Packing your entire house into a box can be an overwhelming experience that can leave you wondering where to start.

We’re proud to have a great team of Toronto real estate agents who can help you find the home of your dreams, and we know that once you do find your home, packing up your current space can be overwhelming.

However, there are things that can be done to help streamline the process and ensure the safety of your belongings.

Here are some efficient tips for moving houses and packing that will help make your move as simple as possible.

Minimize

As soon as you decide to begin the search of buying a home, it’s a great idea to reduce the amount of clutter you own as much as you can. That way, when it comes time to move, moving everything you own won’t feel so overwhelming.

This packing tip will help save you on boxes, time, and if you sell any of the things you get rid of, you may even earn a little money back on your move.

Organize

Now that you’ve minimized your clutter, the next best packing tip we can offer is to organize your space. Sorting things in a manner that makes the most sense can help prevent feeling lost when packing and unpacking.

It’s up to you how to decide on your organization’s code. For example, group all the clothing you own together or sort it by bedroom closet versus coat closet. You may even find it easier for you to sort “guest bathroom” items away from “ensuite bathroom.” It depends on the types of spaces in your home and what works best for you.

Label

Next on our list of moving packing tips is to label every box and its contents clearly. This will make your move much easier to unpack. Simply writing something vague like a room designation may make it hard to find exactly what you are looking for. Labelling a box by both its designation and contents, such as “kitchen cooking utensils” or “living room picture frames,” can help you find exactly what you need when you need it.

Equipment (and Get the Good Stuff)

When it comes to supplies for packing your estate for a move, you’ll want to invest in the best.

For this packing tip, we recommend getting the best quality of moving materials you can afford. For example, you’ll want sturdy, good-quality boxes. Old, thin, broken down, or previously wet cardboard are much less supportive and can easily break your possessions along with it.

Along the same vein, good-quality packing tape is excellent to use. Your standard dollar store clear tape won’t adhere to boxes very well, resulting in the boxes popping open. This tip for packing is crucial if you’re taping the bottoms of boxes.

Some moving essentials that are good to purchase or rent include:

• Boxes
• Tape
• Markers
• Furniture covers
• A dolly to help move furniture
• Box cutters
• Garbage bags
• Paper towels, newspaper or other protective wrappings

Credit: Blue Bird via Pexels

Pack Light (Boxes)

Heavy boxes can be frustrating for even the most experienced movers, so packing light is one of the biggest tips for packing. We suggest doing your best to make sure all your boxes are manageable to carry, especially if going upstairs is required for your move.

It might seem tempting to organize your entire weight set or book collection into a large box, but these oversized options will both be challenging to lift and also risk breaking the bottom of your boxes. It is better to divide the heavy stuff into smaller boxes or equally distribute them with lighter objects, assuming they are not damaged when grouped. On the flip side, save your largest boxes for light objects that can still take up space, like blankets and pillows, or save on space and use garbage bags.

Take Your Time

This packing tip is easier said than done, especially if your move is a sudden one. That said, if at all possible, take your time when packing your most treasured items. Organizing and protectively wrapping things like photographs, artwork, fine china, antiques, or other valued items can help prevent any damage during the move.

Pack ASAP

You don’t have to wait for your future home to be in your name to begin packing. You can begin to pack as soon as you know a move is on the horizon, even if you haven’t chosen a destination yet. Of course, this isn’t to say you should start wrapping the dinner plates now and live your life out of boxes on the off chance of a quick move.

Preparing seldom-used items and storing them in clearly labelled containers can help alleviate the number of items to pack come moving day. Good examples of things to pack ahead of time are:

• Off-season clothing (shorts in winter, winter coats in summer)
• Off-season bedding (such as flannel sheets and winter duvets)
• Books and DVD collections you’ve recently read/watched or have no plans to review soon
• Seldom used housewares such as special occasion dinner plates and glassware
• Off-season décor (Christmas, Halloween, etc.)

Pack an Emergency Bag

Try as we might, sometimes things can go south during a move. Trucks can get lost, elevators can get doubled booked, and the entire process can take much longer than we anticipate. As our last moving packing tip, we recommend packing an emergency suitcase or bag of items you might find essential until the dust settles. This should include items such as:

• A toothbrush
• General toiletries
• Overnight and daytime clothes
• Chargers
• Laptops
• Medications
• Important documents

If you’re working and moving on a day off, be sure to pack anything you’ll need for work the next day, whether it be files or a uniform, so you’re not caught off guard if things go awry.

We hope these packing tips for moving have been helpful, and we at Harvey Kalles Real Estate hope you have an organized, stress-free move. If you haven’t found the right home yet, get in touch with us today.