While living in a large house can be great, it may overwhelm you when it comes time to move. If done properly, you can pack up a huge house with ease and eliminate many of the typical stresses of moving. There are several aspects to take into consideration when packing up a big house, but the overall best advice is to be prepared and extremely organized.
When you begin packing, start with all of the items that are not being used on a frequent basis. Good rooms to begin with would be your attic, basement, and all the closets in the house. If you get those areas packed far in advance, it will take a huge burden off your hands when you have to pack everything else.
After you have packed away the things you never use, it is time to start strategically planning the rest of your rooms. You should pack one room at a time to break down the long process of packing a huge house into several smaller and more manageable steps. To keep organized, start off by color coding each room and put a sticker with the room’s color on each box. This will help to organize the packing into the truck and unloading into the new house. Once you are ready to attack the project of packing your home and moving, there are several moving tips to think about during the process.
Boxes: Boxes are really the backbone of your move. While you may be able to reuse some older boxes, it will save you from a lot of headaches if you use newer, stronger boxes. The size of the box determines what you will pack into it. The large boxes are meant for lighter, bulkier items like pillows and linens. If you pack heavy items in a large box, you and the movers will struggle to move it and the box may even break. The small boxes work great for heavy solid items like all the books from your library. Mid size boxes are great for miscellaneous items and fragile items as long as you use plenty of padding like paper, towels, and bubble wrap.
Other Supplies: You will need some basic supplies for the move. Tissue paper, packing paper, packing tape, permanent markers, knife, scissors, and of course boxes will all be used during the move. Make sure you have more than enough of each because you don’t want to be stuck on the big day without important supplies.
Labeling: The most important step that will keep you from tearing out your hair is to label everything. You should use color coded stickers to designate the room the box goes in and a large felt tip marker to write what the contents are. Indicate “fragile” and “this end up” on the box and list the contents on the side of the box. If the box belongs to a certain individual in the family, mark their name on each box that is theirs. Last but not least, add either the number “1” or letter “A” for boxes that you want to be unpacked first at the new house. You will then be able to quickly and efficiently unpack without ripping through boxes trying to find everything.
Packing a Box: How you pack a box is just as important as the size the box is. You will need to put the heaviest items on the bottom of the box with the lighter things on top. Each box should have similar items in it to help with labeling and keeping organized, and you should not mix things from different rooms into one box. The kitchen stuff should all go into kitchen labeled boxes – don’t mix the living room and kitchen, for example. Between each layer of items within the box, stuff packing paper for padding.
Three Box Rule: When you go into a room and begin packing, you should follow the three box rule. One box for packing things up, one for garbage, and one for the big yard sale that you will need to have to sell off the clutter. Having the three boxes ready to go when you start packing will make it quick and easy to pack.
What to Leave Out: All of your important documents and valuables are to stay on you at all times. Aside from that, you will need the basics for daily life such as toiletries, a few kitchen items, a couple pairs of clothes, and just the linens you will be using. Those items will all be packed up last and unpacked first at the new house so you have everything you need.
Moving Truck: If you rent a moving truck, you will probably need the biggest truck available for your huge house. Depending on the size of your house, you may need to do two trips, but if you pack properly you hopefully can get it all in one tightly packed load.
Hiring Movers: Moving a big house will be physically demanding and you will want to hire a moving company who can handle the heavy items, packing the truck, and unloading it quickly. You don’t want to injure yourself during the move so let the strong guys on a moving team do the hard work for you.
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