There are many reasons why you might find yourself in a time crunch to pack for a move. The good news is that there are a few strategies you can use to get the job done quickly.
Start by putting together a bag with essentials you need daily, like medications, chargers, and a change of clothes. This will make it easy to access those items during your move!
1. Pack One Room at a Time
Unless you are super organized and have a lot of help, packing for a move takes time. Start by packing one room at a time, working from the least used rooms in your home to the most-used rooms. This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed throughout the process.
It is important to go through your items and get rid of anything that you don’t need or want. Donating these items to charity, selling them at a garage sale, or having a junk removal company come and take them away is a good idea. This will also save you time and money.
If you can, pack up off-season clothing and shoes in advance of your move. You can also use suitcases and duffle bags to quickly pack clothing, linens, pillows, and blankets for your move. If you are moving in winter, you can even put your warm clothes into a wardrobe box on hangers. You should also pack a First-Day Box, which contains essentials like basic toiletries, non-perishable food, bottled water, chargers, and personal items.
2. Make a Packing List
When packing for a quick move, it’s important to have the right supplies. Start by purchasing boxes, bubble wrap and packing paper in advance if possible. It’s also helpful to keep your eye out for used boxes and other packing materials. You can often find these items at local thrift stores or online.
If you’re moving in the summer, for example, you might want to pack off-season clothing, books and other items ahead of time. This will reduce the number of items you need to pack and make for a more efficient move. A company site for a moving company can help you decide if you need their services for your move.
As you pack, make sure to clearly label what each box is holding. This will make it easier for you and the movers to find things once they’re unpacked. In addition, it will help ensure that you don’t leave behind any essential items or furniture pieces. It’s a good idea to also put all hardware, like screws, in sealable plastic bags and mark them with their location and the name of the furniture piece. This will make reassembling your furniture much faster and less stressful.
3. Label Your Boxes
Labeling your boxes is an easy way to keep them organized during a move. Using different colors helps you and your movers quickly distinguish what goes where, and you can use permanent markers that are waterproof and budge-proof. When writing on the labels, make sure to include the room and a brief description of contents in large letters. This way, you can find the box you need without opening every single one.
You can also number the boxes and create a master inventory list for each one. This method will help you avoid searching through multiple boxes for a specific item after the move. You can also use H, M, and L to indicate a certain level of priority for the items in a particular box.
For example, you might mark a box with #1 as the kitchen, while a box marked #2 might contain the bedroom. This will help you unpack the most important boxes first. Then, you can easily locate things like coffee makers and toaster ovens when it’s time to eat again!
4. Make a Packing Station
It’s important to have a dedicated packing station for each room in your house so that you can pack up everything in one go. It’s also good to have an ergonomic design that makes it easy for staff to reach all necessary supplies without straining. This can help your workers be more productive and ensure that they’re not having to make multiple trips back and forth for different supplies.
Start with packing items that you use infrequently like home decor pieces, extensive collections of books and movies, or extra clothing that is out of season. Then move on to things you use daily like toiletries, food that will last until your next trip to the store and a few changes of clothes.
It’s also helpful to label each box with its contents and the room it goes in so that it’s easier for movers to unload. This will also save you time because you won’t have to sort through boxes looking for essentials.
5. Pack in Trash Bags
A move is a great time to go through your things and get rid of the stuff you no longer use. Taking advantage of this opportunity to downsize is especially important when you’re moving quickly. It will reduce the amount of stuff you have to pack, transport and unpack, as well as make it easier to reorganize your new home and find items in your closets.
Trash bags are inexpensive and readily available, making them an ideal packing supply for a quick move. You can use them to line your boxes, or to wrap delicate items like utensils and glassware before you place them inside the box. Also, rubbish sacks are perfect for packing fabrics, such as clothing and linen, as they protect against moisture and dirt.
Another handy thing you can do with trash bags is to use them to store your shoes. This will keep them from getting dusty and dirty, which is essential during a fast move. It will also save you the hassle of figuring out how to fit your shoes in a box!
6. Pack Shoes in Bags
Shoe packing can be one of the most difficult aspects of a quick move. Shoes are bulky and can take up a lot of space in a box. Thankfully, there are some tricks to help you pack your shoes quickly and efficiently.
The first step is to sort out your shoes and get rid of any you no longer wear. You can donate them to a charity like Soles 4 Souls or Goodwill, or you can just throw them away.
For shoes you do want to keep, you can put them in suitcases for the move. Make sure to wrap each pair of shoes with plastic wrap before packing them. This helps to prevent scuffs and other damage during the move. You can also stuff your shoes with rolled-up clothing items and socks to prevent them from getting too squished during the move. If you do this, be sure to mark the boxes clearly so that you can easily find your shoes when you need them.
7. Pack a First-Day Box
Whether it’s an unexpected job transfer, a sudden end of your lease, or another circumstance out of your control, moving in a hurry can be challenging. Having the right packing strategies to help you speed up your move can make all the difference!
While it’s usually a good idea to sort and organize your items before you pack them, this isn’t always feasible when time is short. If you’re packing in a hurry, it’s best to forgo the sorting step and instead focus on packing each room’s items based on where they will go in your new home.
It’s also helpful to label each box with its contents and the room it belongs in so that you or your movers can quickly identify which boxes to open first when unpacking. If you don’t have the time to print out labels, try using different colors of tape to mark each box’s destination. This can save you (or your movers!) a lot of time as they don’t have to play the room-guessing game.
8. Pack in Bulk
There’s no denying that packing up a home takes time, but when you’re on a tight deadline it can be helpful to pack in bulk. This way, you’ll be able to focus on the most important items first and get them done quickly before the moving truck arrives.
You can also save time by repurposing items for use as packing materials. For example, repurpose laundry bins to store and transport clothes and other items you’re moving. This helps cut down on the number of boxes you’ll need to use, and it’s a great way to save space in your home.
Finally, you can save time by using towels and socks to wrap breakable items like vases and glassware. This two-for-one hack is a great way to pack fragile items and prevent them from breaking during transportation. It’s also an easy way to get rid of old or unused items that you don’t need in your new home! Getting rid of unnecessary clutter will make the rest of your move much easier.