When, oh when should you start packing?

The day is fast approaching, the day where you say goodbye to one house and hello to your new home.  But as you look around at the task in front of you, you can’t help but feel slightly panicked.  You see, behind every door and inside every drawer are a wonderful collection of your belongings is waiting to move also.  You ask yourself, “How have we accumulated so much stuff?” but rest assured, you are not alone.

As a way of adding some sanity to your proceedings, we want to give you our advice on when you should start packing.

Now, the natural reaction would be to start when things have been finalised, you’ve accepted an offer and the contract is close to being signed.  There’s no point packing before then… Or is there?

If you ask people who have moved several times, they will always advise you to start as early as possible, and what they mean by this is way before the offer stage. In fact, they will suggest you start before you’ve even invited estate agents around for an appraisal on your property.

When you’re preparing your home for sale, one of the main things to tick off the list is to de-clutter your home, so what better time to have a sort out and start packing away those things you’re unlikely to need again before you move.  You know the types of things, those old photo albums, some of your books, mementos, seasonal clothes and so on.

As you sort, you begin to pack; you may only pack 2-3 boxes at this time ,but at least you’ve started.  Another advantage of starting to pack in the de-cluttering phase is that you can be assured you’ll only be taking with you those things that you really want in your new home.  If you leave yourself short on packing time, you’ll be more concerned about ensuring things are in the boxes than what’s inside them.

Each week you should then pack away a little more; if you don’t have space to store your boxes in a garage, then maybe look at renting a small storage unit.  They are economical and will ensure your belongings will be secure and safe from any damage that could be caused from the elements.

Try and pack similar things in the same box; this doesn’t just mean items from the same room, but also grouping them depending on their importance.  For example, if you have dinnerware you only use on special occasions, don’t pack it in the same box as your every day set.  You want to ensure the things you will need quickly are all together, this way you know which boxes to open first and which it might be okay to leave for a few days whilst you get settled.

There are many things that can cause worries and concerns whilst you’re in the process of moving house, but packing shouldn’t be one of them.  So take heed from the Guides and Cubs motto and ‘Be prepared’.  Get an early start on your packing today and those last few days before you move you can just enjoy the process rather than feeling frazzled!