Moving is an incredibly taxing event in and of itself, but is even more difficult…
If you’re getting ready to move for the first time, you may be considering moving your belongings from your old home to your new one with only your car. It can be really difficult to pack and move with only a small car, but it is possible if you have a small amount of stuff. If you’re looking to move using only your vehicle, we’ve got some handy tips for you on how to pack a car for moving. There are several things that you need to have in order before you even start packing or moving anything. When you have a limited amount of space, the pre-packing process is equally – if not more – important than the packing process itself.
Pack A Car for Moving: Some Tips to Get You Started
Here are some tips, tricks, and strategies for how you can safely and effectively pack your car for your move.
1. Donate Things You Don’t Use
The first thing to think about before you begin moving – especially if you are going to pack a car for moving – is getting rid of things. Consider donating or throwing away things that you are not using, or have not used in a long time. This can include furniture, clothes, appliances, shoes and anything else that you can think of that can’t be sold. Start compiling the things that you don’t use, and letting someone else make use of them. You may even want to use a rule for getting rid of your things; many people will say if they haven’t used something in six months or a year, then they should get rid of it.
2. Sell Some Stuff
Now that you have gotten rid of a lot of your junk (that maybe someone else’s treasure), you may want to consider selling some things. What do you have that is in good shape that you don’t use? List these items online or have a garage sale. Making some money off of the things that you don’t use can help put money in your pocket and defray some of your moving costs – not to mention save some space as you pack your car for moving.
3. Eat All of Your Food
One thing that most people don’t think about before moving is getting rid of all of their food. If you have several weeks or months before you make your move, make it a goal to eat all of the food in your house before packing your car, so that you’ll have more space for other items (and fresh food when you move in!). This might even be a good time to have a dinner party or friends over to help you eat all of your food.
4. Use Bags Instead of Boxes
Now that you’ve gotten rid of some of your extra items, made some money off of unused items, and unloaded your kitchen, how should you pack your car for moving? One of the biggest pieces of advice we can give you is to use bags instead of boxes. Boxes can take up and waste a lot of space, whereas bags are more pliable and easier to pack in a car. Zipper bags (for small items) and large garbage bags are great for packing in a car.
5. Vacuum Storage Bags
If you want to save even more space, get yourself some vacuum storage bags! Vacuum sealing your clothes in bags can cut the space your clothes take up in half, taking up a fraction of the space that they would normally take up. Needless to say, this can really come in handy when you are packing your small vehicle for moving.
6. Put Heavy, Durable Stuff on The Bottom
This may sound like common sense, but it should not be overlooked. Always make sure to pack heavy, durable things on the bottom of your car and set the fragile items that you have closer to the top of the stack. Books and heavy furniture are great for storing on the bottom of your car, where fragile items and electronics should be stored safely near the top of the stack.
7. Clean Out Your Car Beforehand
This is another common-sense piece of advice that goes a long way. Make sure to clean out your car before you start packing anything. We all keep things in our car that we think we will need including clothing, bags tools, and more. For the sake of using every inch of space for packing, make sure that you clean out your car of as much as you can before your move, emptying it of anything that you are not transporting to your new home.
8. Plan Out Your Trips
There is a good chance that you’ll have to make multiple trips when moving with your small vehicle. Make sure that you plan out the loads that you are going to take ahead of time, and how you are going to organize them. Maybe one load is clothing and dishes (try wrapping your dishes in your clothes – clean ones of course – to keep them from breaking), while another load is miscellaneous items. Planning your move ahead of time may seem tedious, but if you’re going to pack a car for moving it can help save a lot of time by cutting down on trips.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this article on how to pack a car for moving and found it helpful. If you have any other questions about moving or find you have to much stuff to pack into your car, On the Go Moving provides careful and personal moving services in the greater Seattle area. Contact us today for more information.
