A home purchase is an achievement in and of itself, especially when buying your first home. The experience though, can leave some home owners feeling like they have been wrestling an ogre. With all the pain of negotiating and closing the sale it's hard enough, but to top it off you still have to pack everything. Not everyone is going to use a moving company, if you are one that will be doing without, you have quite a job ahead of you.
Some of us are better than others at packing strategically but there are some things you can do to ensure that your move goes smooth, even if you can't squeeze everything into boxes like Tetris pieces. Here are some tips to help with your big move.
Packing Tips from Realtors #1 - Start Early
Don't wait until the last minute to start packing. You'll wind up stuffing boxes, leaving others unmarked and forgetting where items got put because of the rush. Many of your personal items will need to be cleaned before you pack and there's just no way to sort, organize, clean and pack everything in your home when you do it last minute.
Packing Tips from Realtors #2 - Stay Organized
As you close up your boxes make sure you have a marker handy so that you can clearly label boxes (on the top and on the side) about the contents, the room they came from and where they're going as well as whether or not they're fragile. When move day comes, this makes managing the helping hands far easier as people will know where everything goes.
Optional : Don't seal boxes until the last minute. If you do tape them shut, just make sure that you won't need anything that inside the box before you get settled into the new home you purchased with your Realtor
Packing Tips from Realtors #3 - Use Good Materials
When packing it's of the utmost importance to use quality goods. It might be a tempting proposition to get old used boxes to save a few dollars but used boxes have already been handled and shipped around which reduces their strength and durability. As a box ages and begins to sag its' crush-threshold is lowered and can cause shifting during the move which leads to potential damage of your personal items. Buying new boxes specifically designed for moving things like pictures, electronics, media and clothing can help assure your personal effects are well guarded.
Additional materials that can protect your goods is a filler for boxes that have a lot of empty space that can lead to shifting and breakage. If you can't afford packing material like bubble wrap then use seasonal clothing, towels or extra linen to fill the space in boxes.
Packing Tips from Realtors #4 - Packing Heavy Items
The weight can really pile up when you start stacking electronics, books and various knick knacks together in boxes. This is where it's extremely important to use strong packing materials. Even with proper boxes and quality tape you don't want to pack boxes any heavier than 50lbs - and in some cases less. Even though most moving boxes can easily support that weight, it's not safe to stack a lot of boxes that exceed 50lbs. With very many heavy boxes you are also increasing the chance of strain and personal injury. Keep your boxes light and use more boxes if you have to.
Packing Tips from Realtors #5 - Fragile Items
The most important thing to remember with items like china, silverware and stemware or decorative fragile items in the home is that they should be packed with a lot of protective wrapping. Shifting and jarring movements during the ride to the new home coupled with vibration and clattering of the items against one another can lead to a lot of broken glass and shattered china. It is a very good idea to spend the money to protect your valuables properly, that way you don't have to spend even more to replace or repair them..
It can be stressful and a little overwhelming packing for a big move. Broken goods or difficult unpacking can make things much worse. Following these tips from your realtor can help simplify the process and ensure that you're ready to run out the door with boxes in hand once you close on your home.
Author Resource:
Whether you're looking for real estate or a home, our Washington DC Realtor can help you grab up the perfect home at a price that you can afford. Don't let that dream home slip by - contact us together to star the search together for that perfect Northern Virginia real estate . Paragon Remodeling - 8000 Towers Crescent Dr - Vienna, VA 22182
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