Pack it in—3 Common Packing Mistakes You Should Avoid to Ensure a Stress-free Moving Day
Moving can be extremely stressful, and with so much going on, it's understandable that some people make mistakes planning the process. However, it's important to keep these mistakes to a minimum, as any major catastrophes will cause you extreme anxiety that you really don't need. As such, here are three common packing mistakes to avoid when planning your move:
Being too Proud to Ask for Help
Simply put, many people let their pride get in the way when packing their belongings. People, by nature, like to be in control, and asking friends and family for help may seem like a sign of weakness. However, if you have a huge amount of property to pack in a short space of time, it's time to swallow your pride and call in the reinforcements.
Another reason many people fail to ask for help is because they underestimate the time it will take to get everything packed away. Particularly if you're not much of a long-term planner, it is oftentimes easy to delay planning the packing process and having to rush at the last minute. However, this will only lead to high levels of stress when it comes to sorting your stuff, so make sure you have a realistic estimation of time required well in advance.
The best way to do this is to construct a packing calendar that outlines what needs to be packed and when. This is a great way to visualize the process and will make you think hard about how much effort is required on your behalf. Furthermore, it will allow you to assess how many people are required to complete the process so that you can send out your calls for help well in advance!
Failing to Strategize
This follows on from the above and can be summed up by the famous quote "fail to prepare, prepare to fail". Before getting started with your planning, make sure you have a clear strategy in mind. This doesn't mean simply setting up the planning calendar mentioned above; rather, you should have a clear-cut strategy that outlines how you are going to tackle the process. Throwing any old item into the box is a sure-fire way to damage your belongings, waste a lot of space, and give you major headaches come moving day.
Therefore, you should adjust your planning calendar to include which items will be packed on which days. Be realistic with this—you aren't going to dismantle a kitchen in one day. Setting yourself small, achievable goals for each day on your packing calendar will stop you from feeling overwhelmed by the process itself.
The best way to do to this is to start with the room that you use the least and work your way gradually towards the more important areas. This will allow you to make good progress on your packing calendar without having to dismantle important items you will need up until a day or two before the move.
Skimping on Supplies
So you've managed to coax your friends into helping out, you've brought them up to date with your mastermind packing strategy, but it turns out you've only got three boxes in which to fit your entire inventory of belongings. While this may be a bit extreme, many people do indeed make the cardinal sin of skimping on supplies, leading to a high level of frustration in the middle of the process.
Thankfully, this mistake can be easily avoided by sticking to one rule: too much is better than not enough. When you're out shopping for packing supplies, make sure you build in some contingency to ensure you aren't racing to the store on moving day. Listing out your items and assigning them to boxes is a good start; however, you must also factor in the likelihood of broken boxes and damaged materials.
For more tips on preparing for your big moving day, contact local packing services.
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