Moving is tedious for almost anyone, especially if you’ve accumulated years’ worth of things in your home. It can be a challenge to decide where to start packing and where to finish.
If you’re wondering, “what order should I pack my house in,” keep reading for a few tips.
Before/While You Pack
One way to lighten your load before you pack is to sort out what you don’t need.
Avoid aimlessly shoving things into moving boxes and instead, designate a box for donations, a box for things you might sell, and a box or bag for trash. A few weeks ahead of your move, get rid of what you don’t use, want, or need so that you can perform two useful tasks at once.
If you’re moving in a hurry, this step can be done while you’re packing instead of before you pack.
Create A List
When you’re ready to start putting things into boxes in preparation for your move, make a list of the things you’re going to need throughout the next couple of weeks.
As you pack, you can add items to the list that you may have forgotten about initially.
The point of the list is to remind you not to pack away essential items by accident.
Smart Packing Order
Start packing 2-3 weeks before you move.
To determine what order you should pack your house in, think about which room you use least. Most rooms will contain some essentials but, in general, if you don’t use an item for weeks on end, it should be packed first.
Some examples of what to pack first might include cleaning out your storage spaces, packing up clothes that are out of season, and securing family heirlooms in a designated box.
After that, move on to other items you don’t use very often. Home decor, extra linens, shoes, books, and other knick knacks can be packed away to save time later on during your moving prep.
Packing Tips
As the date of your move approaches and you have a week or two left, you’ll want to start putting away everything except the things you’ll need at least once per week. This is where your list is going to come in handy. Collect everything you listed and place it in a designated area.
Work your way through each room of your home and put away everything that isn’t on your list of essentials. Start with closets, your garage or shed, laundry room, and bathrooms. Then take care of your living room, dining room, guest space, kitchen, and bedroom.
Label your moving boxes and keep those from the same room stacked together.
Finally, place all of your essentials for each room into their own small box or tote bag. Consider placing colorful Post-It notes on your essential containers so that they’re not sealed and put away during your pre-move rush. These boxes or bags will be the last things you pack before you leave and the first things you unpack when you arrive in your new home.
If you’re moving in or around the Charleston, SC area, reach out to Smooth Move to make relocating as easy as possible. We can take care of your entire move, from packing to unpacking and everything in between.