Moving house is often a busy time for most people. There’s lots to do, lots to organise and more often than not, simply just not enough hours during the day to get it all done.
So where should one start when it comes to packing their belongings? The truth is that while people will often have their own preferences for doing things, there are in fact optimum ways to get packing done in a more efficient and effective way.
Read on for our top tips on what to pack first when moving to a new home.
Before You Start Packing
When moving house, it certainly pays to be organised. But first, before you even place a single item into a moving box, you really should get the preparation work out of the way first. We’ll show you how below.
Get your packing materials
Here are some packing materials to consider grabbing before you begin packing:
- Bubble wrap
- Packing tape
- Purpose-made moving boxes
- Permanent textas
- Scissors
- Packing paper
Declutter Your Belongings
A great way to ensure that you are only taking things with you that you want and need, is to start decluttering before you even pack a single item. Removing items you no longer need or want before you start to pack will also help save you time and money as you won’t have to pay your mover to shift these unwanted belongings, nor have them take up additional space on the back of a moving truck.
When it comes to decluttering, start culling your things by focusing on decluttering one space at a time, room by room. Declutter belongings in the following order: clothes, books, miscellaneous items and sentimental items.
As you are pulling out your unwanted items, be sure to sort them into several piles like the below according to how you plan on disposing of these items:
- Giveaway pile – for items you wish to gift to friends or family.
- Selling pile – for items you wish to sell and recoup some cash for. Have a garage sale or sell these items online.
- Donate pile – drop these items off at the local charity store to raise some funds for the needy.
What To Pack First
When it comes to packing for a house move, you may not think it will make too much of a difference where you start, as long as you do! However, this is far from the truth. There are in fact items that are better off being packed into moving boxes first.
Starting by packing these items first means effectively minimising the amount of clutter around your home, while causing the least amount of disruption to your household.
Least Used Items
By packing your least used items first, you can quickly get them out of the way and into moving boxes without having the need to pull them back out again ahead of moving day.
Examples of least used items to pack first include:
- Kid’s books and toys
- Out of season clothing and shoes
- Books
- Documents
- Decorations
- Jewellery
- Less frequently used kitchen items
- Sentimental items (e.g. photos and heirlooms)
- Items currently in storage areas (e.g. the garage and shed contents)
Pack Difficult Rooms First
For many, packing can seem like an arduous task that most of us would rather avoid altogether. Which is why we suggest starting with packing your most difficult rooms first. By taking on your most difficult rooms to pack first, you can hit the ground running while you still have a lot of energy.
However, if you’re feeling super intimidated at the thought of tackling your most difficult rooms first, perhaps you can “warm up” to the task by packing the easiest room (such as a small room with few contents) to begin with. For all intents and purposes, packing this room will likely be done in next to no time, leaving you with more motivation and drive to then tackle your largest or most challenging rooms to pack next.
Need A Hand With Packing Or Moving?
If you’re short for time when it comes to packing your precious belongings ahead of your move or need some help with lifting and moving heavy furniture items, Brisbane’s Giffen Furniture Removals are here to lend a hand!
With over 30 years in the industry, discover why we’re Brisbane’s trusted moving company. Speak to the team at Giffen Removals about your moving needs today!
