Packing and Moving in Toronto

Buying a new house is a big interesting step and moving seems to be very exciting. You may assume, wow what a beautiful change, sure it is!! But don’t forget, you have packing and moving steps ahead, which will not be so easy.

The whole packing and moving process can be a little stressful sometimes. Although it depends on the fact whether you are a pro packer or not. If yes, so you have all the planning and timing in mind, and all the equipment you’ll need. If no, don’t worry we are going to tell you all the tips and tricks you need to make the moving easier for you. Let’s check this full list of moving and packing steps together!

Relocating to a new house in Toronto needs to spend so much time, effort, and proper planning. If you don’t have proper planning, you suddenly find yourself drowning in thousands of household items, some of which you may not even remember at all. Let’s review the most important tips for moving and packing in Toronto.

1. How to start packing

The sooner you start packing, the less stress you will have. Postponing to start packing does not help reduce the stress of moving at all. Instead the closer you get to the deadline, the more you worry.

To be completely satisfied with the progress of packing, it is recommended to have a precise schedule and budget. Assuming the fact that you are a pro packer and have all the required tools, it will take 3-4 full days packing the average 3-bedroom home with no additional delay.

Besides, if you are not in a hurry and have enough time, you can even start packing a few weeks earlier by collecting less used items such as seasonal clothes, basement or quest room. But remember: don’t leave the kitchen to the last minute!! Packaging the fragile kitchen stuff requires a lot of time and care to be properly protected.

Of course, you always have the option of hiring professional movers, especially when you don’t have enough time. In this case, you can ask your Toronto real estate agent to help you to find high quality and reliable movers.

2. Have a moving checklist and budget

Make a detailed checklist for yourself mentioning your timeline and budget. Proper timing is especially important if you are short on time. Whether you have three days or three weeks to your deadline, having a checklist and timing will speed up the packing process.

Next important thing to do is to set a budget for all the packing and moving. Hiring professional movers has a certain price. But if you are going to do all the steps by yourself, you need to know how much each step will cost, from buying the box to renting the truck.

3. Get high quality boxes

It may come to your mind to use the same old boxes in the basement or get some from the local grocery store for less cost. But keep in mind that old flimsy boxes are a big risk of damage to household items. If one of these old boxes containing sensitive items ruptures, it will cost you more than buying new, high-quality boxes.

Do not use extra bags in the house to carry household items during moving. They can easily tear. The biggest hassle is to re-pack exactly on the moving day. So, the best solution is to buy the boxes actually designed for residential moving. These boxes are basically customized to keep safe the sensitive breakable items. They are not expensive, but they have better durability and quality.

4. Label Your Boxes

One of the most important steps to have a more satisfying packing and easier unpacking process is labeling all boxes. It’s easy, you just need a batch of markers and paper to label every box on both sides.

On the labels you can specify what is in the box, what room it belongs in, is it fragile or not, which side it should be set. To stay organized, you can even use different color markers or labels for different rooms. Then, on the day of moving, use the same color label on each room’s door to know which box belongs to which room exactly.

You can’t imagine how these simple labels will make you happy in unpacking time.

5. Separate what you need and what you don’t need

The best time to get rid of extra or useless items is during packing and moving. If you have not used something for several years, why should you pack it and take it to a new house?? So check all the household items carefully during packing. If something is useless for you, throw it away or donate it. Just don’t pack it!!

6. Use the right size box with the right weight

One of the mistakes most people make when moving is placing the large number of items in a limited number of boxes. This will make the boxes too heavy. In addition to making them difficult to carry, the boxes will be more likely to be torn. Try not to weigh more than 30 pounds per box.

You can also use boxes in different sizes. Put a few heavier items in the smaller boxes and some more light items in the larger boxes. Be careful, try not to put heavy items on light items to avoid damaging breakables.

7. How to arrange inside the boxes

First, tape the bottom of each box well and firmly. When packing, remember to put the heavier items at the bottom. Try not to leave any empty space between the items in the box, so that they do not move and are damaged while moving.

All the breakable and kitchen items should be covered very carefully. In this case, buy a few bubble wrap and packing papers or tissues. Put a line of papers or tissues at the bottom of the fragile items boxes. You can wrap plates one by one. Put some extra papers inside pitchers and cups. Don’t forget to label the box as “FRAGILE” or “MOVE CAREFULLY”.

Before packing the electronic items, like TV or PC, take a picture of how the wires are placed and connected.

You can also use some items in different ways. For example use your suitcases or hampers for putting the clothes in. Or put some small items in the pots or pitchers to save extra boxes. You can also use towels and other soft sheets to cover the breakables. Socks are good cover for bottles or lamps. Knives and other sharp objects can be securely covered in the towels.

Don’t pack everything, you will need some personal things available during unpacking. So take a bag and use it as your personal moving kit. Put some necessary items in there, like toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet papers, etc. These personal belongings should not be packed in the truck.

9. Packing your clothes

If you try to fold and pack the clothes one by one, that would be a time-consuming disaster. First of all, you can use vacuum sealing or roll them instead of folding them to save more space. Second, don’t take all the closet out. Keep those clothes in the wardrobe exactly the same way. Then put a hole on top of a garbage bag and cover some of the wardrobes grouping together.

Also, it is not necessary to empty all your drawers. You can cover them one by one using a plastic wrap to secure them during moving. However, if they are not too heavy, move the dresser with the drawers in, but make sure the drawers do not open using tape.

10. Moving day

After doing all the above tips in the packing stage, finally the moving day has come. Managing everything on the moving day may be one of the most difficult tasks in the whole process.

It is better to have a special plan for moving day too. First of all, someone has to go to the new house with the truck. Someone who knows the new home address well and can guide movers in unloading the boxes. Second important tip in the moving day is don’t rush! On this day, rushing will only result in more damage or forgetting some boxes. It just makes you more stressed.

If you have small children or pets, it may be best to leave them at your parents or a friend’s home on the moving day. Then, they will not be bothered by all the chaos and you can also do everything with less stress.

It is better to finish the packing stage by the day before moving, so that all your focus is solely on moving.

Following all these moving and packing tips will help you move to your new house easily and with less stress.