So you’re off to new digs, and it’s time to pack! You’ll find the following tips on how to pack when moving house in Melbourne to be highly valuable. Taking the time to pack right makes for a much easier move and unpack at the other end.
Start Early and Declutter
Step one: leave yourself plenty of time! Packing up all your worldly belongings often takes much longer than you anticipate. Plus, you don’t want to be so tired from packing everything in a rush that you’re too exhausted to unpack at the other end.
In the weeks or months before your move, identify items that can be packed away early, such as excess bedding or crockery, old documentation, etc.
Also take this time to declutter – packing is always easiest when you have less of it to do. What’s more, you may be able to sell some of your belongings and earn cash to cover the cost of your move. Winning all round!
Use Proper Packing Boxes
You may be able to collect an assortment of free boxes from Bunnings, your friends and other random sources. However, this is time consuming and moreover, may not save you time or money in the long run.
Professional packing boxes are sturdy and of uniform size. When it comes time to move, it is far quicker to move and stack uniform sized boxes. If you’re paying for removalists, that reduced time is actually going to save you money. What’s more, you won’t run the risk of the bottom falling out of your boxes.
Find out how many packing boxes you need to move house.
For a large move, such as moving house or office, we also suggest you invest in a proper tape dispenser and quality packing tape. It will avoid lots of frustration and time-wasting.
If you’re moving house in Melbourne and need to source packaging materials, Pinder Tower Movers can help you out.
Pack Your Boxes With Care
There’s an art to packing right, to ensure nothing gets broken. Follow these tips to pack like a pro:
- Pack heavier items in smaller boxes, to ensure the box does not become too heavy to lift. Wheelie suitcases are also great for dense items such as books.
- Place heavier items at the bottom and fill the remaining space with lighter items.
- Fill all gaps so things can’t move around. Use scrunched up paper, bubble wrap, clothes or towels.
- Protect breakable items such as crockery by stacking them together with layers of paper, bubble wrap or cloths in between.
- Tape boxes well – tape twice across the bottom seal, along the top, and then wrap the tape around the box in several places.
Know What’s In Your Boxes
Don’t mix items from different rooms; and be sure to label each box with the room it will be going into. Also include a note on what’s inside, as you may not unpack everything right away.
Have a clearly labelled ‘open first’ box for all the things you’ll need upon arrival in your new home, including kettle, tea/coffee, UHT milk, snacks, toilet paper, special toys, school items, any pet requirements, medications, toiletries, scissors, dishwashing supplies, bin liner and cleaning cloths.
Know What You Don’t Need To Pack
Talk to your removalist about your special items such as TVs, computers, pianos and antiques. They may provide their own wrappings for these.
You may also find your removalist is happy to take drawers with clothes still inside. Clothes in the wardrobe can be left on hangers and either hung in a special wardrobe box, laid in a suitcase or grouped and wrapped in heavy duty garbage bags with the hangers poking out one end.
Avoid Cable Chaos
When packing away items that involve cables, such as TVs, computers, etc, try to keep cables in place so you don’t have to remember where they all plug in at the other end. Tape or tie cables to the item being moved.
If that’s not practical, take a photo of where everything plugs in before removing and label each cable. Coloured sticky dots can also be useful for matching cable to input.
Similarly, if you’re having to take furniture apart before moving, place screws into ziplock bags, label the bag and tape to the furniture or keep them in your handbag so they’re instantly accessible at the other end.
Don’t Forget Fresh Food
Try to whittle down the amount of fresh food you’ll need to transfer. Have an esky or cold bags ready for food items from your fridge and freezer, along with a supply of ice. You may need to wait a while until your fridge is up to temperature and ready to use at the other end.
Also, take time to defrost your freezer the week before you move, so you don’t end up with dripping ice during the move.
And remember, if you’re moving house in Melbourne, Pinder Tower Movers offer a professional packing and unpacking service, as well as household and furniture removals.