Summer is a great time to buy or sell a house in Seattle. Once the Seattle real estate negotiations are over and the home sale has gone through, it’s time to turn your attention to the more mundane chore of packing up your household.
Here are a few clever tricks to help make the process of moving a little easier and less stressful.
Weed Out Unwanted or Underused Items
Don’t move stuff you don’t need or want. Before packing, go though each room and weed out the items you can sell, toss or donate. Sometimes determining what you truly need is difficult. If you haven’t used or worn something in over a year, consider donating it. To help you make the call, ask yourself if you’d need it again in the future – could you find it for under $20 easily? If yes, let it go.
Create a Command Central
To find the tools and essentials you need easily on moving day, create a “moving toolbox” where you keep your screw drivers, box cutter, tape, labeling markers, and other packing supplies in one place. If multiple people are packing up, have multiple “moving toolboxes” – one for each floor of the house.
Keep Cords Organized with Toilet Paper Rolls
Have you ever moved a massive mess of cords, all jumbled together in a box? Not only is it unsightly, but when you want to use an extension cord you then have to find and detangle it – a waste of time and energy. To cut down on the cord clutter, wind each cord up in about a 6-inch coil, and insert each into its own roll. You’ll have lots more room in the box, and no tangled mess to unpack later.
Use Drawers to Your Advantage
Drawers, whether they be full of clothing, utensils, or linens, if you think about it, are already packed. Instead of taking out the items in drawers, simply leave the items in their drawer and wrap with whole drawer in plastic wrap.
Keep Clothes Hanging
Like items in drawers, clothes that hang really don’t need to be packed. Instead, cluster groups of clothing together, then pull plastic garbage bags up from the bottom and tie them at the top — twist ties work great for this. Layer these clusters together for the move and hang up as soon as you arrive.
Color-Code Boxes
Color coding boxes according to room is an easy way to stay organized. This works especially well if you are having professional movers…or kids help with the moving. Rather than simply labeling boxes with the name of the room they’re destined for, assign a color to each room, then mark that color on the outside of each box — color labels are great for this. Before movers arrive in your new home, add the correct color label to each room’s door.
Avoid mixing items from different rooms in the same box. It will make your packing quicker and your unpacking a lot easier, too.
Keep Little Parts Together
When taking furniture apart for a move, store specialty allen keys, screws, and other hardware in clear sandwich bags and tape them directly to the item. That way you won’t have to search for the tools you need to put it back together. The same goes for picture and mirror hanging hardware.
Pack Valuables Separately
It is better to be safe than sorry when packing your personal valuables. Items that require additional security or special access are better kept in your personal vehicle during a move.
Consider Hiring Professional Movers
Packing an entire household is a lot of work – both physically and mentally. Professional movers can save you and your family a lot of hassle, but make sure you hire a reliable mover. Get detailed written estimates from at least three movers, and have them do an in-home inspection instead of estimating by phone or email. Get references for moving companies and check out reviews on sites like BBB and Yelp.
Pack a First Night Box
Surviving the first night in your new home can be difficult without the right supplies. To ease the transition to a new home, pack a “first night” box with items you’ll need for basic unpacking, cleaning, eating and hygiene.
