The worry that your belongings will disappear is surely near the top of the list of stressful things about moving. If you are wondering how to pack for a move, a smart approach is to assemble the moving supplies you’ll need before proceeding room-by-room until the job is completed. Also, you should make a list of possessions packed in each moving box to avoid chaos when you start unloading in your new apartment. Make packing and moving easier and less stressful by following A2B Moving and Storage DC packing checklist. Starting packing for your move three weeks before the move is anticipated is a good idea.
General packing tips
A move’s most critical phase is packing. You can keep track of your belongings from beginning to end when you organize your items based on common functions, room usage, or other factors. Here are a couple of basic rules to follow when packing.
- sort things by category
- gather some moving supplies
- make a list of possessions packed in each moving box
- pack ahead of time
Spend an afternoon sorting through all the clothes you own instead of spending a whole day cleaning your entire bedroom. Go through every coat closet, laundry hamper, and dirty clothes hamper. Once you have all your clothes in one place-sort them. You should do the same thing with shoes, decoration, documents, books, etc. When making your moving supplies list, prepare boxes, bubble wrap, foam wrap, a lot of tape, colorful markers. If you are looking after the environment (kudos to you!), then definitely get eco friendly packing supplies. These boxes are either biodegradable or plastic. That means they can be used multiple times.
You can find moving boxes at your nearby store. Don’t buy them, as we encourage you to be more eco friendly.
Make a list of possessions packed in each moving box
Finding out that some of your belongings did not arrive at your new home can be so stressful. You may have to hire an excavation team to find them under the mountain of boxes. When you do the right preparation, unpacking all of your stuff becomes much easier. Prepare a plan for tracking everything you’re taking with you before you pack a single box. If you have a good organizational system in place, you’ll save countless hours (and much stress) when it comes time for unpacking.
Walkthrough the pre-packaging process
You should document your possessions before packing. Videotape your possessions, especially any valuables. You can take photos if that is easier for you. Make sure to capture any identifying features or serial numbers. Even if you don’t move, you should do this periodically anyway since it will prove very beneficial in the case that you ever need to file a claim with your insurance company. If possible, store all of this paperwork somewhere outside your home. You might want to consider a cloud-based service. You should store at least one copy of this documentation somewhere other than your home. A cloud-based (online) storage service may be the best choice. Or the actual storage unit in DC.
Create a system for labeling
A pre-move organizational system can be created in several different ways. It’s important to have some kind of organizational plan, whether you follow these steps exactly or customize your own. Creating a chart or list is the first step. To be safe, you can store an electronic version of this list somewhere online, just in case you lose the paper copy. Write large numbers in a bright marker on each of your plastic storage bins for moving. Once you have labeled with numbers, you should describe the content on your list. Try to be as specific as possible (or as you are able).
There is no right or wrong method: some prefer simply just writing directly on the box, while others prefer to use colored stickers as color codes. You can also purchase labels designed for this purpose. It is important to clearly and accurately label all your packed boxes so that you can find everything easily. You or your moving company won’t be able to see the tops of boxes when you stack them in a van or car, so make sure to label their sides as well.
Color-coding and numbering boxes
Your new home should have a distinct color assigned to each room or section. Next, spray paint, construction paper, or another material can be used to customize each box with a color that corresponds with the area where it will be placed. The boxes that belong in specific locations will be easily identifiable as a result. Use construction paper or stickers to identify the designated colors for each room at your new location so that the person unloading the boxes knows where to put everything.
As for the numbering system, we already gave you a hint above. One of the great tips we can offer is using an app for tracking your belongings. Most of these apps are used for businesses, but you can adjust the setting and have a professional way to look after your possessions. You know that whenever the entire packing experience feels too overwhelming for you, you can search for professional moving services in DC.
Make a list of possessions packed in each moving box to help yourself while unpacking.
After the move
It is not necessary to unpack everything immediately, but it would be a good idea to check off each box as it is brought off the moving truck. Before the local movers DC leave, you’ll know if any boxes are missing. Keep an eye out for the priorities. If you will need items right away, wrap the most important boxes in brightly colored duct tape. When you start unpacking, you’ll be able to determine which boxes to deal with first.
Another reason why you should make a list of possessions packed in each moving box is that once you start unpacking, you will have a clear view of what’s inside, and how to manage and unload. You will be grateful once you finish and realize that all of your stuff is right where it should be, and you will be able to start enjoying your new place as soon as you settle in. You should follow us if you want to know more and need professional moving and packing advice. This time of the year can pretty stressful, but we hope this article will make it as pleasant as possible.
