If there’s anything more tedious than packing for a move, it has to be loading items into the truck. Prepare to break a sweat as you figure out how to fit all your belongings within a limited area. Your goal here is to maximize the space while evenly distributing the weight of each cargo. Sounds like a challenge? No worries! These eight simple tips can make your life a whole lot easier.
1. Choose the Right Truck
No matter how great you are at managing space, it’s no use if the amount of space itself isn’t enough. So even if it’s tempting to skimp on the truck size, understand that it’ll only make things harder in the long run. That said, you don’t want to overspend on the truck either. The best thing to do is choose the next larger size that can fit your needs. Why? It gives you more leeway for extra items and prevents the contents from pushing too hard on each other. However, if this advice forces you to go beyond budget, you can still stick to the exact truck size to carry your belongings. You just need to be twice as careful.
2. Gather the Supplies
Before you start loading things up, make sure you have the equipment and materials to do it correctly. The most common supplies you need are furniture pads, bubble wrap, tape, and boxes. You can either buy or rent a moving dolly, depending on your budget. You should also purchase a mattress bag wrap your mattress and straps to secure furniture in place. Lastly, remember to add an extra layer of tape to boxes when packing.
3. Ask for Help from Your Friends
Packing a moving truck is no one-person operation. Can you imagine lifting the bed or fridge by yourself? Unless you’re Superman, call your friends for assistance. The more manpower you have, the faster and safer things will turn out. Plus, it’s also the perfect time for catching up and saying goodbyes. Plus, don’t forget to prepare snacks for everyone. It’s going to be a tiring day!
4. Disassemble Furniture
Finally! It’s time to start the actual process! The first thing you want to do is disassemble your furniture. Loading bulky items like beds or tables as-is will unnecessarily occupy precious space inside the truck. Start by taking off the legs of tables. Proceed to disassemble bed frames, dressers, and desks. It’s also best to dismantle lamps, skis, and pretty much anything from IKEA. Whatever you disassemble, make sure to keep parts in labeled containers for easier reassembly.
5. Put in the Large and Heavy Items First
Start placing in major appliances, such as refrigerators, kitchen stoves, dishwashers, and washing machines to the innermost side. Also include the big sections of the furniture you disassembled earlier, such as your bed’s main frame. Put each object in an upright position and distribute the weight on opposite sides. Don’t forget to use furniture padding in corners where two items meet to avoid scratches and dents.
6. Bring in the Longer Items Next
Once you’ve gathered the bulk in the inmost part, your next job is to fill in the middle section of the truck. This is where longer pieces of furniture enter the scene. Place mirrors, tables, box springs, couches, and mattresses close to the side of the truck. To save more space, put sofas and tables in an upright position. It’s strongly recommended to use moving blankets for upholstered furniture to avoid tearing. And most importantly, yep, you’ve guessed it right — use furniture padding for cushion.
7. Load Boxes and the Rest of the Items
If you haven’t noticed already, the arrangement so far makes it easier to unload items later on. Lighter objects are placed near the backdoor since it doesn’t take much effort to move them out. So how to load boxes? Place the largest ones to fill in the gaps between tables or put them on top of the appliances. For the lighter cargo, stack them over the previous boxes – like playing Tetris! Finally, fill the remaining spaces with soft items like clothing, fabric, rugs, and linen.
8. Double-Check Everything
Good job so far! By this time, you and your friends will probably be so exhausted to move a muscle. Congratulations! You’re almost done. However, try your best to make some effort to double-check that everything is good to go. Make sure the appliances and furniture are strapped securely. Check the house if you’ve forgotten to load something. Finally, do a final test by driving the truck for a short distance and see if anything shakes or falls over. Once done, you’re now a few steps away from relocating to your new home!