Moving is among the inevitable things in life that can sometimes be overly stressful. Whether you are downsizing, moving into a bigger apartment, or relocating to a different city, the process can be incredibly frustrating if you don’t plan early and plan well.

Well, one of the most hectic yet necessary parts of the process is packing. For starters, you want to pack your things and keep them organized so they can fit better in the moving van. Packing also helps avoid loss, misplacement, and damage, especially to delicate and fragile belongings. Nonetheless, lacking the necessary packing knowledge and creativity can make your entire moving experience messy, frustrating, and even costlier than it should have been.

Luckily, here are some packing tips you could use for a smooth and stress-free moving experience.

1. Start the Process Early 

When certain of your moving date, set a convenient date to start packing your stuff. Last-minute packing can bring inconveniences, confusion, and frustration. You may end up breaking. Unpreparedness could even cause you to postpone your move, which will oftentimes come at a huge price to pay.

To avoid all this, start by preparing a moving checklist, alongside a realistic budget for the entire process. The amount of stuff you have will basically guide your budget and checklist. Also, figure out the kind of help you should get in advance because you probably won’t manage to move on your own.

2. Get Help from Professional Movers 

As mentioned above, moving is rarely a one-person job unless you have just a few belongings. While some friends and relatives might chip in, they will hardly equate to the services of professional movers in your local area. If it’s a residential move within the Fort Worth area, start by identifying reliable moving companies in Dallas a few weeks before your move. Apart from transportation, loading, and unloading, an experienced mover will also offer packing services as part of the package. This way, you don’t have to stay up for two or three consecutive nights trying to pack stuff for an easy moving experience.

3. Lose the Clutter 

In many cases, your mover will send representatives to assess your belongings beforehand so they come prepared with the right means of transport, packing supplies, and everything in between. Sometimes you only need to fill a form online and you are good to go. This makes it crucial to figure out beforehand, the stuff you would want to move with and what you probably won’t need in your new residence. Getting rid of clutter also makes your packing experience easier, plus you could save some money off your moving budget. Decluttering is best done before you even pack the first box.

4. Get Enough Spacious Boxes 

If you’d rather do all or part of the packing yourself, be sure to get as many spacious boxes as possible. Again, this will depend largely on the number of your belongings and what you are willing to carry with you. Ensure your boxes are spacious enough and avoid over-packing.

When putting your belongings in the boxes, ensure not to leave empty spaces. This creates some turbulence as the items are being carried or transported, so some items could get damaged or broken in the process. Most importantly, get quality boxes that will survive the entire commotion and pressure while keeping your items safe. You can get plenty of reusable boxes from your local grocery store or supermarket, but moving boxes are more advisable.

5. Proper Labeling 

Packing for a move should be done in an organized manner. This means packing your stuff categorically, ensuring that the boxes are well labeled. You could have different labels for different household items. Here are a few examples of how you could label your boxes depending on what’s inside:

  • Kitchen Utensils
  • Bathroom Supplies
  • Fragile items
  • TV set
  • Cooker
  • Bedroom Items
  • And so forth

6. Pack The Fragile Items Bundled 

Delicate items usually need extra care when packing. You want to pack fragile items bundled, with some padding in-between them for extra cushioning throughout the move. You don’t want to lose an entire glass dinner set that probably cost a fortune just because you’re so excited to relocate. 

7. Keep Essentials Close By 

The last thing you want is to have to unpack an entire box before a move just to reach for the toothbrush or a pair of fresh panties. Alongside things like paperwork, essential documents, and medication, such stuff should be kept separately and close by for easy access during or before the move.  

Packing is a crucial step in the moving process. The move can either be stressful or smooth depending on how it is done. Hopefully, the above few tips will help take a chunk of stress and fatigue out of your moving process. They will probably save you a decent amount of coin too.