Any attempts to deny that you have false beliefs when packing for a move could be a warning sign that you might be suffering from packing delusions, ready to sabotage the success of your huge house packing project.
Moving across the country to another home involves a great number of jobs to complete all the way until Moving day arrives and starts banging on the door. Of all the hectic pre-move preparations, one moving task in particular will most likely put anyone’s patience, resilience and resourcefulness to the test like never before.
* P-A-C-K-I-N-G *
Its name alone is enough to send chills down any home mover’s spine. The largely stressful and rather chaotic circumstances that often accompany the process of packing up for a move can often prove too much to handle for the individuals involved. The unique packing reality that unrolls before home packers’ eyes may as well cloud their sound judgment and cause them to question their own abilities to cope with the challenging packing project.
Get familiar with the most common packing mistakes in the form of delusions and false beliefs that may not only slow down your packing progress but can also prove to be too costly in the end. Remember that careless mistakes when packing for a move can easily put your money, time and nerves on the line.
Ready to learn the top 10 packing delusions when packing for a move, and stay away from them?
1. Packing Help? No, Thanks. I Can Pack My Entire Home On My Own
The very first false belief that you may be having before you even start placing your prized possessions into moving containers is that you can pack up your entire house on your own without any additional help. Well, depending on the overall number of household items and personal possessions that you have in your home and depending on the exact time period you have until the Big day, you could actually manage to pull it off on your own. However, it would be nothing short of an amazing achievement that Flash Gordon himself would be proud of.
In fact, one of the biggest blunders you can make when packing your house for a move is to not reach out and ask for packing assistance or even worse – to hastily refuse it whenever timely and adequate packing help is readily offered in a friendly manner.
Friends. Hopefully, your pals will happen to be familiar with the proverb “A friend in packing need is a friend indeed.” and will respond to your call for help. Ask them in person or use the wider reach and convenience of your preferred social network.
Professional packers. If you can afford it, your best option for a quick and efficient packing experience is to hire the services of a highly experienced and trained team of packers who know exactly what it takes to pack up your entire house quickly and safely.
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2. I Don’t Need To Start Packing Early Because I’m A Fast Packer
Still confident that your packing speed alone will be enough to finish packing up your garage on time?
Another common packing mistake is the false belief that you are a fast packer simply because you can pack up your backpack in no time. You need to remember that packing a backpack and packing up an entire home are two entirely different things. Besides, while being a fast packer will definitely help you finish the packing process faster, speed alone is usually not enough to achieve the packing efficiency you so desperately need – you also need good organization to go with it.
And more precisely – you will have to create a packing calendar to be able to control and manipulate time the way you see fit. Don’t ever forget that time is not only relevant, it is also tricky. Time is the essential factor when packing for a move and will determine the speed with which you will be placing the material world around you into moving boxes. Of course, the more time you manage to squeeze out with your calendar, the higher your packing efficiency will be and the better you will be able to keep the moving stress at bay. Nevertheless, if you’re really pressed for time, our revolutionary packing checklist will tell you in person the best way to pack for a move in exactly 60 steps.
Not surprisingly, the first entry in any packing calendar says START EARLY! with big bold letters.
3. I Will Pack Everything I Have And Sort It Out Later In My New Home
This idea is probably the worst packing mistake that you can make while getting ready to move to another home. And by worst we mean costly, maybe even costlier that you might suspect. The failure to optimize the number of your household goods before you initiate the packing process will definitely prove detrimental for you due to 3 major reasons:
Time. Realistically speaking, your only chance of finishing up packing your home for a move on time is to inventory all your earthly possession, go through them carefully and get rid of any items that you don’t already want and will no longer need in the foreseeable future. Wasting hours and hours of wrapping up your unsorted possessions for moving is a serious packing blunder that you’d be wise to avoid.
Space. Even if you are lucky enough to be upsizing your home, it’s really a bad idea to start filling up your new house or apartment with unwanted and unneeded items from the very first days of unpacking.
Money. That’s right – packing your home for a move without first sorting its content will place a serious strain on your wallet. As you must know by now, the reason for this phenomenon is that the final price you’re paying for your cross country move is in direct proportion to the total weight of your shipment. In other words, many unsorted items contribute to greater weight, and more weight means more money for their actual transportation.
4. I’m Sure There Is No Such Thing As Free Packing Supplies
It’s definitely not a secret that moving house is an expensive affair and therefore one of the top concerns that you as a home mover will probably be preoccupied with will be to find various ways to lower the moving expenses. The idea is to take advantage of all money-saving moving tips you can think of, especially during the packing stages.
