No matter how far away or close your move seems it can be really hard to know the right time to start packing. Obviously you can’t pack up your entire home weeks before you move; you still have to live there after all. You also don’t want to create more chores and stress for yourself by packing up items you will need before the move. No one wants to be rummaging around in their boxes before the movers from Boyer-Rosene even show up! The best way to start packing is to begin right away, but start out slowly. Here are some good tips to get you started.

1. 6-8 weeks before- start sorting. Before you can properly pack anything you need to sort through your belongings and decide what goes and what stays. Since this can be done anytime it’s best to do it as soon as you can, really as soon as you know you’re going to be moving. You can do a little bit each day so it won’t feel like so much work.

2. 4 weeks before- garage sale, donations, throw away. Now that you’ve finished sorting it’s time to really pare down the items you need and want to take with you. This is a great time to hold a garage sale and sell off all those items you didn’t even know were still in your closet. Anything that doesn’t sell take it to a donation place or toss it in the trash. You will be grateful not to have so much to pack and unpack!

3. 2 weeks before- start packing out of the way places. This is the perfect time to get packing! With the move only a couple weeks away you should be working on your closets, attics, basements, and other out of the way places. This way you can focus your time and energy on the bigger rooms when it gets closer to moving day. You also won’t notice any of these items are missing.

4. 1 week before- start on the main rooms. Time is getting closer and you don’t have too much to do thanks to all your good planning! Now is the time to pack everything but the bare essentials. Make sure you get the right boxes for the kitchenware, breakables, clothing, and small and big items.

5. Last few days. Unfortunately at this point you might feel like you’re living out of a box yourself. I would suggest packing a small suitcase with the items you need for a week or so and pack up everything else.