Finally, you have found the perfect home! Now, however, it is time for the dreaded task of packing. Packing up your belongings is always the most tedious part of moving, and finding the end of the sticky tape can be frustrating. Yet, even the most cluttered house can be a breeze to organize by familiarizing yourself with our moving tips and hacks.
Moving to a new home can be stressful, but with these tips, and moving companies in London, Ontario, it will be a breeze. Boxing, unboxing, organizing and sorting don’t have to be painful. Below, we will provide tips to help ease your burden when you’re faced with another move.
What Shouldn’t Go in Boxes
While it may be tempting to place everything and anything haphazardly inside a box when moving, there are several items that you should never put in a box. These items include:
- Valuables like collectibles, jewelry, coins, and money.
- Open boxes of perishable foods, as they will draw pests.
- Documents that cannot be easily replaced like medical records, wills, personal identification, and financial documents.
- Gardening supplies like insecticide and weed killers.
- Items that are flammable, like solvents, paint, batteries, and chemicals.
Packing Tips to Ensure a Smooth Move
You can incorporate many techniques to make this tedious, frustrating task more manageable and free up much-needed time. They are as follows:
1. Begin packing six weeks before the moving date
The sweet spot for packing is six weeks before moving. The first three weeks should be used to purge, declutter, and obtain packing materials. The remainder of the time can be spent packing items for the move.
If you don’t have six weeks available to move, it can still be done in as little as three days. You can use one day for purging items, day two to gather your supplies, and the last day for packing.
2. Select whether to use totes or boxes
Which one would work best? It can take time to determine which container to use when packing. However, you can incorporate both. If packing items for long-term storage, it makes perfect sense to use a tote. This will save you the hassle of putting objects into a tote later.
If you need various sizes for your belongings, boxes are more suitable. Other advantages and disadvantages for each include the following:
Totes:
- Advantages. Totes are plastic storage containers that are reusable, durable, and great as a long-term storage solution. They can be easily stacked and are generally transparent, allowing you to see what is contained.
- Disadvantages. Susceptible to cracking, expensive, can cave underweight, and awkward or heavy to move or lift if stuffed. Depending on its design, some totes don’t stack well.
Boxes:
- Advantages. Less expensive when compared to totes. They can be quickly flattened and removed. Boxes are easily stackable and readily accessible with available size varieties.
- Disadvantages. Easily break apart, especially when wet. They can quickly get crushed, are not transparent, require tape, and may not be reusable.
3. Rent a moving box
If you have previously moved, you may know that costs for labels, boxes, and tape can quickly add up. Obtaining free moving boxes will save money. Yet, these may not be an easy score in a small town.
This is when renting plastic moving boxes becomes a more viable alternative. Some companies offer a two-week rental based on your home size. Packages will generally include:
- Zip ties (eliminates the need for packing tape)
- Medium and large moving bins
- Peel and stick labels
- Free pick-up and delivery
Companies typically wash the boxes between rental periods. If you are concerned about spreading germs, some businesses sanitize the bins after each cleaning.
4. Purge items for faster packing
If you purge unnecessary items, the packing will go quicker and streamline the process. Furthermore, you won’t enter your new home with old junk that you will never use.
Avoid purging while packing, as you may overthink things. Suppose you don’t know where to begin. In that case, the following are items you may want to consider donating or eliminating to provide a fresh start:
- Broken small appliances
- Stained, old, and unused rugs
- Chipped glasses and dishes
- Unwanted, dusty, and unread books
- Dingy curtains in need of replacing
- Throw pillows that can become misshapen while moving
5. Utilize efficient box organization
While labelling and packing according to rooms sounds brilliant, it will only be a great idea provided you don’t need the item immediately. It is frustrating rooting through 20 boxes to find a small object.
To avoid this, create detailed spreadsheets listing the box contents. The best way to pack is by organizing your items by taking photos of the things inside the box. You can use your tablet or smartphone for the image. To make this idea work, you must provide the box and photo with a similar name for reference.
Apps like Sortly create a more organized move. You can generate visual inventory lists per box using printable QR codes and photos. When scanning the codes on the box, the app will share pictures of the contents.
6. Eliminate sticky tape frustration
Finding the tape end can be difficult and frustrating when it tears or rips. To eliminate the frustration, use a toothpick to mark where to peel the tape.
Place a toothpick horizontally on the sticky side ½ inch from its end. Afterward, fold the end of your tape under to cover your toothpick. You’ll be surprised how much frustration this simple hack can save you.
7. Use cheap packing materials
This DIY hack involves a paper shredder. While moving, there is an increased chance you will be shredding paper. So, instead of tossing it into the recycling bin, repurpose the shredded paper by incorporating it into packing material. This is an effective way to protect sensitive materials and cushion bumps while moving.
To avoid confetti messes, stuff paper shreds into a plastic grocery bag before padding fragile items and boxes. Remember to tie a knot at the end to eliminate spillage.
Clean plastic bottles in various sizes can be used to prevent odd-shaped items from shifting in the box.
Looking for a moving company in London, Ontario?
If you are searching for moving companies in London, Ontario, Sprint Moving Service is here for you. With 12 years of experience, we have successfully moved numerous customers into their new homes. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your items will arrive safely.
Our proven professionals make moving stress-free. Our costs are straightforward and affordable. Contact us for a free quote at 548-489-0140 or visit our website here. We will take care of the details of your move, so you won’t have to.