How To Pack And Unpack For A Last-Minute Move

Moving from one place to another is often a stressful process, let alone a last-minute one. This means that you have to pack your belongings and simultaneously organize everything in a short amount of time. To help you with this, here are tips to pack and unpack for a last minute-move that will make it easier.

Make A List Of What You Must Pack

When you have a deadline to meet, it’s easy to forget or overlook things that you need to pack, and this is where making a list comes in handy. As a good start in making the packing process seamless, ensure you have a list of everything that needs to be packed- clothes, linens, household items, personal care items, furniture, and appliances, to name a few. This list can help you track what else needs to be packed or things your need to bring with you.

And to make things more organized, you can create a list of items to pack, discard, or donate. This way, you can sort your things easily while ensuring that nothing is left behind.

Ask For Assistance

Moving on your own is possible, especially if you only have a few things. However, it can be challenging if you have a lot of belongings- from packing to transporting them to your new home. In such cases, asking for assistance from your family and friends can help.

You can assign specific tasks for each person to help make the process more efficient and productive. For instance, one can place items inside and secure each box with tape, while the others can help you load the boxes into your car or truck. And as a token of appreciation for their help, don’t forget to buy refreshments and snacks.

However, if no one in your circle is available, there’s also the option to contact professional movers. You may follow this link to help you keep in touch with experts in moving.

Gather All Necessary Supplies

Before you start packing, ensure you have all the necessary supplies, including boxes, tape, markers, scissors, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap. This is critical for last-minute moves since ensuring you have enough packing materials can help you avoid repetitive store trips that could eat your time that could’ve otherwise been spent on packing.

Declutter Your Things

Packing for an upcoming move can be a great way to declutter and get rid of things you no longer use or need. Doing so can help you make room for new belongings at your new home.

Start by tossing out old clothes and other items that don’t fit into your life anymore or aren’t worth keeping around. If there are things that are still usable but not in good condition anymore, consider donating them instead of throwing them away or selling them at a lower price so they can be disposed of properly.

Secure All Important Documents

Even if you’re in a rush to meet your moving schedule, take the time to secure all personal documents, such as passports, birth certificates, social security cards, and medical records, before packing them. 

You can put them inside a waterproof bag or plastic container and place them in a safe place. But due to the sensitive nature of these documents, it’s best to pack them yourself instead of letting professional movers or your enlisted help handle them.

Put All Your Essentials In A Separate Bag

In line with the previous tip, you should pack other essentials that you don’t want to misplace or forget, such as medications, personal electronics and chargers, basic toiletries, and a change of clothes, in a separate bag. This way, these items can always be accessible during the moving process without digging or rummaging through multiple boxes.

Secure Fragile Items

Fragile items like dishes, glassware, lamps, and vases need extra care when packing and moving. When these items are moved, they can be damaged by being bumped around or dropped.

To protect such items from being damaged during transit, wrap them individually in bubble wrap or blankets before putting them into boxes. Consider placing them in their crate if they’re particularly fragile or valuable. In addition, don’t forget to label the box that there are fragile items inside.

Label Each Box With Its Contents

Whether you have fragile items inside or not, you should label each box with its contents. This way, when it arrives at its destination, there will be clarity about what’s inside each box. Doing so makes unpacking much easier since it can help you avoid the hassle of searching for a particular item in every box.

You can do this by writing directly on the box or using a label maker and using permanent markers to write on the boxes. Alternatively, you can use packing tape and make labels for the boxes.

Merge Related Items

After packing everything, you may start putting the boxes inside the vehicle. Make sure to place boxes that contain related items together, so you can find and organize them easily once you reach your new place.

An excellent way to do this is by assigning a color to each category or room. For example, if you are moving from one apartment to another, one box could have all clothes and accessories from your bedroom while another could have all your kitchenware. That way, when you unpack, it will be easier to put things where they belong since you’ll already organize them according to their category or room.

Unpack By Room

Moving your belongings to your new home is just half the battle since work is still needed as you unpack your boxes. To help you stay organized, start unpacking by room. For example, you can unload all boxes, crates, and other containers that have kitchen items first. This can help make it easier for you to locate the things you need to sort your kitchen. Once done, you can start unpacking other rooms in your new place.

Key Takeaway

Moving to a new home is something to look forward to. However, the process can often be stressful and tedious, especially when packing and unpacking your belongings. This article has outlined some tips you can keep in mind to help make the process easier.

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