Moving is such a stressful time in a homeowner's life. Even if you've hired movers, you have a lot to do. The best thing to do is keep the packing process efficient so you do not waste time. Here is how to do it.
Get rid of unwanted stuff!
One of the best ways to start packing is to get rid of some things first. Set up an area for things you are not keeping and in this area, label three (or more) boxes. The first will be what you want to donate. The second will be what you want to sell (either through a garage sale or online) and the third will be a trash box. As you start packing, you will regularly put items in these very handy boxes, so they don't make their way to your new house, cluttering it up as well. In order to be efficient at moving, you need to not move things that are not going to be valuable to you later.
Collect packing supplies
You are going to need a few packing items at hand for efficiency. Start by collecting or buying boxes. If you can, find a store and develop a relationship with a manager there who will set aside boxes for you daily, where you can pick them up regularly. You want boxes of all sizes. Next, tape and a tape gun are indispensable when packing. You'll also want some sort of padding or packing materials, plus newspaper to wrap your breakable items with. A cool trick: use your linens to wrap fragile items and you've packed two things at once. The last item you need are markers to mark the boxes with where they go and what's in them.
Devise a fail-proof packing system
You really want to be organized when packing so that your unpacking goes smoothly. Do not just empty a cupboard into a box. Rather, decide what should be in each box based on where it goes and how you'll organize it in your new home. An inventory sheet will be invaluable to you later, even if it is a bit of extra work in the making. Simply create these sheets, which will tell you the item and the box number it is in (and what room). You will then label each box by number, by importance and by colour. The colours will tell the movers what room it goes in without having to read this. Then, once you've moved in, you can simply find the item on your sheet, go to the room it's in and find the box with that number on it. If you also label it by importance, you know which boxes to unpack first and last.
Buying a home in Grey Bruce and Georgian Bay area is definitely worth the amount of work it takes to move — the stress free lifestyle far exceeds the hustle and bustle of city life. Email one of our real estate agents today and let's get you started.
