Last Updated on 2 months by David Bergmann
“Where and how do I start?!” – This question is probably asked by everyone who is moving house. The mere sight of the household contents that have accumulated over the years can be overwhelming. But don’t panic, we’ve put together a short guide for you to make packing your moving boxes a little easier. If you follow a few tips and tricks when packing, you’ll be able to move in a relaxed and organized way!
- Tips & tricks: How to pack the right way!
- Right order: This goes into the boxes first
- Last, but not least: These things come at the end.
1. Tips & tricks: How to pack the right way!
Declutter first
Before you pack your first moving box, you should go through all your possessions in peace. All things that you neither use, need nor enjoy should be cleared out before the move.
(Inventory) list
Not a must, but can be very helpful to keep an overview in the chaos of moving! You enter all your household effects in it and note which items are in which moving box (box number).
Labeling boxes
This point is essential if you want to find your belongings as quickly as possible after moving. It also makes it easier for you to “strategically” unpack by only opening the moving boxes with the contents that are particularly important.
Start in time
Don’t take too long to pack the boxes, because people often underestimate how many things they actually have. Decluttering can also take some time, if a lot has accumulated over the years!
2. Right Order: This goes into the boxes first!
As mentioned above, you should start packing your moving boxes in good time (preferably a few weeks in advance). To pack as cleverly and efficiently as possible, you should proceed systematically and pack the things you don’t use every day first.
It’s best to start in the cellar, attic or storage room of your home, as this is where you store possessions that rarely see daylight. You can also pack items that you own twice (e.g. a second set of dishes).
Checklist: Things you can pack weeks in advance:
- Books
- Photo albums
- Clothing of the other season
- Board games
- Old documents & files
- Decoration material (e.g. Christmas)
- Souvenirs & mementos
- DVD’s, CD’s and LP’s
- Sports equipment (e.g. snowboard boots)
Of course, this list is only a recommendation, because everyone is different! A bookworm will probably pack his beloved books last, a music lover his CDs and LPs.
3. Last, but not least: These things come at the end.
You should only pack the things you use every day shortly before the move, or on the day of the move itself.
These include, among others:
- Medication
- Baby food
- Pet food
- Coffee machine
- Toiletries
- Towels
- Bed linen
- Laptop & charging cable
- Kitchen utensils
- Food
- Clothing
You should also wait and see when packing the children’s toys, because you can be sure that the very toy car that disappears into the moving box will suddenly be in high demand!
Ideally, you should also pack a special box for the day of the move, containing all particularly important items such as medication or baby food. But you should also always have tools, adhesive tape, scissors and pens for labeling at hand.
Tip: If you want to make sure you have everything you need to hand for the first few days in your new home, it’s best to pack a suitcase with the same things you would pack for a short vacation. The rest will end up in the moving boxes!
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