Although The Good Estate Agent will help you hugely when it comes to your moving house, you may still feel a little stressed. It’s entirely natural. It’s normal. It’s nothing to worry about. Give it a few days for the packing boxes to start disappearing and you’ll forget all about it. In the meantime, staying as calm as possible is the best advice we can give, and that goes for your packing too – making this process easy will keep you more relaxed and more ready to move when the big day comes. So here are some fantastic packing hacks to help you out.
Your Jewellery
When it comes to packing there are some things that are more precious than others, and jewellery ranks right up there with the most important, either in terms of financial value or because they mean a lot when it comes to emotional significance. Perhaps both. Egg cartons can come in really useful here – place the jewellery into the cartons, tape them up, and you’ve got a safe, secure place for storage (plus egg cartons are strong; they are less likely to get crushed). If you’re worried about chains tangling, pack them between two sheets of bubble wrap and stack them in a small box.
Never pack your jewellery in with your clothing as you’re sure to lose something somewhere, and if you’re really worried just keep it all with you so you can be sure it’s safe and sound.
Packing The Kitchen
Although you may not realise it, the kitchen is probably where you have most items, so don’t get lulled into a false sense of security and leave it until last – it can often end up taking a lot longer than you might have planned for. That’s even more true if you choose to wrap each piece of crockery separately. Although this practice will reduce breakages, there is an easier, less time consuming method; buy some foam circles (or buy some foam to the right shape), and place one between each plate in a stack. Pop the whole lot in a box and you’re done.
Another hack includes socks. Put whatever you can into socks – cutlery, glasses, mugs and so on – before packing them. They’ll be nicely padded (plus you’ll know where all your socks are too – bonus!).
Food… always an issue. Try to eat as much of it before the move as you can, then arrange to have a supermarket delivery come to your new house as soon as you can so you can stock up again. Ambient items aren’t an issue (although the less you have to take with you the better) but frozen and chilled items can quickly spoil, especially if there is a delay or a long journey.
Packing Your Clothes
When you pack your clothes have three different sets of boxes or bin bags. One is for things to take with you, one is for things to be taken to a charity shop, and the last is for things to be thrown away. Be brutal; if you haven’t worn it for a year, it’s time for it to go. If you’re using a box to pack your clothes in try rolling them instead of folding them; you’ll save space, plus the clothes can even be used as packing materials to bulk out boxes with fragile things in them.
Packing Essentials
Finally, it’s important to have a box of ‘essentials’ for when you arrive at your new property. This will contain things like toilet paper, shower gel, shampoo, nappies, milk, coffee, pet food, rubbish bags, chargers, a plate and mug for everyone… You might also want to keep a change of clothes and some nightwear in there. With this box handy, you won’t have to do any unpacking until the next day when you’re rested. It will make that task a lot easier.