The Simple Life

Work/Life Tools

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1. Anticipate. Make a floor plan of your new residence and decide where to put things. Then make a complete inventory of your items and furniture and decide which things you want in your new home. Throw away or donate anything you don't want to take with you.
2. Facilitate. Begin packing well ahead of the move. Use the proper boxes, including plenty of wardrobe boxes (they'll save ironing time later). Make sure you have white labels, a fat, black marker pen and several rolls of heavy-duty tape for sealing boxes.
3. Record. Keep a master list of the boxes you pack and their contents. Consider assigning each box a number. If you are using a mover or have other help, this will help you account for all boxes at the end of the move.
4. Organize. Before the move, put all filled boxes in one designated room. Concentrate on packing one room at a time. Label every box with a brief description of its contents and the name of the room where it should be placed in your new home.
5. Prioritize. Pack items for storage first. For example, if you are moving during the summer, pack your winter articles first.
6. Fragile Items. For small fragile items, consider this innovative packing technique: Wrap the item in bubble-wrap and place it in a box. Then fill the box with the expandable foam that comes in an aerosol can. (It's available in the plumbing department at hardware stores.) Place a lid on the box.
7. Calculate. Pack heavier items in smaller boxes. Try to keep each box under 50 pounds. Fully secure the bottoms of each box and place heavier items toward the bottom. If you're driving a rental truck, put heavier boxes all the way inside the truck and load furniture last.