How hard can it be?
Let’s be real, it’s not difficult to put stuff in boxes. You can get your things into containers and out the door quickly if you needed to. The problems start when the boxes arrive at their new home. Where did you put that blender? More importantly, which box has the sheets so you can sleep tonight?
To avoid having to search for an exact box or look through 5 or 10 before finding what you need, I’m going to outline exactly how you should pack all of your belongings for your move. If you follow these steps, you’ll know exactly where everything is and be able to set up your home quickly once you get there. It’s a super easy system, too.
”What should I start packing first?”
The #1 question I get asked when helping a client prepare for a move is, ”What should I start packing first?” My advice is to start with seasonal decorations beginning with the current season and working backward towards the season you are currently in.
Let’s say you are preparing to move in the spring. Most likely, if you’re moving in the spring, you’ll start packing in the winter.
You’ll want to start taking a look at the decorations you use during the winter, fall, summer and spring in that order. This will allow you to clear your home of the winter decorations which will likely be on display. You can discard what you don’t want to take with you and pack away everything you want to keep.
Then take a look at the boxes with the fall decorations to discard whatever you no longer want or need. Make sure everything left is packed well enough to withstand the move. Repeat this process with the remaining seasons.
Less is more
The second thing you should pack away is personal décor. This includes pictures of family and friends, travel souvenirs, artwork that may not appeal to most buyers, and religious items. You want the space to be attractive to as many people as possible.
If your home was an ice cream flavor, you’d want it to be like vanilla or chocolate. Buyers should be able to see how they can dress up the space just like adding their favorite topping to an ice cream cone. Showing your house with all your favorite family pictures, your “Flower of the Month” calendar, and your “Dogs Playing Poker” artwork on display is like handing buyers rocky road ice cream covered in butterscotch sauce with rainbow sprinkles. There’s a small selection of people who would order that specific ice cream and topping combination.
Decluttering your personal items and packing the ones you absolutely want to keep makes the space more attractive to a wide variety of buyers because each one can see the potential to add their own unique decorations to the home. This is one time when having extra space in your home is valuable and may increase the sale price of your home.
Clothing & Accessories
The third thing you should pack is your off-season clothing and accessories. Again, work backward through the seasons. This time begin with the season before the one you are in currently. For example, if you’re listing in the spring and it’s currently winter, start decluttering and packing your fall wardrobe. The pieces you’re keeping can be placed in boxes because you most likely won’t need them until a few weeks after you’ve moved.
Then, declutter and pack the lesser worn pieces of your summer wardrobe in boxes. Keep some of your favorite summer pieces in a suitcase or go bag. You may need these shortly after the move, so you’ll want them easily accessible.
Declutter your spring and winter wardrobes. You’ll pack the winter wardrobe in boxes at the very end of the season. Your spring clothing and accessories will be packed in a suitcase in the days before the move. This keeps everything you need at your fingertips and gets everything you don’t need ready to go. The added bonus is that your closets will have a lot less inside them, making them appear larger. What a great selling feature!!!!
Packing Up The Fun
Finally, pack up any items related to sports and hobbies. The truth is you won’t have a lot of time to go camping or sew clothes or practice woodworking when you are getting ready to move. Having all of the gear and supplies which go along with these types of activities in your home just makes it appear cluttered. Worse, having a garage full of camping gear can make potential buyers think the space is too small for their needs.
Pack up everything you won’t be using over the next 6 months. You’re really not going to have the time to work on crafts or play sports when you are preparing to move. It’s best to realize this and know all your gear is prepared properly to get to its new home.
You might be sitting here reading this and wondering, “When do I pack up the kitchen? She’s posted nothing about the kitchen!”
You’re right! I haven’t written about the kitchen because it’s the one room in the house which requires a little planning and a lot of flexibility to be able to use while showing your home. Next week, I’m dedicating the entire blog post to exactly how to pack your kitchen while still being able to eat. (I like to eat nutritious meals and no one was going to take that from me when I was moving!) I promise, you can have your cake and eat it too (in your kitchen!) while preparing for a move, showing your home, and getting to closing.
More Solutions For Your Move
Here’s more about selling your home and moving all your stuff without a whole lotta stress:
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