Tips for Packing

Preparing your home for sale is a large task with many pieces, one of the pieces is clearing out your home so here are some tips for packing that can help reduce some of the stress.  One of the first things that leaves your home while preparing for show is some of your more prized possessions, the things that you love and mark your home as yours.  One of the first things we looked to pack away is some antique dinnerware that is very old and very unique.  And irreplaceable if a piece had be broken.  It was decided that while she may use pieces of these in her new home, the full set was not necessarily needed to be accessible and therefore some more permanent storage would be required.

The new place is a condo and has a storage locker which will likely be where the excess would be stored.  In this case we choose to purchase some smaller plastic bins which have locking handles.  We want to ensure the the containers could protect the items should there be any moisture round the area.  We decided on the Rubbermaid Latching Storage Box. The latching handles created extra security if the bins were tipped over or handled roughly.  We picked a smaller size to ensure that the bins wouldn’t get too heavy when they were filled. They are easily stacked and can be labelled to ensure the contents are known.

These pieces are rather valuable and need to be protected from chipping and breaking.  So we looked for a way to protect the edges with something a little more significant than paper and more delicate that bubble wrap.  At the advice of a Antiques Dealer we used Depend Incontinence bed pads, and they worked really well.  The pads are a good size to be in between the plates and are thick enough that the edges are well protected.  The pads seem easier to work with than bubble wrap.  Although we did use bubble wrap for other things it didn’t work as well in this application. Also given that the pad are meant to absorb moisture it felt like a good match.

For the more general packing that is done well before the actual move, we used some reclaimed cardboard boxes.  As you know when preparing for a home sale you must take a significant amount of your things out of your home, particularly if you are moving to gain more space.  You don’t want potential buyers thinking they are not going to have enough space for their things.  Packing up things for a month or two in storage doesn’t require a long lasting bin, however you do want something that is durable.  I have found purchasing boxes from a reclaimed box dealer is a cheaper alternative to buying new boxes and I would rather reuse boxes than buy new.  These boxes usually have some printing on them but you are going to label them anyway.  There is many options, but you are at the mercy of what is in stock.  A new box may cost $ 2.50 while a used box may cost you $ 1.50.  It doesn’t seem like a lot either way, and maybe you would prefer to conveniently purchase  boxes at your local moving store.  Also packing supplies like paper and bubble wrap also tends to be cheaper, by a lot.  Either way having a cardboard boxes to start your packing works well.  You first start packing things like your library and your collection of Elvis Plates.  Things that make your home yours and will not likely be used in the next few months.

While you are packing up your collections, you may consider downsizing them.  Sometimes collecting all of a particular thing can help you see which may be less desirable than the others.  Considering the space that you will need for the items can give you a frame of reference on how many of thing you need.  Sorting things into three piles is a good start.  1. Moving to new home. 2. Donation to another home and 3. Garbage or Recycling.

If you need a little help in trying to move toward a minimalist lifestyle, you may want to check out the Blog Becoming Minimalist by Joahua Becker.  He has written a few books and has some helpful ways to move you to minimalist.

Preparing for sale and home staging can be stressful.  Being prepared by de-cluttering before the process starts can be helpful both to your stager and yourself.  There will be more work while this is process is happening and taking all your personality out of your home can be an emotional process.  Getting your prized possessions out before the fun begins will definitely reduce some of stress.

Hopefully your home sells fast and you get what you need out of the price.  Next you need to pack up the rest of your home.  It may be a good time to review some rental boxes.  These boxes are reusable bins that are delivered to your door and picked up two week later from your new address.  They are more expensive than cardboard, however the lids don’t require tape and labels come with them.  A cardboard box is $ 2.50 and a rental box is $ 3.75.  Depending on how many and how long you keep them.  So it is not too much more expensive and you don’t have to get rid of all of those used boxes when you have finished moving.

Using recyclable materials for packing is also something to consider.  Newspaper can be used, if you still get one delivered.  Likely you are going to have to purchase some packing materials. Consider that Bubble wrap is not recyclable. The Depend bed pads are compostable. And paper wrapping can be made from recycled paper and can be recycled.

Being thoughtful about how you pack and starting early can help relieve some stress about moving.  Planning is always a good way to reduce stress and using helpful tips for packing is another.   And if you don’t know where to start, ReFocused can help.