Everyone has moved homes at one point or another and faced the dreaded task of packing and unpacking. It’s always more time consuming than you first think, and still more tiring than you anticipate. If you’re a first-home buyer, it may be your first time doing a proper move, so take heed of some simple solutions that can save you on time and money. Unless you hire a service to do all the packing from beginning to end, it can take its toll, but there are some very creative and simple hacks to make your life easier and stress-free during the move.
First home buyers are making a comeback in the Australian market, with the highest level of newcomers purchasing a property in more than ten years.
New figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that owner-occupier first home buyers have jumped 21.33 per cent year on year.
Home loan provider and mortgage broker Aussie recently revealed a 71 per cent increase in home loan pre-approvals from its borrowers across January to August 2020, indicating no slowing down because of Covid-19.
The lender found first home buyers made up more than half (53 per cent) of pre-approval volumes from January to August and were up 130 per cent compared to the same period last year.
While there are lots of advice on how to pack boxes and move with ease, here are some little hacks that can save you on time and money and are easier than you think.
1. Colour code your boxes by room
The first thing everyone does is pack a box, and label it on top with a black marker. This seems simple enough, but when you’re stacking lots of boxes, you won’t be able to see what box goes where quickly. Instead of this, label the box on the boxes’ sides and in a coloured marker or sticker so that the kitchen can be green, lounge yellow, bathrooms pink etc. From a glance you’ll be able to get the right box into the right room in a split second.
2. Slide hanging clothes into garbage bags
There’s no need to fold clothes into boxes, its time consuming on both the packing and unpacking end. While you can purchase vertical clothes storage boxes for hangers, they can be an additional cost. An easier and cheaper way is bagging up around ten hangers at a time into garbage bags and securing them tightly with twine or plastic ties. The garbage bags will keep your clothes clean and together in one place so you can easily rehang quickly in your next wardrobe.
3. Use cardboard toilet rolls for cords
Electric cords are one of the things in your house, you have more of than you know, and they tangle easily. Before you take out cords from the back of your TV or sound system, take a photo of how they all connect to put them back in the right place easily. But also thread the cords through the cardboard tubes, so they don’t tangle. They can be placed in boxes or large zip lock bags and tapped to the item they’re from, so they don’t get lost inboxes.
4. Pack plates two ways
Instead of packing plates horizontally on top of each other, try packing them vertically like records stacked in a box. This will lessen the chance of them breaking from pressure on top of each other. Another hack is to buy styrofoam plastic disposable plates that you might typically buy for a BBQ or picnic. Place one in between each plate which will add a layer of protection, then when you’re all unpacked, you can reuse them for your next BBQ!
5. Buy ziplock sandwich bags in bulk
Ziplock and sandwich bags will literally help in so many areas of packing and storing. You can use them for screws and bolts, cables, stationery items, bathroom items and anything small and fiddly than can be easily lost.
6. Pack breakables in clothes and towels
While your long hanging clothing can be packed in garbage bags, your other clothing can make excellent packing material as mentioned above. Use thick socks for glasses and t-shirts and jumpers for anything in a square shape like glass baking dishes. This way you’re packing both clothing and breakables in the one go.
7. Clean and defrost your fridge at least 24 hours before the move and add vanilla
Don’t leave defrosting your fridge to the day of your move, or it will be a disaster full of water and odours. Defrost the day before, give away or use all the perishable food and store the things you want to keep in an esky with ice until you move. Give it a solid clean before you move with baking soda so it’s fresh and clean before it goes into your new home. A tip to reduce odours for the move is to soak a couple of cotton balls in vanilla essence and tape them to the back of the fridge’s corners. You can remove them once you move and your fridge will have a sweet, fresh smell rather than a musty plastic smell that happens once fridges have gone warm and idyll for too long.
The Removals Group can help you with any of your packing and moving needs. Whether you’re a first home buyer, or first-time mover, or a seasoned professional and moved multiple times, we are here to make your move as stress-free as possible.
You can speak to The Removals Group Gold Coast now online or call us for a free quote on 07-5554-5003 today.
