Common mistakes people make when packing

Moving homes is easy. Pack your belongings, pick local movers, settle stuff in your new home, and you are done. Sounds good, right? However, this is far from being the reality. Moving homes is not just transporting goods from one house to another. It involves a lot of things all integrated into a single chain. If one thing goes wrong, the whole process might get in jeopardy. There’s more to packing than just putting things inside moving boxes.

Like with most things, packing your belongings requires careful planning and thought, and usually hiring professional packers and movers. Everything from the way you pack to when you start packing can determine how successful your move can be. Packing in itself can be quite stressful and the last thing you want is to over-complicate the process. Instead, you should learn more about the most common packing mistakes so that you do not make them when you are moving.

This is the main reason why one of the most highly-rated local movers San Diego has decided to write this short guide. We really hope that you will find our tips and tricks useful. In any case, let us begin! Here are 10 common packing mistakes most people make that you should definitely avoid ensuring a hassle-free move.



Not having a clear packing strategy

Young man moving in to new house with boxes packing

Packing things randomly as and when you wish will only result in wasted time and building tension. Don’t even attempt to make this deadly mistake. Instead, have a clear packing strategy or hire local packers and movers San Diego. Create a day-by-day calendar listing things you need to pack each day until the moving day. Always begin packing with things you least need and eventually move to pack essentials such as the toiletries and some items you rarely use. You might also consider packing things room-by-room starting from the guest room, living room, and finally kitchen and bathroom.

All your packing jobs should be highly customized and prioritized depending on your specific relocation needs, so that’s why hiring local packers and movers might be the best decision. Once your packing calendar is ready, stick to it and you will be amazed to realize how the dreaded job of packing and moving turn into a joyride. If you hire professional packers and movers for the packing process too, we are sure you will be relieved, as they will finish this dreading process instead of you.

Thinking you can do it all at the last minute

Office clock about to show - packing at the last minute midnight - few seconds to New Year

When you plan things way ahead, you won’t be panicking if a sudden unplanned task comes over, so professional packers and movers always recommend starting packing as soon as possible. The more time you have, the better organization and the final product will be – well-packed belongings ready for safe transport! Packing at the last minute is likely to result in big mistakes that can cost you your favorite vase or glassware. Therefore, try to start packing as soon as possible.

First of all, determine your moving out date, whether it is the end of your rental period, joining date for your new job, or just possession of your new house. Once you have your moving-out date finalized, count back to 6-8 weeks. You will need all this time to cancel connections, inform vendors, settle bills, sort out your belongings, hiring local movers San Diego, and of course for packing. One of the major mistakes people make is to believe they have more time to do things than they have.

 If you have never moved before, you might not know how long it sometimes takes to pack your belongings. Until you have a sudden or unplanned move, you must plan and organize your move to avoid last-minute panic. A good idea is to work backward. Don’t assume you will be able to pack all of your belongings in just a couple of days, especially without hiring professional packers and movers. It is quite a process, so start as soon as you can. You should start with the rooms and things you use the least. Leave the most used items for the last day of packing. Do not underestimate the time you will need to pack some things. Pack a couple of boxes each day.

If you don’t have the whole day for packing, you can use an hour or two to pack some part of it. Although certain items like clothes and kitchen things have to wait until right before the move, it’s important to start packing non-essential items a few weeks in advance. Leaving packing until the last minute means that boxes will be unorganized and poorly packed—a recipe for damage and a nightmare of disorganization on the other end of the move. Collect or buy boxes from local movers as you go, making sure that you have plenty for the final days of packing.

Not decluttering before packing

A crucial step to successful packing is to purge household items and clothing first. Why bring boxes full of stuff just to have to toss or donate it on the other end? Begin months ahead of your move to sort items. Start with the garage, basement, or attic to purge belongings in storage. Before you start packing, it’s a good idea to get rid of items that you don’t need like old clothes, damaged/broken furniture, and other unnecessary items. Better yet, you can donate them to charity where they can be put to greater use.

You don’t want to bring any sort of clutter into your new home so make sure to declutter first to make packing much easier. Donate, recycle, or trash unused sports equipment, clothing, kitchen gadgets, and seasonal items that haven’t been used in years. When it comes time to pack, you’ll be glad that you reduced belongings to a more manageable amount, as you will pay your local movers less. 

Not having enough packing supplies

packing supplies

One of the most common errors people make when getting ready to move out is not obtaining enough packing supplies from local movers San Diego. Just think of all the anxiousness and additional work you might need to go through to fit everything you have in the limited packing supplies. And if that is not possible you might have to run around last minute to get hold of extra packing materials needed to pack your possessions.

Therefore, it is always better to have some additional packing supplies that you will need to avoid last-minute inconvenience. Besides purchasing moving boxes of different sizes, don’t forget to have enough bubble wrap, packing paper, and packing tape. If you are hiring affordable movers for the packing process too, they will bring everything needed, no need to worry about it.

