If you choose to do your own packing, It’s crucial that you work room by room. It also helps to mark all boxes with the name of the room they’re going into and at least an overview of the contents. Here is a packing house checklist to consider when getting ready for a move.
Packing House Checklist
Start by getting the necessary supplies. Make sure you have enough boxes, blankets, padding and tape beforehand. Even if you are packing a messy house, start by moving from room to room with your packing checklists.
The Kitchen
- Dishes: Pack bowls and plates together in boxes. Wrap pieces of fine china individually wit bubble wrap or paper and do this for other breakable dishes as well.
- The Refrigerator: Start using up your food a few weeks before your scheduled move. You’ll want to empty your fridge and defrost it at least 48 hours before moving.
- Glasses: Your best bet would be to use a sectioned box. You want to wrap the glasses individually before putting them into boxes. If you don’t have a sectioned box, avoid stacking glasses on top of one another unless they’re well protected.
Other kitchen items you need to pack include small appliances, food and silverware.
The Dining Room
- Table: If possible, disassemble the table and wrap the table and legs in blankets.
- Rugs: Roll them up and wrap in paper or plastic.
- Chairs. Wrap in blankets.
The Living Room
- Couches and Chairs: Be sure to handle heavy furniture with care to avoid damage.
- Electronics: Put computers, TV, etc., back in their original packaging if you still have them and secure with duct tape. Alternatively, wrap components in blankets and towels and brace them in boxes. You can provide more protection by filling open spaces with padding, including socks, blankets and towels, etc.
- Shelves and TV Stands: Remove any glass and wrap them in blankets.
- Tables: Be ready to cover once loaded.
- Home Office: Put important files – financial records, medical records, insurance policies etc. – in a box and store them separately.
The Bedroom
- Hanging Clothes: Consider getting wardrobe cartons to store hanging clothes and have an easy time unpacking them once you’ve moved.
- Spare Bedrooms: Put any clothing in labeled bags or boxes and break down beds. Pillows can go in dresser drawers and use plastic storage bags to store bed hardware and attach them to the headboard with tape.
- Jewelry: Place any expensive and high-end jewelry in a container that you’ll keep with you during the move.
The Bathroom
As you pack your bathroom, make sure you have a box where you’ll keep all your toiletries, bathroom towels, toilet paper, makeup, etc. Keep the box handy as you’ll likely want to set up a bathroom as soon as you get to your new premises.
Bottom Line
Other rooms to work through include the laundry rooms and the garage or store shed. The trick with coming up with a packing house checklist is to work by room. You can always seek the help of a moving company if you are overwhelmed doing it yourself. Start packing early enough so you don’t have to rush at the last minute and have enough time to sort out your items.