Packing for a move is simply unthinkable without the convenience of cardboard boxes. And yet, you don’t have to dig too deep into your pockets to get moving containers in good overall condition.
A common packing delusion is to believe that you have to buy absolutely all of your packing supplies so that you have a safe relocation trip to your new home. Yes, it’s true that you can’t possible compete with new products, but luckily for you, there are good free alternatives to the brand new packing materials you were planning to purchase from your local moving company.
Moving boxes. One thing is clear – you can’t even think about starting to pack without first obtaining a large number of cardboard boxes of different shapes and sizes. The good news here is that you can get moving boxes for free from local businesses as many supermarkets, bookstores, electronics stores, etc. have more packing boxes that they will ever need and those containers can be yours just for the asking. Although offered free of charge, take only boxes that are strong, clean and in good overall condition.
Bubble wrap. Take a good look around your home and look for clean yet no longer needed pieces of old clothing that you can use instead of the air-filled plastic material. Bubble wrap is not overrated by any means but thick socks, hand towels and old towels can do an excellent job protecting your fragile items just as well.
Packing paper. It’ll be hard to find good substitution for soft and clean packing paper because of its numerous advantages. And yet, newsprint comes pretty close with its unbeatable price and great qualities as a filling material /just be careful with the ink stains it can leave to some more delicate items/.
5. It Won’t Matter Which Rooms I Pack First As Long As I Start From Somewhere
This is a common packing delusion that can only slow down your progress instead of speeding it up. If you wish to finish a specific task, it’s of utmost importance to actually begin working on it. And while the simplicity of the previous sentence sounds laughable, its continuation “but it’s even more important to know where to start packing for a move” surely does not.
You need to devise a crystal clear strategy in order to have a smooth and problem-free packing experience. It’s all about following the 3 fundamental rules of quick and efficient packing:
Packing rule #1: Pack from hard to easy
Start packing from the premises which contain an extraordinary number of items for packing. In most cases, they will coincide with the storage areas in your home – garages, basements, attics, tool sheds and so on. This way, your easier packing projects will be left for later when your energy, motivation and morale are almost depleted.
Packing rule #2: Pack according to occupation frequency
It’ll be a clear moving mistake to start packing from the rooms you use every single day as they will get cluttered too fast and will eat up your living space unnecessarily. Designate one room or specific corner of a room as your packing station and just get down to work.
Packing rule #3: Pack from larger to smaller
Your large and heavy household items deserve your first and foremost packing attention – make sure your bulky furniture pieces and kitchen appliances are already safely disassembled, disconnected and packed before you turn your attention to packing your bits and pieces.
6. There Are Items I’m Not Allowed To Pack? Is This Some Kind Of A Joke?
“Pack me in a cardboard box and I’ll never speak to you again!”
No, this is not a joke. Reputable professional moving companies take safety seriously and will not agree to load onto their moving trucks known hazardous items. A common packing delusion on your part would be to assume that you can pack all your possessions regardless of whether they are deemed dangerous for transportation or not.
Hazardous goods are considered all items that can pose a considerable threat to property and people alike. Don’t waste your time packing corrosive, explosive and flammable substances such as fuel, oil, acids, fertilizers, pesticides, propane tanks, paint, weapons and ammunition and many more. Instead, be responsible for their safe disposal before your moving date arrives.
Perishable foods are also not allowed to be packed and transported across the country, as are pets and plants due to their sensitivity and fragility. A reasonable solution is to use up your perishables way in advance or give them away if you fail to consume them in time. As far as your animal and plant friends go, it’s your responsibility to arrange for their safe transportation to your home.
Before initiating the packing procedure, ask your selected moving company for their list of forbidden items in order to avoid this typical moving mistake when packing your house for a move.
7. Safety Will Only Slow Down My Packing Progress
Our list of packing mistakes, false beliefs and delusions continues with the widespread misconception that safety requires too much time and efforts to be achieved, so some people tend to favor speed over safety when packing their homes for a move. In reality, practicing safe packing techniques comes down to knowing the basic safety packing rules and has nothing to do with time whatsoever.
Follow these 3 main principles to achieve good packing safety without having to sacrifice your packing speed in the process:
Small vs. Large. Thinking that the larger a moving container is, the more items it will fit can be nothing less than a visual illusion that can compromise packing safety big time. It’s all about the actual weight of the goods that will go into the cardboard boxes anyway. So, don’t forget to use small moving boxes for heavier items and big boxes for lighter items.
