On moving day everyone expects trouble. No moving day ever goes as smoothly as it is expected to; at least one thing is bound to go wrong. Moving house is usually a messy affair; there are so many things to do and so little time to do them, that errors are bound to happen. But like all unpredictable processes, the best way to handle moving houses is to have a system.

Imposing a system on your house move will make it less dangerous; moving houses is dangerous – piles of clutter lying around provide enough opportunities for injuries to happen. A system for moving houses will also ensure that less time is wasted and fewer items are lost. And best of all, as Advantage Realty Services points out, it will make the process of unpacking in the new location less time-consuming.

Most people dread the packing that precedes a house move. And that is why they defer it until the very last week. But this just makes it more difficult. The reason most people hate packing is because they do not know where to start. The tips below will give you a systematic approach for packing your home. This process will almost make moving fun.

Pack slowly

The main reason packing is such a pain is because we think of it in terms of wholesale rather than retail. You find yourself thinking “when will I finish packing this whole apartment?” instead of “how long will it take me to pack this drawer.”

Breaking your packing into bite-sized tasks and spreading it over weeks, helps to take the stress out of packing. You are more likely to pack your stuff if you spend just one hour doing it every day and spread it over three to four weeks before moving day.

Pack the least-used items first

There are shoes, clothes, books, and other stuff you are not likely to need in the four to five weeks before moving day. Plan to leave only the basic necessities until the very last days before your move. Everything else should be packed and ready well before moving day. As you sort through your items, you will stumble on stuff you don’t need any more; maybe because they are broken, duplicated, outdated or you have outgrown them. Sell, discard, or donate these items.

Create a packing room

Designate a part of your home for storing the boxes that have been packed already. It is totally maddening to pack boxes, only for someone else to open them up and disorganize your boxes. Avoid this by separating packed items from unpacked ones; doing this step will save you from frustration.

Pack systematically

You have a choice between packing one room at a time and packing by categories (books first, clothes second, etc). But you may combine both approaches. You can decide to pack only books first and go room by room packing the books in each room separately. Or you can pack all the books in a room first, and then the next day, pack all the clothes in the same room. The choice is up to you.

Create an inventory of your belongings

Get a large notebook and as you pack each box, create a list with the ID of the box at the top of the page. As you put items into the box, write them in the list under the correct boxes. When you arrive at your new home, reverse the process, and tick off an item as you remove it from the box. This system will help you track your belongings and ensure that nothing is missing.

Color-code your boxes and label on both sides

Color codes work better than written instructions when trying to direct your movers where to deposit your boxes. In the frenzy of moving, people are likely to miss a label that reads “back room.” However, if your rooms are color-coded and box labels correspond with those colors, it will be easier to organize your boxes. Make sure you label boxes on at least two sides.

Other steps that will help you

Do not pack air: Improvise vessels and containers in your home by filling empty pots and bins with small items. Do not pack empty containers.

Enclose small items that can easily get missing in a Ziploc bag and seal the bag to secure them.

Avoid unwieldy boxes. Put the heaviest items at the bottom to make the box stable and do not leave empty spaces on top. Use lighter items like pillows to complete the space.

Pack dresser clothes inside their drawer by wrapping them with tape and packing paper

Use trash bags to pack clothes. Also, put items in sheets and tie up the ends to secure them.

Remember to pad breakable items before packing them and wrap sharp or pointy objects to prevent injury.

Do not pack anything too heavy and make sure loads are not awkwardly shaped.

Lastly, have a moving essentials bag for everyone in the house. They should contain bathroom necessities, medications, spare clothes, sleeping garments, and chargers for their electronic devices. Also, have a bag to store highly valuable items and important documents. Have it on your person all the time.