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Looks like we are moving in 6 weeks - I don't have much experience at all with packing and moving. So I was hoping to get some ideas from you all about if there are tricks to making the whole process easier.
Thanks!!
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Get lots of boxes! I mean LOTS :D
Pack stuff you don't use much first. Keep out the bare minimum of essentials - clothes, kitchen stuff, linen, toiletries.
Use the opportunity to cull stuff you don't want/like/need. Have a box for "giveaway" & "throwaway".
Start right now.
Pack heavy stuff in smaller boxes such as books.
HTH
Personally I don't like wrapping breakables in news paper, it's makes everything so dirty! It's worth the little extra $$ to get some butchers paper.
Start right away with things you wont need between now and the move, it always seems to take longer than expected.
Great opportunity to get rid of stuff you don't need anymore, why pack/move it if your not going to use it.
Make sure you have the right size box for the job, keep heavy books etc in small boxes. Pillows and cushions are great to pad around lamps and tall skinny things in large boxes.
Avoid having things in garbage bags, they are such a hassle to move, they rip, they don't stack, just isn't worth it.
When I moved, I got hold of a lot of those plastic tubs from the $2 shops, probably lost about 30% of them due to damage in the removal van, I think the most expensive one cost me $15 and it was a 96L.
Things I found:
use your linen to pack fragiles
where possible pack room-by-room
list what is in the boxes (both with a list in the box itself and one for you to keep)
number the boxes (ie K1 - kitchen)
a small essentials box that moves with you (kettle, toaster, minimal crockery/cutlery etc)
space bags are great for things like stuffed toys, pillows etc
I second the butchers paper rather than newspaper! It is worth the couple of dollars not to have to wash everything!
Also, pack plates bowls etc on their side rather than on top of eachother - much less breakages that way.
Also, label the boxes really well - so stock up on packing tape and thick black markets as well.
There are some removal places that will sell new or second hand boxes and buy them back when you're finished. Not for the same amount you pay for them obviously but still nice if you can get something back.
Keep a box for `on the day stuff` that you need at thenewplace, kettle mugs, coffee, loo roll, note pad, cleaning stuff.
Declutter as much aspossible as you pack.
Thanks so much for the tips!!!
I've made a list of things I can pack away knowing I won't need them until after the move and some extra supplies to get started - the first load of boxes will be arriving this afternoon!
I love the idea of culling as I go - I picked up some of those cheap zip up bags from the $2 to use for the charity items.
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for books, CDs, DVDs etc - we put them in plastic shopping bags, and then back on the bookshelves - so they're ready to be loaded up into the truck/cars, but still completely out of the way ...
dry and canned goods in the pantry - get that all boxed/bagged up too, and back on the shelves, so it's ready to go but out of the way ...
try to do a thorough clean room by room as you pack, so that once everything is out, you only have to do a quick clean ... you don't want to have to be spending a couple of days cleaning your old place when you want to be settling into the new one :) if you give a really good clean as you go, it should only take a couple of hours to wizz around it once it's empty :)
and keep one tub/backpack of things you'll need on the day: your papers, phone numbers, a set of cutlery, water bottle, roll of tape, some tissues, etc.