With it being a seller’s market, we know lots of people are moving right now, so we bet you’re looking for some packing tips! We know personality styles can play a big part in packing – the planner, the procrastinator, the Type A, the slacker…which one are you? Whatever your style is, we hope these tips will help you to get organized without being overwhelmed.
#1 Start Early
For all you slackers and procrastinators out there, this may be hard for you, but we promise that it will save you some stress in the long run. According to Cassidy’s Moving and Storage, the average three-bedroom home takes a full three to four days to pack up. At best, let’s just say that’s four, eight-hour work days: 32 hours (and we feel that’s being generous). Most people don’t realistically have a full four days to devote to packing, so our recommendation is to break that down.
Let’s say you have a 30-day close on your home. If you break that 32 hours down to 30 days, you’re looking at packing just over an hour a day. Isn’t that so much more manageable? Make a goal to pack two to four boxes a day, and this makes that packing mountain seem so much less intimidating.
#2 Designate a Packing Zone
Living amidst packing boxes and bubble wrap could make the angst of the looming move worse. We recommend designating a packing zone. This would be a space in the house where all completely packed boxes go. This could even be the place you bring the filled boxes to label and tape up so that you always know where your supplies are.
It would be a good idea to consider making the packing zone an easy space for movers (or friends) to navigate as they load the truck. Maybe it’s a basement room that is the same level as the garage so the movers don’t have to navigate stairs. (You may be paying them by the hour after all!) Or perhaps an empty guestroom is more out of the way and will be a good space to shut the door at the end of the day to keep your packing world separate.
#3 Label Boxes Well
This tip may speak more to our organized and Type A personalities, but it’s one of the packing tips that you won’t regret following. It may seem a little silly to write out every piece of content that you put into a box. Just label it “Kitchen,” right? That’s all we need to know! But the reality is, it also takes time to unpack. And if you’ve ever moved before, you know that you’ll have a need for an exact kitchen item, but you won’t want to have to open all 15 kitchen boxes to find the can opener! (We may or may not be speaking from some personal experience here. Then you say, “screw it” and just go buy another can opener, but it’s not as great as that trusty can opener you’ve had since your wedding, so then you’re still wanting to dig through boxes to find your beloved can opener. Okay, we digress now.)
So, take the extra two minutes it takes to write out the 10 items in the box, and you’ll be so glad that you did. Our other label suggestions are:
- Write the name of the room the box belongs in (on the top and at least one side of the box)
- Label the exact contents of the box (on just one side)
- Write if the contents are fragile or extra heavy (read more about this next)
#4 Set a Weight Limit Per Box
This one is really important. You don’t want to injure yourself or anyone else because you’ve tried to pack your entire bookshelf into one box. This can take some strategy, but mostly common sense. Instead, pack one of the shelves of books and then on top, add some lighter items like papers, pillows, craft supplies, etc.
Photo by Shopify Partners from Burst
Another way to avoid over-packing a box is to have a variety of sizes of boxes. Utilizing smaller boxes may mean a few more trips in and out of the moving truck, but everyone’s backs will thank you. Also, make sure the boxes aren’t flimsy. Not all cardboard boxes are created equal. You want sturdy boxes that withstand weight and being handled a lot.
#5 Hire Movers
Of all the packing tips we’ve suggested, take a moment to consider this one. Selling your home comes with a wide range of emotions. Add on top of that the stress of having to continue to work AND find time to pack. Simply put, it can be too much. If you can afford it, consider hiring a professional moving company that doesn’t just load your moving truck but that also boxes your personal items.
For those Type A personalities, you may have to give up a little control on this one, because you can’t be in every room of your house as they’re packing everything up, but you can communicate preferences on labeling (like we talked about earlier). And the reality is, because they’re professionals, they may even do a better packing job than you would. We recommend reaching out to Let’s Get Moving if you’re in the Kansas City metro.
We could go on and on with more packing tips, but you don’t need another reason to feel overwhelmed in this season! So just take these five and apply what you will. At Dani Beyer Real Estate, we’re happy to connect you with any resources to help with your move!