Moving is always stressful. One of the biggest stresses is packing. There is fear to forget something or break valuable things. It’s not a surprise that a lot of people make mistakes packing their stuff. Professionals from Paradise Move & Storage can help you with packing. But if you want to do it by yourself, this article will explain what mistakes you should avoid when packing.
Not Planning
A huge mistake is to think that you can spontaneously start your packing without any plan. You should plan properly what room will be the first to be packed, what stuff you need to pack at the beginning and what in the end. Planning will save your time and money.
Not Enough Supplies
Another widely spreaded mistake is not having enough supplies. Not knowing how many packing materials you need may lead to the possibility that when you pack part of your belongings, you will run out of boxes or packing types etc. As a result, you’ll spend your time buying supplies again and will have to postpone your packing.
You Pack Everything
Common mistake is to pack everything you have in the household. You can look through your stuff and decide what you can leave and what you definitely need. It is likely that you will find a lot of things that you can rid of and here are some variants on what you can do with these stuff:
- donate for children or poor people;
- present books to library;
- sell with social media or with special websites.
Just imagine how easier packing will be without unnecessary things.
You Don’t Secure Your Stuff
Nobody wants some of their belongings to be damaged. To avoid this, you need to secure your stuff with plastic or packing paper. Wrap your stuff and fill empty spaces in boxes with packing paper.
You Don’t Label the Boxes
Labeling boxes can make unpacking much easier. You can label the room this stuff from, or what clothes are in the box. For example, winter or summer clothes and who they belong to.
Not Wrapping Some Items Before Packing
To avoid damages it is better to wrap fragile items in packing paper. If you hire movers, they definitely will pack and move your stuff in the best way. But if you do it on your own, make sure you’ve wrapped all breakable stuff.
Overstuffing the Boxes
One more mistake — overstuffing boxes. Don’t put too much stuff in one box or all heavy items in one box. Check the capacity of each box and don’t overstuff it, because it can break.
Not Packing the Essentials
Think about stuff you may need immediately after moving or about things you can’t lose or break. For example, medication, clothes, hygiene products, documents. Put them into separate small boxes, so you can take them in the car and be sure they are safe.
Using Bags and Plastic Instead of Boxes
Some homeowners prefer to use bags or plastic boxes for packing. It is not the best idea because in both cases your stuff can likely be broken. Your belongings will be more protected in a sturdy packing box.
You Pack at the Last Minute
Packing at the last minute is an obvious but common mistake. When you are in a hurry, you don’t wrap every item and pack your stuff in a chaotic way. As a result, some of your belongings can be damaged or even lost.
You Want Things to be Perfect
If you are ready to move and have planned everything, it’s important to understand that something can always go wrong. You should be ready that you can run out of boxes, some items can be damaged etc. That isn’t a big problem. Everything should not be perfect, just should be planned.
Disorganized Packing
Although packing can’t be perfect, it should be organized. It will help you a lot if you know how many materials you need, what items you pack at first, where are breakable or sharp stuff.
You Do Not Set Up the Boxes Properly
A box is a protection of your stuff. So make sure you set it up properly, with several layers of tapes. If you don’t do it, boxes may just fall apart during the moving.
You Pack Hazardous Materials
It is forbidden to ship hazardous materials without informing the mover. These include paint, aerosols, cleaners, nail polish remover. Don’t pack such stuff with other belongings.
Using Old Boxes
You may use old boxes for light stuff, but use only new sturdy boxes for heavy things. Old boxes can fall apart even if you seal them with a tape.