What to Pack First When Moving Home?
Moving homes can be a stressful time. With so much going on and so many things to consider, it’s easy to get overwhelmed – especially during the packing process. Many homes have an almost endless list of belongings and it’s difficult to know where to start first – kitchen appliances, kids’ toys, garden items, furniture, books – the list goes on.
We recommend having a plan of attack before you get packing underway to ensure that nothing is lost, left behind, or packed away mistakenly. Begin the process by making a house inventory that will help you to keep track of what you own and whether or not it needs to make the move with you. Nearly all households will naturally collect items over time and you don’t want to take needless clutter into your new space.
Essential Items
This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget even the important things during a busy house move. The items that are most valuable to you that you don’t need on a daily basis should be packed first to avoid getting lost – think things like passports, birth certificates, photo albums and family heirlooms.
There are some items such as toiletries and daily medications that you’ll need on moving day, so keep a small suitcase or backpack aside that you can fill with last minute items. You can also keep any documents in relation to the move that you want handy in the side compartments so they’re easily accessible.
Clothing
Next up on the list is clothing. Start by going through your wardrobes and packing anything you won’t wear in the lead up to the move – especially clothes that are off-season.
If you’re in the mood for a clear-out, get rid of items that you haven’t worn in over a year – you’re unlikely to wear these clothes again and you can pass them along to friends, family or charity for a new lease of life. Shedding the load before moving frees up space and gives you less sorting to do on arrival. Be ruthless and make the hard decisions; you don’t want to be left with a mountain of clothes to pack just before moving day.
Decorations and Non-Essential Items
Next, it’s time to turn your attention to the non-essential items in your home. This covers artwork, pictures, ornaments, cleaning equipment, books, DVD’s, or anything else that is stored in your home that isn’t clothing, furniture or electrical appliances. These items are relatively stress free to pack because you’re very unlikely to need them during your move.
Kitchenware
Kitchenware can often be packed in two stages; the first stage being all of the items that you’re unlikely to need in the final days of your home. This covers surplus plates, bowls, cups, utensils, or electrical appliances that you won’t need.
Once the first pack is complete, you should be left with just the bare essentials that you’ll use to see out the last few weeks of living in your home. These few final items should be packed in a prepared box the morning of move day to minimize the stress that reopening boxes can cause.
Furniture, Electrical Appliances and Any Final Large Items
Your home should be starting to look much less cluttered now and there will only be the larger items to move. Tip – remember to defrost your freezer before moving day. In fact, start working through frozen foods and pantry goods in the month leading up to the move. Fewer perishables to move means less waste.
Once the common living areas are clear of large items, begin to bring items such as beds, wardrobes etc downstairs. Beds, desks and other larger items may be taken apart to make transportation easier, but make sure to bag up the necessary screws and tools separately in marked, sealed bags to make reassembly easy.
Contact Us!
iCan offers portable storage units that are perfect for taking the stress out of moving homes. Our containers are safe and secure and can be rented for long or short-term time periods for maximum flexibility. We’ll deliver the portable unit to your home and you’re free to pack it at your leisure. We can transport your goods directly to your new home within the tri-state area, or, if you’re not sure of your next location, we can take it back to our facility until you find your next home..
Get an instant quote today or contact our team directly for more information.
Phone: 888-543-iCAN (4226)
Email: info@icanstorage.com
