Packing/Moving tips and stories?

[Sanayhs]

So, I have to move in the very near future. Hopefully, if I get the place I want, around June 15. At the latest, I'll be moving for July 1. I'm moving to a smaller place (1-2 bedroom apartment or condo rather than a 4/5 bedroom house which has largely been furnished by yours truly) and have a ridiculous amount of stuff. I don't know where to start with the packing, or how to motivate myself.

In the past, any time I've moved I've run out of time and ended up throwing things in boxes, mixed up like crazy. I really want to try to organize stuff this time, but don't know if I'll succeed...


Any tips on finding motivation, or on actual packing? What's your packing style? Any crazy moving stories?

EDIT: I also desperately need idea on how to pack bulky, awkward kitchen stuff like a blender, food processor, etc.

 

[NicksWifey]

Oh lord I HATED packing and moving. I waited until the night before I moved out of my parents house into my apartment, SERIOUSLY. For clothes, I packed everything in trashbags. It was a lot easier to tote them around instead of packing them in heavy boxes.
I used a lot of newspaper, to wrap fragile things, like figurines, mirrors, picture frames, candles, etc.

It was VERY hard to find the motivation, I promise. I think the only thing that really helped get my ass in gear was my fiancee screaming at me to get my shit together! Once I started, I went on a roll for about four hours. My dad brought all of my furniture on his truck the next day, but I felt so funny driving down the road with all these boxes in my car. I seriously couldn't see out the back window, it was funny.

The boxes that helped me the most, are the kind of boxes I would find at work that reams of copy paper would be stored in, like Xerox boxes or those bankers boxes that are pre-made, that you just fold on your own.

 

[Sanayhs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicksWifey Oh lord I HATED packing and moving. I waited until the night before I moved out of my parents house into my apartment, SERIOUSLY. For clothes, I packed everything in trashbags. It was a lot easier to tote them around instead of packing them in heavy boxes. I used a lot of newspaper, to wrap fragile things, like figurines, mirrors, picture frames, candles, etc. It was VERY hard to find the motivation, I promise. I think the only thing that really helped get my ass in gear was my fiancee screaming at me to get my shit together! Once I started, I went on a roll for about four hours. My dad brought all of my furniture on his truck the next day, but I felt so funny driving down the road with all these boxes in my car. I seriously couldn't see out the back window, it was funny. The boxes that helped me the most, are the kind of boxes I would find at work that reams of copy paper would be stored in, like Xerox boxes or those bankers boxes that are pre-made, that you just fold on your own.

Where I am now, everyone else has already moved out, so I'm all alone... And when my boy is over, he just wants to watch movies and stuff, so I keep getting NOTHING done. I managed to score a bunch of free boxes from the liquor store. That at least inspired me to pack the small bar I keep, ha!

I still have no idea how I will actually MOVE, as I cannot drive. Oops? I find that along with newspaper, big rolls of drawing paper and even grocery bags are very handy for packing fragile things - actually, I find the last two to be better than newspaper because they don't transfer ink all over everything like newspaper often does! I remember when I moved home from university in another province, my dad lifted my suitcase and asked if I had bricks in it... I packed my clothes pretty tightly in there.

I think the only regret I have about moving (and it's a big one) is that I have to sell my piano... It's just such a bitch to move, what with weighing a thousand pounds. Pretty difficult to get up stairs, you know? But ohhhhh what a piano... It's an old upright Heintzman that has INCREDIBLE sound and goes concert pitch in a single tuning. </piano blather>

Thanks for the response!

 

[allthatglamour]

I just moved, myself. I agree with the above poster on the whole trashbags for clothes. I had 5 extra large heavy duty trash bags filled with my coats and clothes and I found them really heavy to transport. I used a dolly to move them. It's a good idea to use that method if you have a means of moving the trashbags because I'm sure boxes would have been worse.

I also found that keeping my clothes in my dresser and chest drawers was a good time saver. take out the drawers when you want to move the furniture and then place the drawers back on and secure them with furniture wrap so they don't open on the way to the new place.

 

[Sanayhs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by allthatglamour I also found that keeping my clothes in my dresser and chest drawers was a good time saver. take out the drawers when you want to move the furniture and then place the drawers back on and secure them with furniture wrap so they don't open on the way to the new place.

It's a great idea, but I'm a little reluctant to do that, as any time I've moved in the past it has been aided or done by men who usually move furniture for a living. I suppose I may be overly paranoid, but I prefer to have everything safely bundled away from unwelcome eyes. Hmm... maybe I should put my pillows and other mundane, light-weight things like that in my dresser drawers for moving, and tape them shut?

Which reminds me, any stacks of plastic drawers can simply be taped shut and carried!

This includes my desk stuff/stationery crap and small electronics, bedside table, and lots of makeup! <33333 Oooh, I love cutting down on packing/unpacking!

Clearly, no one but me will touch my makeup. It's far too precious.

Seriously, though, I feel bad for whoever gets stuck helping me move. It's going to be a nightmare filled with endless boxes, bags, trunks and containers.

OH! That's another thing - I have three large trunks I can pack in, but they can't get too heavy. Any suggestions as to what I can pack in them that will let them stay light enough for a normal human being (or pair of) to move?

 

[W Elizabeth]

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[Willa]

Spam anyone?