongings, boxes are not something you're likely to forget. Nevertheless, there are different types of boxes and it's good to know which would fit your furniture and belongings best and which are available if you need them. Being aware of your options is always a good thing. You need to stack up as many as you can before moving, considering you never know the exact number you'll need or how your belongings will fit into them. If you're planning on buying some, make sure to check the quality of the boxes so they don't break mid-moving, which would create a lot of unnecessary problems. A good tip is to use the boxes you bought things in to pack them again, that way you'll be sure it's going to fit and be solid enough to transport them. Boxes also exist in various shapes and forms for more specific things like mirrors or paintings, as well as glass tabletops or mattresses. If the budget is tight, instead of having specific shapes, try packing things together tightly enough that it won't fly around and break. Do try to pack less delicate things like clothes inside furniture if you can, it saves boxes and money.

Wrapping materials:

Everything that's delicate needs to be packed with caution and wrapped in materials that will keep them safe. There are several choices for that category, such as bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts or foam wrap. Those will keep you from worrying about glasses, cups, mirrors and all the things in your house that might break. Safe, light and easy to find, whichever you pick is essential to your moving process.

Tape:

Obviously, you'll need that to close the boxes. Avoid basic duct tape and favor instead packing tape, the solid brown one that'll seal your boxes as long as you need them to. To save time and effort, invest in a tape gun or dispenser, a very handy tool that will ensure your don't lose the end of the tape roll, and that will also avoid the sticky fingers problem. If you can, get several of them so you don't have to fight with whoever is helping you to close boxes.

Markers:

These are essential if you want to help your future self unpack everything. Plan to have several of them everywhere in the house so you can find them easily and keep track of what each box contains and where they are supposed to end up.

Tools:

Much like tape and markers, tools need to be within easy reach so you don't waste energy looking around before disassembling (and later reassembling) all the furniture you have. Think screwdrivers and hammers but also wrenches and sockets. If needed, buy a tool kit. You're not losing money as you'll probably need it as some point in the future.

Ziploc Bags:

You're going to want them to keep together essential items like small bits of furniture you really don't want to lose, or maybe to fill a box of everything that has nowhere else to go. Everything lying around in containers or drawers at the bottom of your cupboard, or, even what's left on the floor when you've moved everything can be sorted into Ziploc bags and packed in a bigger box.

Cleaning Supplies:

Not necessarily a part of the packaging you'll need, you will want them around when you start moving furniture anyway when your boxes and duct tape and markers get submerged by dust. If you keep them around during the moving, you can clean the empty rooms as you empty them. It will save you some time and give you breaks between packing.
Roughly, that's the kind of packaging you will need to go through the tough experience of moving easily. Among the other things you might want to have are gloves, a utility knife if you need to reopen a box, and the classic pen and paper combo that will save you the trouble of remembering all the details and little things you have to check before leaving.