Reinforcement. A moving box can look sturdy enough and still break under the weight of its own content on moving day. Which, of course, would be rather unfortunate as property damage and even personal injuries can never be excluded from the relocation equation. Be sure to reinforce the bottom of each moving container with quality tape to avoid such mishaps.
Filling materials. You may not think that filling up any remaining space inside a moving box is important but important it is. Any safe packing techniques you employ when packing up for a move won’t mean a thing if you as much as fail to immobilize your packed items during transit. Use plenty of filling and padding materials to safeguard your goods against any shifts and movements on the road, and thus avoid any damage.
8. Books Are Heavy? You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me!
3:14 lbs. per book is enough to make you rethink your packing strategy.
A typical delusion when packing for a move is to misjudge the total weight of packed books and thus endanger your moving day safety. This false belief comes as a direct result from the almost feathery feel of single book pages. However, once these pages are combined first in a book and then in a book-filled box, then things tend to change dramatically weight-wise.
Have in mind that when packing books for a move, your moving boxes will become too heavy too quickly /in a matter of minutes!/. To keep your moving day problem- and injury-free, observe the following 3 rules when packing books for moving.
Don’t forget to slim down your book collection to only the copies you really, really want to keep.
Keep book-filled boxes below 50 lbs. even if you know you can handle heavier loads simply because even reinforced moving containers have their loading limits.
Use all wheeled suitcases you can find in your home and fill them up with your heaviest copies you own. Let the wheels take the strain instead of your back.
9. I’m Strong Enough To Carry my Furniture Without Disassembling It First
Another one of the most common packing mistakes when packing for a move is to underestimate the importance of disassembling your furniture pieces before you pack and load them into the moving truck. Your regular trips to the gym may have given you the confidence that you will be able to handle your bulky and heavy furniture. And yet, there are several reasons why packing and carrying your heavyweight furniture pieces is a task better left for more experienced packers and movers.
The sheer furniture weight aside, the pieces will often need to be navigated through tight corridors, sharp corners and steep staircases. Experience, experience, experience.
Also, some pieces are really tough to be disassembled into its key elements and only previous experience will matter in such cases.
You’re going to need plenty of moving blankets to keep your valued furniture pieces safe during all stages of the cross country relocation. Unsafe furniture packing will only lead to more headaches than you can handle in one day.
You’re going to need a heavy duty moving dolly to wheel your furniture pieces out of your home and load them onto the rental truck. In comparison, movers have the right equipment and know-how to do it in no time.
To avoid a rookie packing mistake in case you have opted for a self-move, disassemble your large furniture pieces /use their construction manuals if you keep them or ask for furniture disassembling advice from the pros/, use moving blankets or other old home blankets to protect their surfaces, and take advantage of a moving dolly to safely transport them to the waiting vehicle. And one more thing – never ever do furniture packing and moving entirely on your own!
10. I Have A Good Memory So I Don’t Need To Label My Packed Boxes
Packing your house for a move is usually the time when essential packing tasks have the tendency to be skipped due to lack of sufficient time. One of the most frequent packing mistakes that you can make is to believe that you have an excellent memory and therefore, there’s no need to waste additional time by labeling the ready boxes.
Numbering your packed boxes and keeping a master list of their content with you is another clever labeling system that works like a charm.
The thing is, even if you are blessed with an infallible memory, your moving day will most likely drain you physically and mentally, and you may find yourself in your new home with piles and piles of unlabeled boxes and no clear recollection of what exactly is inside them.
Avoid this unpleasant packing mistake by remembering to:
Keep a black marker pen close at hand, and maybe even some color labels or stickers too.
Label clearly the content and destination room on at least 2 sides of each packed box.
Also, don’t forget to write in big black letters any extra handling instructions specific to the packed box /FRAGILE, THIS SIDE UP, HANDLE WITH CARE, DO NOT DROP, etc./
Assign different color codes for each destination room for easier identification and place the corresponding colored labels or stickers on the moving containers /an optional packing trick/.
The process of moving house can force you to have a number of packing delusions and false beliefs that can lead to unfortunate and unpleasant moving mistakes when packing a home for a move. However, now that you’re familiar with the most common packing mistakes, you can easily counterattack your bad relocation luck and earn yourself a smooth and accident-free move across the country from start to finish.
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