DIY Tips for Successful Packing

My name is Elizabeth, and I am the daughter of Scott Sorensen, the owner of Sorensen Moving and Storage. My husband is a pilot in the US Air Force, which means that we move around quite a bit. In fact, our next move, which will occur this March, is quickly approaching. To prepare for our move, I am beginning to research some ways to make our moving experience as easy as possible. I have found some great information, which I thought I would share it with you. As the move date approaches, I will continue to provide insights that I discover. I truly hope that my experience can help you and your family prepare for your next move.

The thought of packing up the entire house is quite daunting! For this reason, many people opt to leave this job to the moving company. However, if you decide to do most of the packing yourself, here are some helpful tips:

-Pack one room at a time. Try to keep from combining things from different rooms in the same box. It will make unpacking much more difficult and time consuming.

-Pack clothes and linens in suitcases. This will allow you to get use out of the suitcases you are moving, and will save you from having to use more boxes.

-Wrap small items that can be easily misplaced in brightly colored tissue paper before packing them in boxes.

-Use small boxes for weighty goods, large boxes for light items, and medium sized boxes for everything in between. A Mayflower representative can give you an entire list of packing materials and their suggested usage.

-Clearly label each box with your name, the contents that it contains, and the room to which it belongs. Also label which side is up.

-Have area rugs cleaned by a professional before you move. They should return them to you rolled and wrapped, which makes moving them much easier.

-When taking furniture apart, gather all hardware and place it in a plastic bag. Attach the bag to the furniture to which it belongs. This makes reassembling it much easier!

-Do not pack anything that is flammable.

-Allow the professionals to pack your fragile items. Most moving companies will be responsible only for the items that they pack themselves.

I hope that you find these tips helpful! Good luck packing!