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Using the wrong sized boxes

Also, when packing without professional packers and movers one of the most common mistakes homeowners make is using random-sized boxes. While it’s a good idea to recycle old liquor boxes or fruit boxes, it does make it difficult to achieve a more uniform pack job in the truck. To save you the hassle of sorting things out, use designated moving boxes that come in three main sizes: small, medium, and large. This makes stacking the boxes much easier and you won’t have a hard time sorting things out come unpacking time.

Too big and too heavy moving boxes

Young couple carrying big cardboard box at new home.Moving house.

Another mistake most people make is stashing heavy items in a single box. You may feel that the easiest way to pack all you have quick and fast is to put all we have in one box, and this is not the right way. In that way, you put yourself at risk of having severe injuries, as you are not experienced like local packers and movers. Also, you risk to damage boxes and your items before loading the truck. All above is not good when organize moving.

So, take more than one package and do not put it all in one box whenever you can. Not only does it make the box difficult to carry, but it also compromises the integrity of the box as well. How many times have you seen people carrying a really heavy box and all of a sudden the items start falling from the bottom? To avoid this, distribute heavy items in several moving boxes and make sure the box weighs no more than 40 pounds. 

Leaving empty spaces in the box

While our affordable movers don’t recommend overpacking your boxes, you also don’t want any space inside the box. Empty spaces mean your items will shift back and forth during transport which can end up damaging fragile items. If you can’t fill in between the spaces with additional items, use packing peanuts instead. Packing peanuts offer a layer of cushioning to protect your belongings from moving and shifting while in transition.

One of the biggest problems when packing items in boxes is to protect the inside. You may feel that it is not essential, and things are safe once when you put them in boxes. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. They can damage the inside of the boxes, too. So, to avoid it, you should use soft materials and fill the gaps. Professional local movers have Styrofoam and wrapping bubble for it.

Not labeling boxes

Moving into a new home can be stressful

So you believe you have an infallible visual memory and you know exactly which box contains what. You have already marked the boxes in your head and you don’t need to label them anymore. A big mistake! The situation in the new home will be vastly different from that of your current home. The enormous piles of non-labeled boxes added with all the stress of loading, unloading, and moving can easily confuse even the most observant person. If you are using professional local movers San Diego, it’s essential to label boxes with a name, destination address, and contact information.

Write the contents on the box as well for easier unpacking. Always place the label on the side of the box so you’ll know what’s inside even if the boxes are stacked on top of each other. Labeling the boxes correctly using a marker will not only make it easy for you to identify your belongings but it will always help the local packers and movers to identify fragile items or any other goods that need special care while loading on the moving truck. 

Not packing an essentials bag

This is a major mistake you can make while packing for a move. Ask the more experienced people – local movers – they will confirm it. Don’t just start packing without a plan. Don’t pack everything that comes your way. It is important to pack according to a plan, leaving the essentials for the end. Once your possessions and furniture are loaded into a truck, you won’t have access to them until you arrive at your new place.

 Even then, the boxes will be mixed and you won’t be able to find what you need in a short time. If you don’t hire affordable movers San Diego you won’t be able to unpack everything that same day. That is why not packing an essentials bag is a major mistake you want to avoid. Once you start packing, you will come across the things you need the most. Don’t leave them on the side for later, pack them right away.

You will forget about them later or they will get lost. The things you leave unpacked for the morning of your moving day are the ones that should be put into the essentials bag. Also, don’t forget to pack the most valuable possessions in your essentials bag since you will have them by yourself at all times. Ensure your peace of mind by keeping your most valuable possessions such as jewelry, passport, etc. by yourself during the move, don’t send them with professional local movers.

Doing it without professional packers and movers

Sad evicted man moving home complaining on the floor

If you think you can do everything without the help of local movers San Diego – think twice! In theory, you could, but it would take so much of your time and nerves. This may also cost you a lot of your money. If you are not ready when your packers and movers arrive, you will have to pay them for waiting for you to finish or to help you pack the rest of the unpacked things. Either way, you will lose. Unless you have a lot of free time and very few things to relocate, packing on your own will be a big failure.

 Don’t hesitate to ask for help when packing your belongings. Packing isn’t a one-man job and it requires a team effort to facilitate the process. The more people you can ask for assistance, the easier and less stressful the packing will be. If friends and family aren’t available, you can always hire professional packers and movers San Diego to do all of the work for you. It’s convenient, it’s hassle-free, and the best part is you get to sit back and relax throughout the entire process.

You should know that relocation is not an easy process but it should not be the most challenging part of relocation if you have good organization and prepare well. If you have time to pack and protect your items, you should not worry about the problems that may occur. Since you have gone through all of the listed most common mistakes, you can say you’re ready for your packing process.

So, start packing on time, get local packers and movers to help you out, label all the boxes, make a plan, secure everything well enough, don’t get caught up in perfectionism and you are bound to have a smooth packing and relocation process. And don’t forget to pack an essentials bag for your first night! Your local movers San Diego will be able to start with the relocation process immediately!

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