As we ease into the festive holiday season, we often have to make room and move furniture around to accommodate our decorations and presents. Similarly, when you are going to sell your home you need to roll your sleeves up and declutter and pack away your valuables and sometimes move furniture around. Often this can be a tedious and time-consuming job. Here are some tips to make this job easier for you.
- Start early. Take it easy on yourself as you don’t want to rush packing your valuables. Gather boxes, bubble wrap, paper and tape to have ready to go. Start packing items that you don’t use often. This is also a good time to go through, declutter and give away any unwanted items.
- Have a box that you will want to “open first”. Mark it so that it will be visible at a glance. When you move you might want to set up your beds first and don’t want to have to scramble through boxes looking for bedding, a shower curtain or towels. Pack suitcases in the car for a change of clothes or for your children’s clothing.
- Don’t pack your boxes too heavily. Your movers will thank you for that one. It doesn’t pay to have your back give out when one box could have been split into two. Use linens or towels to wrap your breakables.
- Mark your boxes. One of the easiest ways to mark your boxes is with different colours of duct tape. Patterns of yellow zigzags, pink diamonds etc. can be used for different rooms in the house. That way you will be able to direct which room the box will go in at a glance. Just remember to keep a note of what coloured taped box belongs in what room. On both sides label important items included in the box. (ie. Kitchen –Cutlery, plates)
- Plan Ahead. Roll up rugs and tape them. Disassemble any furniture such as tables and beds. Tape the nuts and bolts securely to the furniture so that it will be ready when you need to assemble them. Time is money and it will cost you extra money and time if your movers have to do this.
- Keep Important Documents With You. Keep information with you in a plastic bag in your purse or personal suitcase. You may need your hotel reservations, pet vaccinations, realtor’s contact info or lawyer’s number handy.
- Take Photos. Have you ever moved your TV and then forgot how to set it up again? Taking a photo of the back of your TV or computer for easy hookup. Also, if you have assembled photos in a certain way on the wall, you might want to use it for reference in your new home.
We hope these hints will make your packing job a little easier. The Anne Winch Ottawa Real Estate Team also includes a packing kit of tape, boxes and paper to get you started when you list your home with us. Contact us for any of your selling, complimentary staging or real estate buying needs.