Packing for a move is unlike any other pre-move task you will ever have the “pleasure” of bumping into. It doesn’t really feel like a job you can simply finish and cross out as completed in your moving calendar.
Instead, packing for moving is an entire process that, for the sake of convenience, can be even viewed separately from the relocation.
Unfortunately, the major feature that sets apart the laborious project of boxing up your entire household from all other essential tasks lies in its trademark extended duration. As a rule, packing usually starts soon after the house move is confirmed and often lasts until the morning of Moving day.
Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that you will soon start asking yourself highly practical questions, such as the truly fundamental one – how to pack quickly for a move.
By keeping in mind that time is always a very precious commodity when moving house, it’s definitely a good idea to take a look at the following quick packing tips to make sure you are done with your preparation on time.
Follow these 7 tips to be able to pack and move quickly.
Table of Contents
1. Begin packing without delay
How to pack fast for a move?
The very first thing you are expected to do is to initiate the packing process as soon as you know for certain that you’re moving sometime in the upcoming weeks, or maybe even days.
Even if it turns out that you have ample time to get ready for the Big day, procrastination is not advisable for various reasons, including one of the more serious ones – the gradual build-up of the notorious moving stress.
To pack your house quickly,
- GO from room to room and decide what you’re taking with you and what you’re leaving behind. This initial sorting task will give you a decent idea about the packing challenge that lies ahead of you.
- INITIATE the packing process from the rooms you use less frequently so that you can keep increasing your packing speed the more you approach the finish line. The rooms you should pack first are all the storage areas and any spare rooms you have.
- FIGURE OUT how to pack safely your larger and heavier household items first before getting down to the smaller easier-to-pack stuff.
MUST READ: How to start packing to move out?
2. Monitor your progress on a packing calendar
There is little doubt that the most efficient way to pack quickly when moving house is to organize the entire time and energy-consuming project with the help of a personalized packing calendar.
In fact, the timeline you are recommended to create will keep your packing productivity relatively high from start to finish simply by preventing you from committing any of the most common packing mistakes.
Apart from eliminating the chances of packing errors, a packing calendar will also help you keep your focus and motivation throughout the preparation period.
Each finished packing job will surely bring unmistakable satisfaction that you’re on the right path and that things will be alright at the end of your house-moving journey.
- As implied above, leave the rooms that are easier to pack up for last, thus guaranteeing yourself that you will be able to finish the packing process even when your energy and motivation have reached their lowest points.
- In addition to personalizing this calendar of yours, your quick packing checklist should also contain jobs that have been prioritized as well. Why? To give the boost of additional time you may come to need in the end.
SEE ALSO: What mistakes to avoid when packing for a move
3. Get the proper packing materials
To make the most out of these fast packing tips, you’re going to need a good deal of adequate supplies to get the packing job done without having to interrupt it or worse – temporarily halt it.
If you’re moving house in a hurry, then you may be forced to purchase most or all the required packing materials due to a desperate lack of time to spare.
However, if time is not pressing you against the wall, then it’s in your best interest to find inexpensive or even free moving boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, and other necessary supplies for a smooth packing experience.
- Ask around your circle of good friends whether somebody who lives nearby can spare any packing supplies they no longer need. Your preferred social network can be pretty useful for reaching all your pals simultaneously.
- If you can, visit a few local supermarkets and office supply stores and see if they have an excess of cardboard boxes you can have for free.
- Look around your home for alternative packing materials you can definitely use for packing up quickly and saving a bunch of dollars at the same time.
READ ALSO: Where to get free moving boxes in your area
4. Pack more quickly by having fewer items to box
A proven way to quickly pack a house is to box up a much smaller number of household items in the first place.
Even though this logical conclusion seems too obvious to miss, you may not have thought about the actual usefulness of some of your possessions. Until now, that is.
Most moving experts are unanimous that if a particular item hasn’t served you at all in the last year or so, then the upcoming house move is the perfect excuse to do yourself a favor by getting rid of it once and for all.
- Expect a significant packing speed boost by having fewer items to prepare, pack safely, and place inside cardboard boxes.
- As a second bonus to packing your house fast, having fewer belongings to box up and move to your new place will also mean having to pay considerably less money for their transportation. The reason for this, of course, is that the relocation price depends on the total weight of your shipment.
- Speaking of bonuses, there’s another clear advantage of packing up and taking only the things you do want and need – the availability of more free and uncluttered space once you begin unpacking the piles of boxes in your new residence.
MUST READ: What are the golden rules of packing for a move?
5. Don’t waste time packing items you can’t move
Your goal should be to pack quickly for a move, oftentimes simply because you have to move out of your current place within a (very) short period of time.
One rookie mistake you should avoid at all costs is to pack any items that are forbidden for transport. What you should know is that professional movers are not allowed to pack or move hazardous materials of any sort due to the obvious dangers.
Hazardous items include but are not limited to ones that are flammable, corrosive, or explosive in nature. Also, moving companies will not pack or move perishable items such as fresh or frozen foods. Plants and pets are also included in the non-allowables list of professional movers.
Just think about how much time you would lose if you had already placed in boxes any items that you shouldn’t have packed in the first place. Having to identify and open those containers to remove those no-no things would only slow down your packing progress.
So, don’t just pack random stuff into random boxes in a desperate attempt to pack quickly when moving. On the contrary, what you should do is sort out your possessions carefully and set aside the ones that you cannot pack and move for safety reasons.
SEE ALSO: What not to pack when moving: Things movers won’t move
6. Use logical steps to speed up the packing process
The best way to pack a house quickly is to let logic guide you throughout the packing process. The common-sense steps will help you take packing to a whole new level:
- Follow your personal packing calendar to manage the time in the best possible way.
- Sort out your things. Don’t waste time packing items you won’t need in the future or items that you are not allowed to take with you.
- Prepare the packing materials so that you don’t interrupt the packing task later.
- Set up a packing station within the room you’re currently packing up. In most cases, it’ll be a large table for easier and faster packing.
- Throw away any excess packing supplies so that they don’t get in the way.
- Come up with mini packing goals and set rewards for each completed goal. This way, you’ll be able to keep your motivation high, allowing you to actually pack more quickly.
Try to avoid any major distractions during the job of packing up your home for moving. Distractions of any type can be really detrimental to your house-packing momentum.
MUST-READ: How to pack for a move in one day
7. Don’t hesitate to ask for packing assistance
Packing up an entire house on your own in a very short time is unrealistic. Packing for moving is very rarely seen as a one-man show even when there are weeks until Moving day.
This is why the most effective tactic when it comes to packing quickly for moving is to ask your close friends or professional packers to give you a hand if you notice that you have fallen behind your packing timeline.
- Friends. Asking your friends to help you pack is a favor. This means that if you decide to do it, you will be indebted to them and will have to return the favor when the time comes. If that’s OK with you, then you can go ahead and ask your pals for packing assistance in case you do need it. Just make sure you do it as early as possible so that you minimize the chance of ruining their own plans.
- Professional packers. If none of your friends comes to the rescue (don’t be quick to blame them for saying NO), then your only other viable option to finish the packing task quickly is to hire professional packers. Using professional packing services will ensure safety for your belongings, peace of mind for you and your family, and of course – speedy completion of the packing job.
USEFUL INFO: How much does it cost to hire packers?
Use the above quick packing tips and bonus tricks to speed up your packing marathon and buy yourself more priceless time to make sure you won’t get too far behind your personal moving and packing timeline.
