Whether your move is months away, or you’re within 24 hours of the mammoth task, the key is to organise yourself and your possessions. While you might not feel like there is much you can do aside from boxing bits and pieces up, there are plenty of ways to cut down on the stress, lighten your load and making moving house a doddle.
Take a look at our top tips for packing when moving house, where we focus on what you should be packing at what stage and how to do it.
What to do before your move
Regardless of how long you’ve got until moving day, you can get yourself prepared. It’s best to give yourself a month to tackle these things, but you can still squeeze it all in even if you’re in the same week as your moving date.
- Have a clear out – You don’t want to be lugging items around unnecessarily and there are bound to be things you no longer need. Take items to charity shops or have a car boot sale, you’ll thank yourself later when you have half the boxes to pack.
- Buy sturdy boxes – Getting sturdy boxes will mean fewer breakages on the journey when you move. You should also now be able to calculate how many boxes you need if you’ve whittled down your possessions.
- Separate hazardous items – Put aside all paints, chemicals and any other flammable items. These can be packed separately to your other items so that you don’t damage anything by marking or spilling onto something more valuable. It also helps from a safety perspective to know where the dangerous materials are.
Pack your essentials box
You’re probably going to be without a lot of your things once they’re packed away, and unpacking at the other end might be the last thing on your mind once the day is over. With this in mind, it’s a great idea to think ahead about what you might need and pack an essentials box. This will help you to travel lighter on the day of the move, keeping the things you need immediately after the move in one place.
- Food & Drink – Pack a few things you know you’ll need, teabags, plates, a kettle and some snacks. These should all keep you going in your first few hours or day(s) in your new home.
- Toilet Essentials – Having a loo roll handy, as well as some soap, will avoid any last minute panics. You’ll need toothbrushes, toothpaste, a brush and any essential medicines too.
- Fresh Clothes – Pack a fresh change of clothes, it needn’t be smart, just something comfortable to have at hand in your first day. Don’t forget the underwear too!
Pack with military precision
The bulk of your packing should be all done and dusted before the removals van arrives, this means you need to work with military precision. Careful packing is advised but you’ll need to be swift, filling up boxes and organising them appropriately.
- Pack from the top down, clearing out your attic or loft space, then packing up bedrooms and then finally the ground floor
- Don’t overload any boxes, they’ll either break or will be impossible to carry
- Label boxes so you know which room they came from and what’s in them
- Wrap valuables in several layers of packaging, bubble wrap should be used for any fragile items
- Keep important documents together, including passports, insurance papers, licenses and property documents
If you’re dreading having to pack your possessions before a move, look no further than Two Men And A Truck. Wherever you’re moving to in Ireland, we’ll be happy to help you pack and move, taking the stress and hassle off your hands with our friendly, professional moving teams.