Moving Calculator’s Approach to Packing Your Home
Packing yourself can seem like an overwhelming process. Taking the time to pack every item on your shelves, in your cupboards, and in storage can add up quickly if you don’t have a plan. If you have a few weeks’ notice before your move, you can approach the packing process in smaller chucks so you are ready come move day.
Packing 3 to 4 Weeks Before Your Move
Create a mental inventory of what you need to pack. Go room by room and decide what won’t get used from now, until you move to your new home. Begin packing items used less frequently during the early stages of your packing process.
A few weeks before your target move date, you can begin to pack:
- Seasonal clothing and decorations
- Books and displayed décor
- Extra linens and guest bedroom items
- Sentimental items and older documents
- Things in your Garage or basement
- Anything that you may have extra of, that you can do without until you settle in your new home
There is no universal system to packing a home. You decide what items you need access to in the following month, and what gets packed away.
Packing 3 to 2 Weeks Before Your Move
As your move date approaches, you can start to pack items that you see yourself using less. If you approach packing with the mindset of, not what do I need to pack, instead, what do I think I’ll need? You may find that you have less on your plate.
Items to pack that you may use less include:
- Clothes and shoes
- Kid’s toys
- DVDs or entertainment items
- Junk drawers or closet items
- Things in your office, den, or spare bedrooms
No matter how organized your home is, everything you own has been given a place. When you are planning a move, take the time to look at each area and decide if this thing is going to be used until it reaches your new home.
Packing 2 to 1 Weeks Before Your Move
Packing the weeks before your move becomes decision time. What do I absolutely need during this time? Separating what you need from what you have should help in the packing decision making process. All of the odds and ends can get packed away so you can focus on the week of your move.
Packing the Week of Your Move
This is the “everything must go” time of your move. Hopefully, you have followed our packing guide up to this point. You should only be left with the frequently used areas of your home to pack. These areas may include your bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, and living room. Minimizing what you have in each area, day to day, is a great way keep what you need and pack little by little.
During the final week of packing you should focus on:
- Kitchen items
- Electronics and electronic components
- Bedroom items and clothes
- Anything you may have left over
Additional Information for Packing Your Home
Each box should be properly sealed and labeled prior to your move. Make sure to label all boxes on the sides so you and your movers can read them during the move.
We recommend having extra boxes on move day to pack last minute items, such as, bedding and toiletries. Make sure to separate items you do not want moved or you plan on moving yourself so your movers do not load them into the truck.
Moving Calculator wishes you the best of luck packing. If you are using a moving company for your move, they are a great resource for any packing questions you may have. Check out our other moving guides for more packing information.
Check out Moving Calculator’s move cost calculator to find your estimated packing costs for your upcoming move.
