Moving to a new home can be a lot of work – agreed? One thing that is more tedious than moving furniture and boxes, is actually “packing” the boxes. Packing boxes can be a bit of a hassle, but if not done properly, it can cause unwanted damage to your stuff such as crushing smaller items, over cramming the box so it tears open and scratches your new hardwood flooring, or you can accidentally break that new china dish that your mother in law bought you last Christmas and will raise an eyebrow to not see it out again this year.

Avoid rushed packing

When you begin to pack, do yourself a huge favour and make sure that you give yourself enough time, it sounds simple, but is so true, this will reduce stress dramatically and allow you to be more cautious and organized with your packing. Before even beginning to pack, try and get rid of as much clutter as you can; the key is to only pack things that you know you will be using again in the future. Hold a garage sale, even offer things to your friends that they might want, especially the ones who are helping you move but you’re not paying. If you can, avoid moving on a weekend. Weekends in Manchester are generally very busy and there is some possibility of your moving company turning up too early (to be able to meet other obligations perhaps) before you are properly packed. Companies such as Manchester Storage can help with storage for your move.

Avoid scattergun packing

Begin your packing with the rooms that are the least important. Focus on one room at a time, and pack the items that you don’t need first, particularly seasonal items that you’re not currently using.

Adhere to box limits

When packing, try not to exceed the thirty pound limit per box. When packing heavy items, put them in a smaller box, and the lighter ones in a larger box. Use old newspapers, rags, or packing paper to reinforce your loose items in the box, try and make sure that you’re not going to be having any items moving around inside. Remember that organization is key! Label what is inside of each box, this will save you a lot of grief later on. Also when loading your boxes, make sure that the heavy boxes remain on the bottom, while the lighter ones are on top.

Don’t forget to pack your box of essentials

At least one of these boxes should be a “box of essentials”, which would be a box containing everything that you will need directly after you have completed your move such as toiletries, pots and pans, boxed foods, anything you use on a daily basis.

Dispose of hazardous materials properly

Along with your clutter, the best thing to dispose of before the move is hazardous materials. Such things as these would include, cleaning products that contain bleach, paint, batteries, pesticides (especially if you’re hiring movers, most companies will not transport these items, and the ones that do are quite a bit more expensive).

Following these guidelines when packing your stuff into boxes will make the moving process less chaotic and help you remain as organized as you can throughout the entire process. Enjoy your new home in Manchester!