Start your moving process by getting rid of the items that you don't need. There's no sense in organizing and trying to pack a bunch of stuff that you'll just get rid of anyway, so pick through your home meticulously and get rid of as much as you can. Go room by room and look for items that you haven't used at all in the last year. Chances are, if more than a year goes by without use, you probably don't need the item.


Everyone has sentimental knickknacks and old papers that they don't want to get rid of. That's fine. But a healthy practice is to keep a small or medium size box that's devoted to these items. Keep only what you can fit in the box. If you want to put in things that are new, you have to empty out things that don't matter to you quite as much any more. This practice will keep you from hoarding items.;
, Next you'll want to get some boxes to pack items in to. You might want to use plastic bins for some items, like papers and clothes, which are sensitive to water and staining. This will keep them from getting damaged. For most other items however, cardboard boxes are the way to go. Use mainly small and medium size boxes and pack them no heavier than 50 lbs.


You can often buy cheap cardboard boxes from auto shops and hardware stores. Avoid the boxes sold by moving companies, as they are often more expensive.
You can also get boxes for free, although they might not be in as good condition. Go to grocery stores, wholesale stores, large cafeterias or restaurants, and liquor stores and ask if they have any boxes you can have for moving. Since they have to take the cardboard to the recycling anyway, they're usually happy to give the boxes away. Liquor store boxes are best for moving, since they're designed to carry very heavy items without breaking.
 You will want to rent a few items from your local hardware store or moving company, in order to make this process easier and less back-breaking. Mainly, you'll want a hand truck and possibly a dolly. These will help you transport very heavy items and more than one item at once, speeding up the process and making it easier on your body.


Of course, you'll want other items too. Tape, shrink wrap, pens for labeling, scissors, box cutters, twine and cords are all very useful for packing and moving.
 Make a separate box or bag with all the things that you'll need for the first few days after moving. Put things inside like a few changes of clothes, your toiletries, a roll of toilet paper, a few plates and utensils, and maybe a frying pan. This will save you from having to dig through a bunch of boxes right away to get at the things you need most.


Remember to tape the lids closed on liquid items and wrap them in bags. You don't want all of your immediately needed items to be covered in shampoo.
 For items that are really important, like all of your moving documents and important documents like birth certificates, you will want to have a separate box or bag. You should also put very expensive items in this box, like your mp3 player and your grandmother's jewelry. This box should be transported in your car with you or on your person.


If you're moving very far, it might be a good idea to have this box shipped ahead of you. Send it to your new home if someone is waiting there to receive it or have it shipped to someone you trust.
 Now that you've got all that done, you can start going through the rest of the items in your home. Go room by room and try to keep similar items together. Place heavier items at the bottom of boxes and try to evenly distribute the weight between boxes. Make sure the box is full and if it's not, fill it with packing paper. If the top of the box has nothing below it, it will be more prone to collapsing, which can break the items in your box. As you pack, be sure to label everything clearly.


Make an inventory list as you go, numbering the boxes and indicating which important items are in which boxes (as well as how many boxes there are). You can also use color-coded tape to indicate which room boxes belong in, for example making all boxes for the living room green and all boxes for the kitchen yellow.
 You're probably acquainted with the idea of wrapping delicate items in newspaper or bubble wrap. These are both very good practices and you should definitely wrap items which are prone to breaking. However, you should consider also using non traditional items, since sometimes these can be doubled up to save you packing space.


For example, wrap your glasses in pairs of clean socks and your picture frames can be wrapped in towels.
You should also remember to wrap items to support them. Items with holes at the center or long arms should be wrapped to give them support and make them look more like solid objects. This will keep them from getting broken.
Make sure any boxes that do contain delicate items are marked as fragile. This will help you decide how to organize boxes in the truck and keep you from accidentally breaking items.
 Look for any place where there is empty space and use it for packing space. This can reduce the overall footprint of your move, saving you money on trucks or containers. Large furniture items are usually the best example of spaces that can be multipurpose.


For example, you can stuff linens in your fridge. Your dresser drawers can filled with rolled up clothes and saran wrapped individually. Since the drawers are best carried in to your new home one at a time anyway, you can use the space so that the dresser space isn't wasted when it's in the truck.
 Most importantly, you're going to want to stay focused and motivated. Even the most fastidious packer can move at a snail's pace if they get bored and distracted. Pack with other people, making it a social gathering. If you can't do that, at least put on your favorite movie or an energetic soundtrack. This will help keep you on task.


Start with the most difficult items to pack. This means that by the end, when you're getting tired, you'll be able to knock out the easy items just like that.
 Once you’re done packing, load the boxes and items into a truck or other transportation method for getting them to their final destination. Put the tools, like the hand truck, that you got to good use and be sure to strap everything down. You may also want to wrap large items, like bed headboards and dressers, in blankets, in order to keep them from getting scratched by boxes.
Sort through all of your stuff first.
Find some boxes.
Get some tools.
Set aside items you'll need immediately.
Separate out really important or valuable items.
Start organizing.
Pack delicate items cleverly to keep them from breaking.
Make good use of space.
Stay focused and motivated.
Load it up!
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