Packing Checklist

It’s time to pack and you’re beginning to realize you want to take your whole room along. The books, the music, the photo albums… how do you decide what goes and what stays? And how do you make sure you don’t go crazy in the process of packing and organizing?

Here is a quick moving guide to make the whole process a lot less painful:

Helpful Moving Tips:

Jot down a checklist. Don’t rely on memory to figure out what has already been put away and what else you need to add to the packing boxes. Make sure the list includes everything to the smallest item.

Decide on the essentials first. There’s only so much you can take along and only so much your storage boxes can hold. If there are items you will need for classes, such as your computer or a particular book, make sure you have enough space for those before you move on to fiction books and video games.

Get some shipping boxes ready for later on, and have your parents send you whatever it’s not essential or you won’t be using right away. A good example is equipment for a seasonal sport, such as skiing. Since you’re likely moving away during the summer, they can always send the boxes your way a few months later, once you’re settled.

Wardrobe boxes should be used to pack clothes you know you will wear. Rather than emptying your whole closet into the moving boxes, go over each item and decide whether you will honestly wear it if you take it along. If the answer is NO, leave it behind.

Don’t wrap things using newspaper. It can cause staining and it won’t protect delicate items. Instead, use bubble wrap and make sure fragile items are packed in the middle rather than against the walls of the moving boxes.

Use a permanent market to write some basic information on the outside of the packing boxes. Keep it simple, though –The words “kitchen” or “books” are enough. Avoid blending different items into a single box, as this will only make it harder when it’s time to unpack.