How to Pack So You'll Be Able to Find Your Stuff Later

Although moving can be a tedious task, you might find that the real stress doesn’t come until later. Picture this: you’ve packed up all your belongings neatly into boxes, only to realize you desperately need that one specific key item you accidently packed away. Before you know it, you are tearing open your boxes trying to find it, wondering why things have a nasty habit of disappearing when you need them the most.

Whether you’re packing your belongings away into a storage space or are simply moving across the street, proper organization in your packing is key to being able to find your things again when you need them. Toward the end of your packing, you may be tempted to throw things into whatever box you can find. If you find yourself in this position, here are some tips to make sure you stay organized.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to pack one room at a time. Especially if moving from a large house with many things, you may be tempted to pack a little bit from every room without actually finishing any single room. Not only will this method cause the appearance of more clutter, but it also increases the chances for your items to get mixed up and packed into the wrong boxes. Start with rooms you don’t usually use, such as the basement, garage, and dining room; leave rooms you use often, such as bedrooms and the kitchen, for last. Packing one room at a time will also give you the feeling that you are actually getting stuff done, instead of stressing yourself out about all that you still have to pack.

Next, try to divide your belongings into specific categories, pairing similar things together for larger boxes. Before packing anything away, make sure to label the boxes on all four sides. This will ensure that you’re not forgetting to write down anything already packed. Labeling the category of the box, such as ‘KITCHEN’ in a large font, and then labeling the specific items you pack underneath, helps you know exactly what each box contains. This is especially helpful too if you have more than one box per category.

If you have a family or are packing for more than just yourself, you may find you have more miscellaneous boxes with random objects or similar stuff belonging to different family members, such as clothing and room decorations. In that case, labeling the boxes underneath your children’s name will help distinguish whose box things belong in.

Finally, do not underestimate the power of color-coding when labeling your boxes! Not only are the eyes more drawn to different colors, which will help you find your stuff faster, but it will also create a neater and more organized finish to your boxes. Especially if you are packing your things in a storage facility, make sure to keep the same categories in the same color to help you arrange your boxes properly.

—Pauline Verbest