Rachel Harrold is the Editorial Assistant for Preaching and Homecoming Magazines. She resides in Nashville, TN.
Color Coordination
Designate a color for each room in the new home, such as yellow for the kitchen, orange for dining room, etc. Then, apply colored stickers on the box near the box number. In your new home, put a matching sticker on the door to each room, and your moving crew will know where to put everything when they arrive. It’s also helpful to post a big sign on the wall in each room where you want boxes stacked (“Boxes here please”) to keep them out of furniture and traffic areas.
Keep it Together
To save time later, keep things together as you pack boxes. Keep bookends with books, light bulbs with lamps and extension cords with appliances. Small, loose parts can be attached to the item they belong to with tape or placed in small envelopes (picture hooks with pictures, shelf brackets with a bookcase, etc.) As a backup, have a “Parts Box” filled with cables, cords, parts, pieces, brackets, or nails that are removed from any items of furniture. Keep this box with you so it can be easily located on move-in day.
Squeaky Clean
If you must clean your old place after moving out, put together a kit of basic cleaning supplies and rags. Clean anything possible ahead of time (the inside of kitchen cupboards, the oven, windows, etc.), and if possible, vacuum each room as movers empty it.
Don’t Forget…
Keep all important papers with you, such as: birth certificates, school records, moving details, utility company numbers, recent bank records, current bills, phone lists, closing papers, realtor information, maps, etc. And don’t pack that checkbook!
Happy packing!