How to Pack Ahead Without Making Things Inconvenient

Packing ahead saves so much time, and makes things much easier when it comes time to move. Unfortunately, packing ahead can also be inconvenient, especially if you’ve accidentally packed items you still need before the moving day. To avoid embarrassing situations and frustrating digs through perfectly packed boxes, check out this Coffey Bros Moving list of how to pack ahead the most convenient way.

Start in the Attic: Not just the attic, but the basement, and storage closets as well. These are items that get used for very specific reasons, and you probably won’t be looking for during the move. Old boxes of family heirlooms, bins of books, and bags of stored bedding can all be packed up until you arrive at your new home.

Of course, you’ll want to keep anything important, such as laundry soap, and your tool box handy, because these are items which will still be in use right up until moving day, and possible after. Use your best judgement to select things from these spaces that won’t be used in the next few weeks or months, and get them packed and out of the way.

Store Decorations: Decorations are beautiful, and they can really make the home, but they’re rarely necessary for day to day life. This means that all your knickknacks, souvenirs, family photos, and art on the walls can all come down and be packed away. Carefully and lovingly wrap and store these items, and stack the boxes carefully in a place they won’t get bumped or knocked. Be sure to label everything carefully so that your movers know which items are fragile, and how to handle them.

This category can also include throat pillows, rugs, and decorative furniture which isn’t used regularly.

Get Seasonal Items Out of the Way: If you don’t need those Halloween decorations, and you’re through with the Thanksgiving Day tablecloth, pack it all up for next year and get it ready for moving day. Not only can you take this time to pack holiday trifles, you can also pack up any seasonal clothing you’ll no longer be needing. Winter is on the way, but if you haven’t seen snow yet, it’s probably safe to pack the skis and snow pants. Similarly, unless you live in a State where the sun is constantly shining, November and December are a good time to pack up summer shorts and bathing suits. These items won’t be needed until well after your move, and it will give you less to work on later.

Clean the Pantry: Pantries are full of non-perishable food items that likely won’t get used for weeks. While prepacking, it’s a great time to take everything out of the pantry, survey what you’ll need over the next few weeks, and pack up the rest. All those cans of peas you forgot at the back of the cupboard can go away until moving day. You may also consider donating items you don’t intend to use, to help those in need, and cut back on more moving boxes.

Keep Things Out of the Way: Finally, it isn’t enough to pack for convenience, you’ve got to store for convenience as well. Now that you’ve got all these boxes packed and ready to go, you don’t want to be tripping over them for the next few weeks. You also don’t want to have to haul everything up from the basement when it’s finally time to load the truck either. Avoid both of these issues by choosing a room with lots of space and stacking boxes neatly against the wall.

By creating a wall of boxes, you narrow the area slightly, but there’s nothing to trip over or bump into, and you can still use most of the space in that room. If you manage to pack up an entire room, like the den or an office, ahead of time, you can store boxes in this space until moving day arrives. Any area where you’ll see the least amount of traffic is the best place to line boxes for the time being.