In previous moving tips from a professional articles, I’ve shared moving tips about focussing your efforts and minimising wasted energy.
Now we’ll look at the logistics of getting everything you own out of cupboards and drawers and safely packed into boxes.
Even if you plan to pay your removalist to pack your contents, you need to oversee the process; otherwise, you could arrive at your new home with no idea where to find anything.
Our friendly expert removalist advises that the crucial phase of packing is properly labelling your boxes.
Moving tips from a professional: Label, label, label to avoid chaos
Our catchphrase could actually be, ‘Label, label, label, label’, because best practice is to label all four vertical sides of each packing box.
If that seems like overkill, consider that you won’t know how the boxes will be stacked on delivery, so labelling all four sides will pay off when you want to locate specific boxes.
Label boxes with the following details in thick, black, permanent marker:
- The word FRAGILE in large print for boxes containing breakable items—use a red marker for this word only (or purchase printed self-adhesive labels)
- The destination in your new home (e.g., Bedroom 2, Garage; give your removalist a sketch showing bedrooms 1–3 etc.)
- A brief description of the contents (e.g., Amy’s clothes—wardrobe)
If you are well organised, you could save time by printing these details in a large, bold font on A4 self-adhesive labels (1 or 2 labels per page).
If you are packing for an absent family member, be especially conscientious about labelling their boxes so they will be able to locate their belongings when they return.
Moving tips from a professional: Pack like a pro
When packing boxes, use the following guidelines:
- Wrap breakable or scratch-prone items in white paper (newsprint can mark) or in items from your linen cupboard; if you use linen, mark the boxes accordingly
- Pack heavy items such as books, electronic equipment and tools into small boxes
- Nest similarly shaped items and avoid leaving space in boxes that will allow the contents to shift
- Remember, a removalist has to lift and carry each box at least twice—if you can’t lift it, it’s too heavy
- Seal boxes well with high-quality packing tape, reinforcing the bottoms that will bear the weight of the contents
Moving tips from a professional: Pack first-night essentials separately
Moving day can be a long one and you may have neither time nor energy to unpack much before bedtime.
Getting to bed will be easier if you pack everything you need for the first night in your new house in clearly labelled boxes or in your car, including:
- Vital medications or medical equipment
- Phone, tablet and laptop chargers; a powerboard and an extension lead
- Pillows, sheets, and blankets or doonas for each bed (or sleeping bags for the kids if you prefer)
- Pyjamas, a change of clothes, toiletries and bath towels for everyone
- Soap, tissues, toilet paper, hand towels and bathmats
- School bags and lunch boxes
- Basic kitchen items such as an electric jug and toaster; tea, coffee and sugar; toast and sandwich spreads; disposable cutlery, plates, bowls and cups; cereal in airtight containers; fruit, nuts and snack bars; a kitchen cloth or sponge, paper towel and rubbish bags.
Moving tips from a professional: Unpacking takes time
Once in your new home, allow yourself time to settle in and adapt to the change.
The unpacking will happen soon enough if you tackle it room by room, box by box.
McGrath Real Estate is proud to offer our clients the choice of the most desirable homes in Adelaide’s coastal and western suburbs.
If you have plans to buy one of those homes, talk to us soon or book an appraisal online.