Save Time And Space With These Pre-Packing Tips

Although your local movers are usually more than willing to lend a hand, you might feel more comfortable packing all of your worldly possessions yourself. Not only can pre-packing make the move go by much faster, but it also gives you an opportunity to pack your belongings exactly how you want. Here are a few great packing tips you can use during your big move.

Essentials Come First

There are plenty of items that you'll want to get your hands on the moment you walk through the doors of your new home or apartment. These items often include toiletries such as toilet paper and toothpaste, plates and eating utensils, phone and tablet chargers and, of course, that all-important box cutter.

Needless to say, these items should be the very first thing you unpack. However, they should also be packed in a way where you can get to these items quickly. Instead of putting these items in boxes, you should use a clear plastic bin with a locking lid. Not only will you be able to see what's inside, but you can also grab anything you need just as quickly.

Another idea involves keeping these items, along with a change of clean clothes, in a plastic bag you can slip into your overnight bag. Portable valuables such as your tablet or laptop should also be kept in your overnight bag. This way, you won't have to worry about any of these items getting lost or stolen at any point of the move.

Use Your Clothes to Protect Fragile Items

Packing foam and other protective products for glasses, dishes and other fragile items can be expensive to purchase. So why not save on the expense by using your clean clothes and linens to protect those fragile items instead?

For example, you can use t-shirts as a soft divider for plates and glasses. Bulky sweaters and scarves can also provide plenty of cushioning for fragile items in transit. You can even use your towels and sheets to protect your most breakable wares.

Put Your Suitcases and Laundry Bags to Good Use

Instead of letting your luggage, laundry bags and clothes hampers take up space, you can put all of those storage items to work by filling them with clothes and various other items. For instance, you can use your hand-carried suitcases and laundry baskets for packing clothes and linens, while clothes hampers and laundry baskets can be repurposed for small items such as CDs and DVDs.

If you're afraid of toting dirty laundry in your otherwise clean suitcases, you can stuff those dirty items into an ordinary plastic bag and then pack the entire bag into your suitcase.

Bag and Wrap Bottles to Prevent Leakage

It's not out of the ordinary for bottles and tubes to break open and leak during transit, leaving anything else you've packed in the same box a complete mess. Fortunately, there's a way you can keep problems like these from happening. Simply remove the bottle cap, place a sheet of household plastic wrap over the opening and tighten the cap over the plastic. You can also wrap the neck of the bottle afterwards for good measure.

If you plan on packing a bunch of pump bottles, it's a good idea to replace the pump section with a conventional cap. Then you can use the above trick to prevent accidental leakage. Afterwards, you can stick all of the bottles in a clear zip-locking bag.

Label Everything

No matter what you pack, it's always important to have a label for it. This way, you won't be in the dark about which box holds what item. Not only does it help you organize better when loading the moving truck, but you'll also find it much easier and faster to unpack once you've reached your destination.

What Goes in Your Drawers Can Stay There

Instead of taking everything out of your dresser drawers, you can leave the entire drawer intact by covering it with self-sealing plastic wrap. This ensures that none of the contents will fall out or move around much during the move, plus you won't need to use more boxes during the move. 

If you decide not to pre-pack, don't be afraid to reach out to a local professional, such as Redondo Van & Storage, for some extra help. 

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