Operation: Dynamite Downsizing

Step 4: The Strategic Pack & Stack

(Simplify, Streamline, Succeed!)

Key Takeaway:

Goal:

Materials Needed:

• MORE Sturdy Boxes (Clearly Labeled!): Seriously, label everything. "Kitchen - Occasional Use Gadgets," "Winter Clothes - Not for Florida," "Sentimental Stuff - Handle With Care (and maybe therapy)."
• Bubble Wrap & Packing Paper: For your breakables. Treat them like the precious cargo they are (or at least pretend to be). NOTE: There are different sizes of bubble wrap, so look at the label to make sure you get what is best for your needs. This can be purchased at your nearby hardware store where you bought your boxes.
• Mover’s Wrap or Cellophane Stretch Wrap: This can be used to keep drawers in place so you don’t have to unload them. NOTE: If the dresser is too heavy to move with the drawers in them, it would be best to wrap the full drawers and set them on the floorboard of your car and then, when you get to the new location, unwrap them and put them back in the dresser.
• Water-Resistant Markers: Bunches of markers because it is easy to misplace the one you are using. Those boxes need to be labeled; soon, one box will look like another box, and it will become jumbled.
• Zip storage bags: No, not for sandwiches, but for little things you want to keep together, like the bolts that go to the furniture you are taking apart. NOTE: Tape the bag of bolts to the kitchen table you took apart to keep the bag from being misplaced.
• Furniture Covers or Old Blankets: To protect larger furniture from dings.
• Moving Box Truck or a Friend’s Pickup: If you don’t have a friend with a pickup, then renting a box truck or pickup can be something you rent by the day. If the weather might be bad, a box truck is a good option. NOTE: Some trucks require a special driver's license. Don’t get a size bigger than you need.
• A Dolly or Hand Truck: (Often rentable from the truck rental place or maybe the self-storage facility you chose). It’s important to save your back!
• An Inventory List (Digital or Paper): Trust us, "Future You" will be incredibly grateful when trying to find that specific holiday decoration.

Action Plan:

• Rent a truck or borrow one from a friend if your vehicle won’t hold everything. This should be reserved several weeks prior to moving day.
• Pick up supplies
• Pack the boxes that will be moved
• Stack the Heaviest on the Bottom, Lightest on Top: Basic physics, folks. This is helpful for moving and crucial if your possessions are going to storage.
• Create Aisles (If Possible): If your unit is large enough, leave a walkway so you can access items at the back without creating an archaeological dig.
• Disassemble Furniture (If Practical): Bed frames, tables – taking them apart can save a surprising amount of space. Keep hardware in labeled zip storage bags taped securely to the corresponding furniture item.
• Utilize Vertical Space: Stack those boxes high (but safely!).

Pro-Tip -