Like most chores, packing up your home can easily be put off until the last minute, leaving you flustered and disorganized on top of dealing with the stressful task of actually moving houses. The best way to avoid is by being prepared – obvious, but tricky to tackle. Mobile Storage Rentals knows that being faced with a daunting task can be discouraging, so we wanted to help by breaking down how to pack your home effectively! Check out our other posts on how to properly pack a storage shipping container to get your whole process sorted, from start to finish. 

What’s Your Game Plan

Before we dive into the actual packing, it’s best to develop a plan early on that divides the task up into smaller, easier to complete tasks. The list will be long, but getting a head start allows you to organize your move better. 

How you structure your plan is up to you, usually it can be done by rooms, spaces or categories. If you live in a multi-story home and have others to consider, put on your supervisor cap and assign some of the tasks, ask yourself:

• What makes the most sense with my living conditions? 
• Are there rooms/items I will need throughout my remaining time here?
• What do I need on my last day here? What about my first day at the new house?
• Is everything coming with me?

Pro Tip: Go around rooms and mark what you will take, put in storage or donate/sell with coloured post-its.

Your plan should be drafted and ready to use six weeks before moving day, allowing you time to gather your supplies and start to pack your home at a comfortable pace. 

The Purge

So you’ve made yourself a schedule and are starting to make your way through packing up your home. Take this opportunity to go through your items and consider donating or selling items. Moving homes can be a fun and refreshing experience, enabling you to start again with a fresh new look. As you start to pack your home consider these questions to help you decide what’s staying or going:

• Do I still need this? Do I use this? 
• Does this fit with my new home’s style?
• Am I keeping this because I want it or sentimental value? 

Just as spring cleaning allows you to make room in your home, a light purge lets you solve space and clutter issues before you take it with you. You can hold a yard sale to earn some quick cash, donate your items to your local thrift store, or if you don’t want to part with your items, you can put them in storage. This step isn’t mandatory, but it can help free up space if you’re looking to start fresh or are moving into a smaller home. 

The Mess Hall

About a month before you move, you should plan your upcoming meals you will be preparing at home; Doing this allows you to cut down on food waste and to have to deal with perishables on moving day. You can take food items with you, but they can be damaged or spoiled while moving, adding an extra layer of complexity to the process. If you’re cooking for a family, this can be done closer towards moving day by slowly weening out unessential items form your shopping list. 

Last Week Bag

In the weeks following your move remember to pack a suitcase with items you’ll use while your other belongings are packed. A best practice is to include clothes, medications, toiletries and paperwork you should have ready on hand. This is also important if you are moving a long distance and anticipate that your items could be delayed from arriving at your new home. Having a “last week bag” also sets expectations you can keep yourself to; all your items can be packed ready to move without you worrying about your essentials.

Pro Tip: Pack a cleaning kit you can use to clean your new place and clean items as you unpack them.

Keep It Together

As you pack your home, make sure you keep your room’s items together and label your boxes clearly. Unpacking can be just as annoying if you turn it into a game to find the toothpaste, so tag your boxes and make sure items are packed in an order that is logical to you.

If you have items in boxes already, a time-saving hack is to use cling wrap and cover bins and move them as is. Pack drawers in ziplock bags, clothing can be left on hangers and packed in garbage bags, silverware can be wrapped in newspaper. You can cut down on the supplies you use and save your packaging for items that can’t be packed like this.

Pro Tip: The order of how you pack is up to you, but consider packing your least used rooms and work your way to the places you use often. 

Gone But Not Forgotten 

So your things are packed, and you’ve decided to keep some of your items in storage. Deciding what type of storage you choose is up to you, but keep in mind things like the size you need, the length of time you’ll be using the space and the ease of access to your items. Looking to save space or store your belongings? Fill out the free quote form and start your move on the right note with Mobile Storage Rentals!