How to Pack and Store Your Stuff

Two tips for a stress-free house move

Moving house can be a daunting and draining process. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your stress levels low throughout this experience.

Pack carefully

The way in which you pack your belongings into their boxes could play a significant role in how easy or difficult the moving process turns out to be. Overloading cardboard boxes, for example, could result in you or another household member sustaining a back injury when trying to lift them. Additionally, filling a box with too many heavy items could lead to it collapsing whilst it is being carried in or out of the moving van; this, in turn, could result in its contents falling to the ground and being damaged beyond repair.

Failing to properly wrap your sofas, chairs and tables before the furniture removals team come to collect them could also cause problems; a wooden dining chair that isn't protected by blankets or bubble wrap, for instance, may end up being scratched as it is carried out of your home, or broken whilst it is inside the moving van.

Injuries and broken belongings will almost certainly leave you feeling flustered and stressed-out. As such, it's vital to pack up your possessions with care. Use double-walled cardboard boxes and extra-strong packing tape, to reduce the likelihood of them collapsing during transit. Additionally, make sure to pick up the boxes periodically as you pack, to check that they are still relatively easy for you to carry. Last but not least, invest in a large roll of bubble-wrap, as well as several high-quality moving blankets, to keep your furniture safe throughout the course of the moving process.

Put together a box of first-day essentials

Your first day at your new property will be a challenging and overwhelming one; you'll be surrounded by a sea of boxes and will most likely feel too exhausted to start unpacking. One of the ways to make this experience less stressful is to prepare an assortment of first-day essentials, items which you and other household members will definitely require during the first day or so after the move.

Doing this will spare you the hassle of having to tear open various boxes, in search of basic things like a toilet roll, cutlery or tea bags. It will also mean that you'll have the things that you need as soon as you arrive at your new home, without having to wait for your moving team to unload all of the boxes.

Make sure to include some snacks in your box that do not need to be prepared, as the last thing you'll want to do after a long day of moving is to spend an hour or more slaving over the cooker. Cereal bars, popcorn, nuts and crisps are all good options. Additionally, make sure that you put your kettle, along with some tea bags, coffee and long-life milk in the box too, so that you can relax with a hot drink at the end of the day.

Other items that should be included are basic toiletries (i.e. toothpaste, soap, shower gel), rubbish bags, a tool box, plates, cups and cutlery, as well as any medications that you or your family need to take on a daily basis. Finally, don't forget to stow any important paperwork (such as the tenancy agreement for your new property, identification, prescriptions, etc) in the box too.


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