What to Pack First When Moving

Packing is one of the most time-consuming tasks. It requires too much effort that it becomes the most dreaded task of moving. If you’ve decided to pack all your possessions on your own, here are a few tips to make the task more tolerable.

Don’t just shove everything you own into hundreds of boxes. Before you start packing, here are your three Most Important Things to do:

Step 1: Inventory. Go through each room of your house and list every single item you own. This will give you time to categorize household goods. Be wary of furniture and appliances. These can be the most difficult and expensive items to pack and transport.

Step 2: Reduce. Now is the best time to purge. The goal is not to be a minimalist but to limit the number of items you take with you. The lesser items you have to pack and transport, the more money you will save. This will also lessen the number of items you need to pack.

Step 3: Packing Materials. Once you have purged and made a list of everything else that you’re certain is a necessity in your new home, it’s time to get the necessary supplies. Get enough cardboard boxes, packing paper, tape, and bubble wrap. It can be nerve-wracking to run out of packing supplies when you’re at the peak of packing.

Once you’ve sorted clothes, books, documents, miscellaneous, and memorabilia, it’s time to pack the non-essentials. These are things that won’t affect your daily living such as:

•      Artwork- Photos, paintings, and framed pictures should be packed first. Include vases and other decorative items. These should be the last thing you unpack as well.
•      Collectibles- If you have a special collection such as action figures, model sets, and coin collections, pay special attention to pack these first as well. Don’t forget photo albums and other memorabilia you choose to keep.
•      Books and magazines- Who has time to read in the height of moving anxiety? Go ahead and pack books you know you will still read in your new home.
•      Clothes and shoes- Start with out-of-season clothes such as winter clothes on a summer move.
•      Jewelry- Since you won’t be wearing jewelry on moving day, it’s best that you pack jewelry early. This will avoid last-minute shoving of jewelry into random boxes and end up with tangled and scathed jewelry.
•      Special kitchenware- Pack your baking supplies and duplicate kitchen items and appliances.

Now it’s time to tackle packing by room. You should start to tackle the hardest room to pack and the least used room. This will ensure that you have enough energy and motivation to continue packing. Start with the storage areas: garage, basement, and attic. Once you’re done packing garage tools, it will be easier to pack bedding even when you’re exhausted.

You can tackle the empty rooms such as guest rooms, study room, and home office next. Proceed to the kitchen afterward and pack through the pantry, pots, recipes, and deep cupboards. The living room is next.

You may think you can postpone packing the living room. However, it is not recommended to pack the items here last. The most frequently used rooms--the bedrooms and bathrooms should be the last rooms you pack. Safeguard any electronic devices you are packing including TVs, pianos, and couches.

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