Everything You Need to Know About Packing for Your Move

After securing a new home there is a lot to look forward to, but packing is not usually one of them. Packing can be a monotonous task and often includes family arguments, difficult decisions and stress. It’s like a real-life game of Monopoly.

In fact, research has found that moving home is more stressful than divorce and any other significant life event. 62% of 2,000 adults surveyed in the study stated that moving home was more stressful than their crushing heartbreaks or starting a new career.

In our packing guide, we address some of the key problems when packing for a move with a complete guide on how to do it effectively. It might be a stressful time, but there are ways to mitigate your moving stress through strategic packing.

We will also touch on some ways you can make your move more environmental – just by how you pack!

Sensible Three-Step Guide on Packing for Your Move

Step ONE: Your Plan of attack

Before you open a box or grab the tape, you need to grab a pen and notepad instead. The very first step of packing should be to do an inventory of all your home possessions. Do this by walking into each room rather than guessing from your sofa as you could easily forget and item or 10.

Next, decide which items are coming with you and which ones you no longer want to keep. This may involve family meetings taking place. You can always give/donate unwanted items to:

• Friends and family
• Neighbours
• Charity
• Paid-for collections
• Sell them on social media marketplaces

If you need help at this stage, you can always use our room-by-room guide on how to declutter.

Once you know what will be moving with you, you can accurately estimate how many boxes you will need. Getting your hands on one box in advance is a good way to make your estimate even more accurate. You don’t want to be court multiple boxes short on moving day.

And don’t forget those packing extras such as bubble wrap to protect delicate items, newspaper and tape!

Step TWO: Tactical Packing

Believe it or not, but there are even more tactics to packing up your home and moving. Those who pack well and never have to unpack boxes to dig out an item remember two key things:

1. What they will need right up until they move
2. What they will need as soon as they are in their new home

You need to pack up your things by considering the items you will need right up until leaving your home, and the things you will want as soon as you are in your new one. The most common items in both instances are toiletries, hygiene products and some kitchen items such as a kettle and mugs. It is wise to keep first aid supplies nearby in case of accidents when moving boxes.

If you pack these too early, you might have to repack boxes again. Even worse, you could damage them in the process and then be boxes short.

Step THREE: Pack Smart!

Packing is not just about getting as many possessions into as few boxes and suitcases as possible. It’s about making your move easy, and these things are not always the same thing.

For example, packing heavy items in one big box may sound efficient, but who then has to carry it to the van? By packing heavy items in multiple smaller boxes, you can carry them easier and make the practicalities of the move effortless.

This is just one of many ways you can pack for home move better. Others include:

• Always start earlier than you think (packing always takes longer than you anticipate).
• Pack room by room and from upstairs to downstairs.
• Label each box with what room it came from and what is inside.
• Always keep boxes from the same room in a group. This will make unpacking easier.
• Breakables and delicate items should be protected with additional bubble wrap and newspaper. One tip is to wedge soft clothes between these items for even more protection.
• Do laundry many days before you pack. It is always better to transports some dirty clothes over a load of slightly damp clothes.

If you have some exceptionally valuable or delicate items, you may want to consider removals insurance for additional peace of mind. Not all home content insurance will cover moving home so remember to do your due diligence first.

Packing Should Influence Your Choice of Removal Company!

The best removal companies offer their clients the option of buying packing boxes directly from them. This gives customers an all-inclusive service that is both efficient and convenient.

Offering packing boxes used to be one way of helping customers decide on which removal company to use, but because so many now offer this service, customers are looking even harder at what’s on offer.

They’re considering the environment!

Customers can now find packing boxes with the best removal companies that have been reused and or recycled.

On the Dot Removal’s customers have stated how they chose our packing solution services because of our green initiative. We only use reused boxes from our Bristol distributor, and on top of that, all of our packing paper is recycled as well.

Once you’re all settled into your new home. We offer to pick up your boxes and give them another life by helping other families pack and move. This saves you having to deal with them too.

We believe that together we can make the process of moving a home a greener one.

Your Green Removal Company Bristol

For further information on the packing products and services available at On the Dot Removals, do not hesitate to speak with our friendly team.

We’re on hand to answer all our questions and provide environmental solutions to your packing needs.