Organizing Packing and Moving

This past month I have helped my son move across the country in a moving van (which we packed and unpacked ourselves). His car was attached to a trailer behind and a new roommate followed us in his own car after loading his personal items behind my son's own in the truck. I have learned a lot, some of which I would like to share, as our mistakes need not be repeated in your packing and moving.

1 - Rent plenty of blankets from the moving company. These should be carefully put around, over, behind and in front of all furniture items which will touch each other. Otherwise, when you drive, the inevitable road bumps cause friction scars which can be avoided with the judicious use of these “moving” blankets. 

2- Rent a larger hand truck (with a strap). This will facilitate moving the bulky items up stairs and on and off the truck. Even if items won't go up the stairs easily on the hand truck, once they are on the right floor, they can be transported down halls and into rooms more readily.

3 – Pack as many items as possible in standardized boxes: small, medium and large. This makes it easy to load the truck because most boxes can be readily stacked. Clearly mark light-weight and fragile boxes as they must packed near the top to avoid crushing.

4 - When packing the boxes, put heavy items in small boxes (for instance, books), medium-weight items in mid-sized boxes (pans and kitchen utensils), and bulky, large items in oversized boxes (my favorite are the sturdy “apple” boxes often found at the produce department of your local grocery store). Pack each box as full as possible and then put crushed newspaper or scratch paper, or clothes and linens around the items until the box is completely full. This keeps each box from being crushed at the corners and also protects the contents. 

If you are packing simply, label the boxes on both ends with “STAY PACKED” (items of low importance) or “STAY OUT” (items of high importance). This will help you know which boxes are essential to “first day” survival. If you have a complicated situation, also label each box with the room where it should be put once you arrive at your destination. This will facilitate getting the boxes in the right location for easy opening. 

5- Know your “new” home well enough so you can direct others (or know yourself) where to leave the floor empty for the mattress (so you can get a good night's sleep if you don't get the beds made up the first night). Leave the same floor areas empty to locate couches, pianos, end tables, and other bulky furniture near where their “final” location will be. No need to move heavy items twice.

6 – Pack a “essentials” box or two. These boxes are full of fundamentals which will make your first night at your new location easier to manage. We forgot that new apartments don't come with toilet paper, hand soap, and paper cups. We went without washing our hands and drank directly from the tap, but what substitute can you easy find for toilet paper? So think about your everyday needs, and pack a special, last-on the truck box accordingly. 

With these moving tips incorporated into your next move, your companions will find you brilliant and you will feel much more contented until you’re comfortably moved in.