Moving is a huge chore and can feel so overwhelming that all you want to do is cry, but do not despair. With a few preparations and forward thinking you can drastically reduce the stress of packing. Many people end up stressed because they do not plan ahead. Follow the advice in this article to have a stress-free international moving experience.
Packing tips for International Moving
The first step in packing is actually something to do long before you pack. As soon as you begin to look for an international mover, you should start thinking about packing. Many people leave this to the end, instead, now is a good time to de-clutter. Grab a garbage bag and a box for charity donations and simply go room-to-room getting rid of what you no longer want, need, or love. Donate the charity items right away so you will not have to scramble on the day of your move, nor end up taking these things with you simply because you ran out of time. Planning meals around what you already have on hand will mean less to pack later. Make it a point in the weeks before you move to only buy what you absolutely need.
Now it is time to plan. If you have time, set aside a day to pack each room or section of your home. Since you likely will cook at eat in your old place right up until the international moving day, plan to pack the kitchen last. Estimate how many boxes you will need for each room and start gathering them. You also need packing paper and bubble wrap for delicate items. Set up a “staging area” for all of your boxes and supplies. You will stack them here when they are packed, too. Also, get your whole family involved in this process right away. Speak to your children and find out what items they want to pack, and what they could leave behind. Assign a small section of the “staging area” to them, and ask them to keep their boxes over there. Making them involved in the process will also ensure that they adapt to the new environment better. We have noticed that children suffer the most while moving, and therefore doing everything to keep them involved will help them in the long run.
One of the first things you should do is pack a suitcase with a couple weeks worth of clothes, toiletries, personal care items, and a towel. Having your suitcase ready to go will ensure that if things get packed quickly you will still have access to your essential items. Many times during an international moving, things are delayed for various reasons. Having this suitcase will help you survive should things get delayed with the international moving. Remember to include clothes and items for all members of the family. Also, you will not have to dig for these things when you get to your new home. Furthermore, packing a small box of household essentials is a good idea. This box should include toilet paper, a frying pan, disposable kitchen cups, plates, and utensils, clean sheets for each bed, basic cleaning supplies, and hand soap. It is advisable to have a shower curtain and hooks in this box if you will need them at your new place.
When it is time to start packing, be sure to use smaller boxes for heavier items and to layer the heaviest items at the bottom of the box. Pack things of a kind together such as kids’ books with kids’ books and cookbooks with cookbooks. As you fill each box, boldly label it with the room and an overview of the contents, for example: living room DVDs. Having one wardrobe box for each family member will make packing and moving closet contents a cinch. It is a good idea to label the top and at least one side of each packed box so that it will be easier to unload the truck at your new destination. Do your absolute best to not combine items from separate rooms. When you have filled and sealed a box, move it to the staging area and keep boxes from the same room or area together. Also, we recommend that you number all the boxes on two sides of the box. Along with the number, also make a note of what items are in the box. This will come in handy while unpacking.
Packing is a lot of hard, stressful work. Organization will ease your burden at both ends of the move.
