Skip to Content

The Ultimate Guide to Packing for a Move

Packing for a move can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be. You can check out this detailed guide for our greatest tips.

image description

image description

Moving house can be very stressful, and you want people to take as much stress as possible off your hands. In fact, over a quarter of Americans regretted not hiring movers before they moved house. So, how can you ensure packing and moving is as simple as possible to prevent you from worrying about this aspect of the process?

Below you can find several steps you should follow when packing for a move to ensure the whole thing goes off without a hitch. Check you have prepared for every step, and make sure everyone you are moving with buys into it, too, to make the whole thing easier on everyone.

Why Planning Is Essential for a Smooth Move

What you do not want to do is to leave the packing, or even the planning process, to the last minute. Planning from the get-go can ensure you have everything ready when you start and that you can have a good timeline to get things done.

Around six weeks before you move, start making a schedule for your packing. Work out which rooms you want to pack up and in which order. Then, make sure you list some essentials so you do not need to root through boxes looking for things at the last minute.

Ultimately, you should have one big checklist to help you stay on track. It can help you from the start of the process until you unpack everything on the other end.

Checklists like this can also help with senior moves in Kemptville, as you can always refer to it when talking to the senior involved. This allows them to see a clear list of things you need to do to help them and which ones they need to do for themselves.

If you are also looking to store some things for a while, it is important to know what is where. You can use the checklist as a reference for what is travelling with you and what you plan to keep in a storage store in Kemptville.

Must-Have Packing Supplies

When the plan is ready, it is time to pick up moving and packing supplies in Kemptville.

Of course, the first thing you will need is large boxes, small boxes, and everything in between. Any moving supply store can supply you with what you need, or you can get someone else to do it for you.

If you have no local store and Amazon is not being helpful, go down to some local retailers and see if they have any spare boxes you could have. Many of them will be happy not to need to bale them up.

To secure those boxes, you will require plenty of packing tape. Buy more than you need, as you will likely use some to secure items more than you expect. Also, you will want to ensure everything is sealed tight enough that nothing fragile falls out.

Speaking of keeping things secure, pick up bubble wrap and plenty of packing paper. These will help keep your more fragile items secure and away from surfaces that might cause chips or cracks. When it comes to packing paper, though, do not use newspapers as the ink in these can transfer to your items, ruining them.

Grab plenty of permanent markers, too. When you have dozens of identical boxes, you are going to be happy you wrote on one of them which one contains “Kitchen goods” and which has “Books”.

Of course, when you get to the other side, you will want to ensure you have either a pair of scissors or a set of box cutters with you. Tearing all those boxes apart with your bare hands would otherwise be very awkward.

How to Declutter Before a Move

Whether hiring long-distance movers in Kemptville or moving your stuff yourself, you want to make the process as easy as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is to get rid of everything in your home you do not need before you pack the rest up.

It might feel hard to do so, but it will be worth your time in the end.

There are many different methods to de-clutter, and people such as Marie Kondo offer fantastic advice on how to get rid of things you do not use. In short, you can go through a process to get rid of things you might not need.

First of all, take an inventory of everything you have. Not only will this be useful when you get to the other side of the move, but it acts as a good summary of things you want to make decisions about.

After that, sort them into categories, and go through each, working out what you have neither used in one year or more. Of those, which can you not see yourself using shortly? These might be things you can get rid of without too much hassle.

This process can also work for any senior moving home from one place to another. We would never recommend they get rid of their sentimental objects. Still, there might be things they are keeping around “for a rainy day” they will not need after the move.

You do not need to eliminate these items in the trash, though. Maybe offer them as gifts, or donate them to others. You could even sell many to make extra cash for the move.

Individual Room Tips

The best way to get through packing a whole dwelling down into boxes is to pack it room by room. Doing this and labelling the boxes can help you unpack the items at the end of the process.

Ensure you pack heavy items first. Put them on the bottom of the boxes to avoid them becoming too heavy. Books are also heavier than you expect, so put a few at the bottom of every box instead of trying to fill a whole container with them.

As you pack electronics like computers and TVs, try using the original boxes if possible. If you cannot, use plenty of bubble wrap or packing paper and label the boxes as fragile.

If you have large, fragile items such as pianos or other musical instruments, hire someone who knows what they are doing. Picking up a dedicated piano mover in Kemptville can assure you they have experience dealing with such items.

How to Pack Valuables or Fragile Items

When travelling from Kemptville, long-distance moves might mean damage to your possessions. This is especially true if you do not pack well enough. There are some steps you can take to ensure very little harm comes to your belongings, though.

Remember to use sturdy boxes that can handle a few small bumps and knocks. You might even want to put more fragile items inside plastic boxes for the trip.

When you pack dishes and other kitchen goods, make sure to put them in vertically. This way, they will not rattle against one another during the trip and stop them from breaking.

If you plan to move artwork, try to find cardboard corner pieces that can cover the parts most likely to get a bump. You can even pick up special packaging that does not contain damaging materials such as acids.

Working with a Kemptville piano moving service can help if you have a piano or a similar large item that needs special care.

Why a Moving and Storage Company Is Perfect

Kemptville residential moving companies can help you with any kind of transfer of household items you have. They even offer Kemptville senior moves to help older people transfer to a new permanent home. On top of this, they can provide Kemptville storage to hold onto your items temporarily while you move your life to a new location.

These companies are good because they are very convenient. They can help you with your processes while you get on with other things. They often also have the experience to deal with some trickier moving points.

On top of all this, many of them carry liability insurance, meaning you do not need to worry about your home while it moves.

There are many such companies in the area. Though of all the moving companies in Kemptville, we will do the best job to help you transfer your life from one place to another.

When aging in place is not an option, and it's time to relocate to a more suitable home, we can help. Reduce the stress of senior moving with these tips.

Read More

Moving can be a difficult process for your valuable and fragile items. We look at how to pack for moving so that your valuables are protected and secure.

Read More