How to Pack for a Move Inexpensively
There are many places where you can get free or cheap moving supplies. Liquor stores usually have plenty of boxes they are willing to give away. Because most people only move once every several years, you can find free moving supplies online from websites like Freecycle and Facebook Marketplace. People don’t want to store all their moving supplies for years, so they will give them away to whoever will take them off their hands.
If you need storage boxes for your new home, purchase inexpensive plastic bins for moving your belongings. You can then use them to store things in your attic or basement once you are settled into the house. You can also use laundry baskets that you already have for moving clothes and other items.
Pack Like Items Together
Unpacking will be much easier if you pack like items together. In most cases, like items belong in the same room. For instance, clothes belong in the bedroom and pots and pans go in the kitchen. Once you have packed a box, label what is inside and which room it goes in. Put labels on the top and all sides of your boxes.
How to Pack for a Move: Protect Fragile Items
It’s important to protect fragile and valuable items during a move. Packing peanuts and bubble wrap work well for padding breakable things, but they are not very environmentally friendly. Another option is wrapping fragile items in socks, t-shirts, dishrags, and towels, which you will need to move to your new house anyway. Label any box that contains fragile items so that people know to be extra careful.
Don’t Pack Boxes Too Full
Filling boxes to the top may seem like a logical way to pack, but it actually makes moving more difficult. If you are using cardboard boxes, the weight of the contents can make the boxes fall apart. Even if you have sturdy bins, filling them too full makes them more difficult to carry.
Pack an Overnight Bag of Essentials
After a busy day of packing and moving, you probably will be too tired to unpack. Prepare a separate bag with your overnight essentials, so that you can get a comfortable night’s sleep before another busy day of settling into your new home. Include bedsheets, pajamas, clothes for the next day, a toothbrush and toothpaste, other toiletries, medications, and snacks.
Drew Inspection Service provides home inspections to South Dakota. Contact us if you are buying a new home.