Most people find moving to be a pain. They feel it’s a pain to pack, load and unpack. Many people think the quicker they pack, the quicker they’ll be done. But that doesn’t work for efficiency in time, physical effort and economics.
Proper packing saves you expensive space on the truck, limits potential damage to valuable belongings and gives you confidence that your move will go well. It also saves wear and tear on your body.
Here are three excellent reasons why it matters how you pack your stuff.
Proper Packing Saves Money
In moving, there are three main expenses—weight, time and space. If you hire a professional mover, you’re going to pay for their labor time in packing, for their space on the truck and for the distance they have to haul. You might not be able to do anything about distance but the more personal time you put into proper packing and maximizing use of space, the more money you’re going to save.
Being organized by collecting the right packing supplies and strategically planning what goes into each box or container is a key to successful moving. By efficiently packing and using the right materials, you’re going to maximize the number of containers used and minimize the space.
You’re also going to make loading, unloading and unpacking as easy and as fast as possible. Time and care spent in properly packing are economical all around.
Properly Packing Saves Time
Momentum is another key to proper packing. Organizing your packing gives you momentum and it’s simple if you have all your materials sourced and available. You also need a plan for each room and it helps to have one central area dedicated for packing. Make sure you have markers to label boxes on both sides to make locating your belongings and room placement faster.
Keep your packing momentum going by taking your time to prepare days ahead. Enormous time is wasted by searching for simple things like tape, markers and packing filler. Another big time waster is packing then repacking because of poor planning.
Make sure you take regular breaks like ten minutes per hour. This not only lets your body rest, fuel and hydrate but these short breaks let you keep a focus on your overall packing plan.
Proper Packing is Safer
Don’t fill large boxes with the heaviest materials. The best packing advice is to put weighty objects like books and full bottles into smaller boxes while filling large cubic foot ones with lighter belongings. Then again, don’t pack air. Large boxes that are partially full or have volumes of air space are inefficient and add to extra room on the truck.
The same goes for furniture that’s large but empty. Don’t empty dresser drawers and pack durable items like clothes in a separate box. Leave the drawers full. They’ll be safe in place. Also, make the best use of chests and wardrobes by filling them with fragile articles and use the chest as a safe shipping container.
Keeping weight to a manageable level is the key to your body’s safety. Never pack more in one container than can be lifted by one person. Consider that if it takes two people to carry one box, it’s going to take twice as much time. Take a tip from the airlines. They maximize luggage at 50 pounds which is the maximum safe weight for a handler. Overweight baggage is very expensive and you’re the one paying for it.
Proper packing matters. It saves you time. It saves you money. And it saves you considerable strain.
