Packing and purging go together--while you're purging, you should be packing, too. If you're managing your move yourself, you're in charge of acquiring all the packing equipment you need. Your neighborhood big-box store, self-storage company or the mover you have hired are all excellent resources for your equipment. If you buy from your mover, ask if they will take back any unopened or unused boxes, tape, bubble wrap, or paper.
Here is a checklist to help you get going:
Small boxes for books, heavy items, toys, appliances, fragile items
Medium boxes for the kitchen, accessories, lampshades, linens, shoes and boots
Large boxes for lamps, window treatments, pillows--items that are bulky but lightweight
Packing tape and tape guns
Newsprint, bubble wrap, packing peanuts or your shredded paper
Markers and labels
Small tools--screwdrivers, hammer, box cutter, scissors
Camera or smartphone
For a more extensive list of tools to make your move easier, click here.
Where to Begin
Last utilized, last boxed is the rule of thumb for the packing process—usually, the coffeepot and microwave are the last things to be packed in boxes. Since you're packing in unison as you purge, begin with the low-hanging fruit in chests and cabinets; you can knock out several of those in an hour. When you have purged enough for a donate or trash trip, do not exit the house until your packed boxes are taped and labelled. You can use specific color-coded labels (blue for the kitchen, green for the master, etc.) or use masking tape with a heavy black marker; just be sure you label every side of the box and note if the contents are require special handling. A couple of seconds spent listing the contents are worth their weight in gold later when you cannot locate your shoes in all the boxes marked "master closet".
Organization
Purging helps you get organized, and so does tidying up the closets, attic, and garage early in the process. You'll have to fine a storage spot for all your packed boxes, and the garage is the best spot as it's going to be nearby to the moving truck. Alas, the garage has to be free of clutter for this to work, so get to work on this project early on—carve out at least a couple days for the garage purge. Once you've got the space cleared, sort your boxes so that the movers can get to them with no problem on moving day; they will load the truck so that the weight is correctly distributed and so that the first things that you need at the destination are the last put on.
If you're the kind of person who keeps original packaging, you may now pat yourself on the back. Electronics are fragile and if you have the original box, you can re-use it. If not, put everything connected to the device in a box--power cords, modems, power strips, instructional CDS--and label it all. Take photos of the cords before you pack them in case something gets misplaced.
Fragile!
It's astounding how many things you use daily are pretty breakable. Dishware, glasses, light bulbs, lamps--all need a little TLC when you're packing them. Wrap dishes and glasses in newsprint, and place the plates in the box on end like records. A layer of bubble wrap protects them more, and stuff the empty spaces with some sort of shredded paper or packing peanuts. Do not overload the boxes of fragile items, and don't use big boxes for fragile items. Boxes from the liquor store work well for fragile things; they come in strange sizes and may not have tops, so with a box cutter and tape you can customize boxes.
Don't just toss your lamps into boxes, unscrew the shade and harp and take out the bulb. The bases can be put in a large box with the harp taped to the base, the shades can nest in another box, and the bulbs need to be packed separately (an ornament box is great for this) and marked fragile.
Next time, we will look at packing dos and don'ts.
