Month: October 2023

Assessing your home and looking through your belongings to pack and move to a new location can be overwhelming. If you aren’t careful, the enormity of the task can often lead to procrastination. To help overcome packing procrastination, here are a few tips to help along the way.

Tip 1: Set Clear Goals and Deadlines

The first step in overcoming packing procrastination is to set clear goals and deadlines. Without specific targets, it’s easy to keep postponing the task. Begin by determining your desired move-out date and work backward to create a detailed timeline. Incorporate deadlines that clearly show when you need to complete packing in each home area—having a clear roadmap of what you need to do and when can be a motivating factor to negate procrastination.

Tip 2: Organize

Before packing, do what you can to organize and declutter your belongings. This streamlines the process and helps you decide your essentials. Start with the most straightforward items to declutter, such as old magazines or clothes you no longer wear. Going through this process builds momentum and makes it easier to tackle sentimental items later. If you have stuff you just can’t let go of, consider packing those items together and storing them. Check with your moving company for short- and long-term storage options.

Tip 3: Create a Detailed Daily Packing Schedule

Having a well-structured packing schedule day by day is crucial for you to stay on track and avoid procrastination. Use your original plans to create a checklist of each day’s packing tasks and schedule a session. In other words, decide when your packing tasks must occur, such as between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. or for three hours after breakfast. Set aside dedicated, uninterrupted packing time and eliminate distractions such as your phone or TV during these sessions.

Tip 4: Enlist Help If Needed

The average home contains at least 300,000 items, and this can be an overwhelming amount of stuff to pack. If you have more to contend with than you can reasonably handle, enlist some help. Get other household members on board to pack their own spaces or help with communal areas. Ask friends and relatives to come over to help pack, and offer to buy them dinner for their efforts. It may also be a good idea to look for a full-service moving company that offers packing services.

Tip 5: Visualization and Positive Mindset

Professional athletes, CEOs, and everyday people use positive visualization to help them achieve significant goals. Maintaining a positive mindset and visualizing your completed, organized space can motivate you to conquer packing procrastination. Visualize your desired outcome while acknowledging potential obstacles to boost your motivation. Use positive affirmations like “I am organized and efficient” to reinforce a positive mindset during packing.

Take Another Step in the Right Direction

With a clear plan, you can overcome packing procrastination, making your move efficient and stress-free. Remember, the key is to start early, stay organized, and maintain a positive outlook. Take another step in the right direction by scheduling your professional movers in advance.

Packing up a garage for your household move can be a daunting task. However, with a well-structured plan and some practical tips, you can efficiently tackle this challenge while ensuring safety for yourself and your belongings. Here’s a guide to help you navigate organizing and packing up your garage.

1. Begin by Preparing and Sorting Items

Before diving into packing, start by sorting through your garage items. Decide what to keep, what to donate or sell, and what to discard. This step reduces clutter and ensures that you only pack things you truly need in your new space. 

2. Give Your Stuff a Cleaning

Clean the messy items first to avoid getting dust and dirt on your other belongings. Pay attention to your lawn mower, garden tools, patio furniture, bicycles, and grill.

3. Grab Essential Supplies and Safety Measures

Gather the necessary packing supplies for the garage, including sturdy boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and packing paper. Remember safety gear such as gloves and goggles to protect yourself while handling tools, chemicals, and equipment that could pose a safety risk.

4. Use Efficient Packing Strategies

When packing, prioritize items in the garage based on their frequency of use. This can be especially important if you start packing your garage a while before moving day. Pack seldom-used items first and keep regularly used tools accessible until the last moment. This way, you won’t have to dig through packed boxes to find what you need before you get moved.

5. Watch Out for Hazardous Materials

If your garage contains hazardous materials like chemicals, paints, or fuel, handle them carefully. Store these items in their original containers and follow safety guidelines for disposal and transportation. Check with your moving company to determine what items they do not allow on the moving truck. Here are some of the things movers can not take. 

• Fertilizers
• Pesticides
• Oil
• Gas
• Paint
• Propane tanks
• Unused charcoal
• Anti-freeze
• Car batteries
• Paint thinner
• Pool chemicals

Find ways to responsibly dispose of these and other items before you pack. 

6. Use Teamwork for Heavy Items

For heavy and bulky items, like large power tools or machinery, enlist help so you are not lifting heavy objects on your own. Teamwork makes the job more manageable and reduces the risk of injury. For reference, the general recommendation for lifting a single item alone is to keep the weight at about 51 pounds or below. Also, always use proper lifting techniques to protect your back.

7. Follow Labeling and Inventory Best Practices

Label boxes “GARAGE” so your movers know to take special care with these boxes. Label all sides of each box with its contents and where it should go in your new garage. Creating an inventory list can also help you keep track of all your items. Labeling and inventorying your garage as you pack also simplifies the unpacking process.

8. Securing Tools and Equipment

The typical garage can have a lot of sharp objects and equipment with a lot of removable pieces. Secure your tools and equipment by removing any detachable parts or accessories and packing them separately. Additionally, ensure sharp objects like saw blades are well protected to prevent accidents during transport.

Transition to the Next Chapter with the Help of Professional Movers

Following these steps and staying organized, you can efficiently pack up your garage for your upcoming move. Need help getting to the next chapter in your new home? Reach out for a free moving quote to get started.