Are you looking forward to moving to a new house?
Before you do, you should prepare a packing timeline for moving. Packing is one of the most stressful parts of moving to a new place.
Many things could go wrong if you do it yourself or hire a professional moving company!
If you’re not careful, you might lose your most important belongings and have other issues. This detailed guide will show you the best tips for creating a packing timeline for moving house.
Here’s what you must know:
1. Create an Inventory List
The first step is to create a list of all your belongings. This is a great opportunity to decide if there’s anything you wish to throw away!
Start with the biggest items on your list. For example, you might need to ship your car or other vehicles to your new location.
You can move on to the smaller items once you’ve figured out the bigger stuff. You can use this car shipping company to send your car to your new house.
Make sure you also provide details of your items. For example, if you own 50 books, you should write down the names of all the books or take pictures of them in groups. This process is tedious, but you must ensure no book gets lost.
For any sensitive items, try to keep them with you when you move to your new house. For example, you may have a few external hard drives with personal data.
Packing these in a bag and taking them with you when you move into your new house is the best option. This ensures that they won’t get lost, and you won’t lose important data.
You should do this at least three months before moving house. If you buy any new items in the interim, don’t forget to add them to the list.
2. Create a Calendar
The next step is to create a calendar for when you’ll pack your items. Let’s presume you have 100 items in total.
You want to take a maximum of five days to pack these items. Try to pack at least 20 items per day. Once again, start with the bigger and more complex items first.
Check off the items on your list as you pack them.
Now, when should you create this calendar? Do this at least two months before the moving day. If you can do this even earlier, that’s the best option.
3. Prepare Your Packing Materials
Once you’ve created your inventory list and calendar, the next step is to gather your moving house packing supplies.
Do this as soon as you’ve made your calendar. It might take a few days to gather your packing materials, especially if you order them online.
You’ll need to estimate how many boxes you’ll need for your goods. For example, can you fit your 50 books in two boxes? Or will you need three or four boxes?
Make sure you also account for packing materials. For fragile items, you’ll need an adequate supply of safety materials. This can include bubble wrap, wrapping paper, and styrofoam peanuts.
It’s always best to order a few extra packing materials to be on the safe side. Even if you must pay extra, order through expedited shipping to avoid delays.
4. Start Packing Big Items First
Packing the biggest and most complex items on your list first is best. Do this as soon as your packing materials arrive.
This also lets you know if you need to order any additional packing materials. If so, you must order the packing materials on the same day.
Once you’ve packed your biggest items, you can then pack your smallest items.
Try your best to exceed your packing goals. Ideally, you’ll have at least one week to spare.
During that extra week, you’ll decide whether to re-pack any items. If you have any leftover items, this also gives you ample time to decide what to do with them.
5. Throw Away Your Leftovers
During the aforementioned break, you might throw away any leftover items.
However, you also need to plan and arrange for throwing them away. For example, what happens if you have any leftover books that you no longer want?
Books are knowledge, so we can’t just dump them in the garbage, can we?
The best option is to donate them to your local library. Schedule a day where you’ll get all your books to donate. It’s best to do this first thing in the morning when the library isn’t packed.
Please inform the library that you’d like to donate your books. If you have a large selection, they will likely be okay with leaving the books outside their door. This lets you drop them off at the curb without issue.
You may also have a lot of junk that can be thrown away. These can include old sofas, computers, etc.
To do this, call your local salvaging company ASAP. They’ll pick up your junk for you. Ensure you never leave this to the last minute, as salvaging companies often have busy schedules.
6. Double-Check
Double-check that everything’s ready at least one week before the moving day.
Walk around your house several times to see if there’s anything left to pack or get rid of. Recheck your packing list to see if you’ve listed all your items.
You can schedule an appointment with the moving company if everything is ready.
If you’re transporting your items yourself, make sure your car has sufficient gas for the journey.
What’s Your Packing Timeline for Moving
Now you have the perfect packing timeline for moving to your new house!
You must prepare a packing list at least three months before you move. The next step is to arrange for large items, such as your car, to be shipped in advance.
Afterward, you’ll create a packing calendar and order packing materials. Pack every day and arrange to salvage any unwanted items.
Ready for the big move? Make sure you check out our other home living tips.