Why does packing take forever

Happy in Wyoming. Status: "Support the Mining Law of " set 8 days ago. It took three months to pack, and after eighteen months I'm still not unpacked. When I had no microwave or stove or toaster oven I drank tomato juice at home and drove eighteen miles to town for solid food. It was heaven, especially since I was up here quite a bit before I moved, overseeing some construction projects.

I was able to pack over a month or so. It still meant a scramble the night before the movers came, because I'm a procrastinator. My biggest tip is to pack things that only belong in the same room together. If you finish a room, say, a bedroom, and have extra room, don't put anything else from another room in there.

If you have the boxes labeled for the rooms they belong in, and only have items that belong in the labeled room, it will speed up the unpacking process. When we moved from sq ft to sq ft, it took me about days to unpack the entire house but that's with a 3 year old and 6 year old "helping". You and a spouse could probably get it done in one busy day excluding loading a truck.

Organizing and cleaning before packing helps packing go smoother and also helps minimize the inevitable odds and ends and left out belongings that belong in a certain box. When I pack, I try to label things for where they are going to go in the new house. I even go as far as to label a box something like "Family Room-black bookshelf, second shelf", kitchen island or upstairs closet. It makes it a lot easier when you unpack things if you or the unpackers know exactly where to put it because unpacking takes a lot of time too.

I have always taken the time to do a little bit of packing each day - you really don't need knick knacks and stuff like breadmakers or serving platters to be accessible right before you move. Otherwise, I make sure everything is done but the bare necessities some towels, toiletries, extra clothing two days before the move, and pack the necessities up in luggage when it is time to go. However, if you are using movers and even if you aren't I would discourage you from labeling boxes with stuff like, "China," "Jackets," "electronics," etc.

Do you really want strangers knowing what you have in which boxes? My husband and I made an Excel spreadsheet using numbers, and explicitly listing what was in each box, such as: China 6. Board games, chess set, blank CDs 7. Cookbooks, Kitchenaid mixer 8. Technical books, desk items 9. Scarves, gloves, sewing kit And so forth. Then you just label all sides of the box with the appropriate number, and keep a print out of the spreadsheet so that only YOU know what corresponds to each box.

If you have movers, you simply stand by, tell them where to put each box as it comes in and you consult your spreadsheet, and check off to make sure each one arrives hard to do if you aren't tracking your boxes. At least 15 of those boxes were packed over a very casual three days a few hours here and there , and they are well packed - my husband worked at Mailboxes Etc when he was in high school I anticipate we have about ten hours remaining of things to pack, and I'd like to get that down closer to six.

Again, this largely depends on the number of things you need to be moved. Typically we can get you packed up and ready to roll within the day. This is another variable that obviously depends on where you are moving. If you are moving across town, we can get you there within the day. Moving to Florida? The difference between On the Move and major van lines? Instead of constantly stopping to search for tips in each room, read over these packing tips before you get started.

For example, instead of folding clothes, you can take them from the closet on hangers and put them directly into a wardrobe box. Before you start, make sure to have plenty of packing paper, tape and boxes because having to stop and run to the store wastes time. Every completed area will help you feel motivated to keep going. Have bins ready for trash, donate and sell piles — and take them room to room with you.