Follow these steps to avoid a headache and take moving from stressful to streamlined.
Boxes
You can’t have too many boxes. Don’t leave this to last minute. In the months or weeks to come, start collecting good and sturdy boxes of various shapes and sizes. You can visit you local storage space and buy a brand new pack, or you go to your local shop, library, café to see if they have anything suitable. Check Trade Me and Facebook Marketplace for anyone selling theirs privately. Some storage places also sell second-hand boxes or allow you to return unused new ones if you over-invested in the first place.
Take your time packing
It’s tempting to throw everything into the box. But there is no better time than now to get organised and declutter as you pack. Post some under-loved things on Trade Me or Facebook, you may even make some money along the way to cover the moving costs and buy new furniture pieces. Ready to pack what’s left? Don’t hold back on packing material. To make sure your valuables are safe and sound, use plenty of bubble wrap. Pack things correctly by making sure your items cushion each other.
Label it
After the move comes the hassle of unpacking and remembering where everything is. Plan ahead and label boxes correctly and with great detail. Write down which room the items below to, and which items are inside. Think “kitchen” and “living room”. Always helps to write “fragile” on boxes you have to be extra careful with.
Load the boxes meticulously
When loading a van, it’s always the easiest to load the largest items in first. This technique will help to maximise available space and to minimise damage to your valuables while moving. Equally if you don’t have many big items but lots of boxes, you can choose to load your boxes in first building a wall of boxes to the ceiling from the back of the van. Make sure everything is compactly packed or tied down to avoid any movement during the transportation.
Use the right tools
Lifting and moving boxes or bulky items is always easy when you have the right tools. Moving trolleys, straps, cords, rugs and blankets can all be locally purchased or, better, borrowed from friends, family or your local storage facility. These tools not only make the move a breeze, but also help to protect your items during transportation.
Moving doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful. Make sure you prepare ahead of time, follow our tips and have plenty of people to help you. It will be over before you know it and if you do it right, won’t be as bad as you make it out to be.
