How to Pack and Move on Short Notice
Moving in a hurry is like running a race. Three, two, one – go! You need to be fast, you shouldn’t fall, and you should reach the finish line as quickly as you can. Similarly, you have to run your race towards the new address. You must be fast but also efficient in packing, staying safe, and avoiding all potential mishaps. Sounds impossible? Don’t worry; you can do it! This guide will be your last-minute helper – here’s how to pack and move on short notice.
Take a deep breath
Even though it’s easier said than done, you can be more efficient and faster if you stop panicking. Despite having little time left until the moving day, you need to stay positive and use that time the best way possible. So, take a deep breath and start making plans to make the upcoming period organized, productive but still safe, and stress-free. Clear your head and start packing!
Make a list of things you need to do
Never underestimate the power of a checklist. It helps you manage your tasks but also organize your thoughts. Once you have to pack and move on short notice, your days become pretty busy, so it’s easy to lose track of everything you need to do. So, to track your progress and manage to finish all the tasks before the big day comes, create a moving checklist. List everything you need to do, buy and pack – do it in a dedicated notebook, or use a moving app to help you out. Either way, keep your checklist at hand so you can tick the tasks off as you finish them.
Book your moving team immediately
It can be tough to find good-quality movers last minute. However, if you need to move quickly, there’s not much you can do but hire someone as soon as possible. Start browsing moving companies immediately, so you can have enough time to compare them and pick a favorite. Moving experts at triple7movers.com remind us to always focus on safety when relocating on short notice.
Even though you need to hire someone fast, it doesn’t mean you should go for the first result you get after typing ‘moving company’ in your internet search engine. Take your time to read reviews, check the company’s website, get an estimate, etc. If possible, ask friends and family to give you recommendations in case they have moved recently.
Remember: when browsing multiple moving companies, always use reliable databases for your search. These websites share only professional moving teams, and you can choose according to your location and your moving needs.
Start decluttering the home
One thing you should start once you decide to relocate is to clear, declutter and clean your home. This is an important thing to do before you begin the packing process. If you remove all the unnecessary stuff from your home, you will pack much faster. Get rid of expired foods, unused products, old clothes, broken electronics, etc. Once you only have the items you need and use, you can start with the packing.
Focus on safety instead of perfect organization
In a perfect situation, you would have enough time to carefully plan your packing, have a strategy, and label everything. In a last-minute move, there’s no time to do all that. That’s why you need to focus on the priority of this move – and that’s safety. Rather than planning every little detail, focus on efficient packing and security of the items. Direct the time you’d use to label everything to wrapping fragile items and securing the boxes even better.
These precaution measures are critical when packing your kitchen. This is where most accidents happen if you’re packing in a hurry. For that reason, make sure you follow some general guidelines to make your kitchen ready in no time, without any cups or plates damaged:
- use double tape to secure the base of every box you use for packing fragile items;
- create padding on the bottom and the sides of each box using some packing paper or peanuts;
- use items such as kitchen towels, table cloths, and pillowcases for the maximum protection;
- don’t overpack the boxes – kitchen items tend to get quite heavy, so don’t fill every box. Put some things inside and fill the rest with some packing paper or other type of protection;
- place heavier items on the bottom and lighter on the top;
- wrap every item separately – avoid putting cups, glasses, or plates on top of each other before wrapping them first.
Set up your new home before you arrive
One of the tasks you shouldn’t forget is updating your address wherever necessary and setting up your new home. You can easily update your address with the post office, any subscriptions, schedule the transfer of your utilities, inform the bank, etc., online. Setting up your utilities, as well as the internet and cable, is particularly important. You want your new home to be ready from the moment you arrive.
Get help
Apart from hiring movers to help you out, it would be best if you recruited some of your friends or family to help you out. Even if they can do some minor and simple tasks for you, they will save you time significantly. Furthermore, as you’ll have to clean both old and new homes, and you have no time to do that – hire professional cleaners to help you out. Even though this will cost more than doing it yourself, it will help you pack and move quickly without getting exhausted and stressed out.
When the moving day is approaching quickly learning how to pack and move on short notice, will help reduce some of the stress and worrying. Try to avoid that by being realistic about the time you have left, and use it wisely.
