Moving the Bedroom?

The bedroom is usually the living space where we spend most of hours, if only during sleep.  It also tends to accumulate a very large number of items for packing, and tends to get packed toward the very end of the process.  This article offers several tips on making the packing of the bedroom easier.

1. Reduce the amount of “stuff” to pack.  There aren’t any great reasons for packing bedroom items that you don’t use or need.  Be ruthless in eliminating as many items as possible.  Aim to get rid of  1/3 of your current possessions.  This includes eliminating clothes and shoes that don’t fit, are out of style, or are stained beyond saving; knick knacks or decorations that are collecting dust;  books or magazines that you’ve already read or you won’t have time to read, etc.
2. Pack a suitcase for each person.  Pretend that you’re going on a three-day vacation in a faraway city, and pack a single suitcase to hold all the necessities that you would need: clothes, eyeglasses/contact lenses, bathroom supplies (soap, shampoo, razor, etc.), prescriptions, etc.  Then transport these suitcases separately from the items on the moving truck.  When you arrive at your new place, you won’t be scrambling around for essentials because they’re all packed in the suitcase.
3. Use wardrobe boxes for transporting hanging garments.  Wardrobe boxes are really lifesavers for packing and moving clothes that are hanging in your closet.  These tall boxes have a hanging bar across the top center of the box, allowing you to lift clothes directly off your closet bar and put them straight into the wardrobe box, eliminating wrinkling and hassles.
4. Transport shoes in their original boxes.  Shoes transported in their original boxes are much less likely to get damaged in transit, and keep each pair together.  If you don’t have the boxes anymore, wrap each shoe individually and then wrap the two shoes together so they can’t get separated.  Stuff the interior of your shoes with rolled up socks to both save space and help shoes keep their shape.  There is often room in the bottom of wardrobe boxes for your shoes, which is another space saver.
5. Keep drawers in wardrobes or dressers.  Most professional movers choose to move all but the largest dressers with the drawers and their contents intact.  If you’re moving yourself, you might find it easier to move the drawers outside on moving day, move the dresser to its spot on the moving truck, and then reinserting the drawers.  Wrap heavy twine through wardrobe or dresser handles around the piece of furniture to keep drawers from sliding open or out.
6. Use mattress pads.  Mattresses are notoriously easy to rip and tear during a move, so I strongly recommend using heavy mattress pads or “bags” to keep them safe.
7. Use great care in disassembling the bed.  Be careful to write down exactly which pieces went where when taking the bed frame apart.  Put small pieces in heavy, clear plastic bags and then use packing tape to tape those bags to one of the bars holding the bed together (do NOT tape to anything with a finish on it, or it will get ruined when removing the tape).  This keeps everything together and avoids losing things.
8. Mark your bedroom boxes carefully.  Assign each  bedroom a number, such as BED1, BED2, etc.) and then number the boxes within each room (e.g. BED1-1, BED 1-2).  Label each box with the room name, the box number, and a brief description on the contents.  Apply the room name and box number to at least 2 opposite sides and the top.  Write down the box numbers and contents for each box so you can find them easily when unpacking.

These 8 tips should help make packing your bedrooms easier and stress-free.