As kids, the thought of moving from one house to a new one would bring a sea of emotions for my sister and me. My sister would obviously howl over the loss of friends and I would be thrilled to bits imagining all adventures from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five that could take place! I did have a dog, named Timmy to my credit! But I never could understand my mother’s angst.

20 years later, I do understand. Wondering what to pack first, what to discard, packing the delicate items and then making sure to remember where everything was put! After a few months of thinking, over thinking and procrastinating, recently, we decided to finally move. Thankfully not to a different city, but just a different house in the neighborhood. Although the current house was perfect in every sense, I wanted to move closer to where my parents lived, plus this house had a lovely green patch right outside that would make a great play area for my son and my dog. Being closer to my parents meant more free time for me as I could just hand them their grandson and take off and go over for dinner uninvited!!  

There is a reason why April is the best month to shift homes. For one, the heat isn’t quite caught on and the weather is slightly cool in the mornings and evenings. Also, for most couples with school going kids, with the academic year getting over, it is easier to shift base and start a new life in another place, look for a new school, get ready for new friends in a new place.

It is way less stressful than moving and packing up a house with a toddler and a slobbering beast (my boxer) in the midst of July! And this time around a tiny stray was added to the tribe and needs to be vaccinated and dewormed along with the packing. This little munchkin was wandering the streets without his mother, and I just could not resist getting him home!

My favorite quick tips on packing are (in case you intend to do it all yourself):

Make a list of the things that need to be packed and in the order in which you prefer to move them. Like if you want to first send away your bone china or glassware. My mom used to first send the bed, a set of utensils, some kitchen items and the fridge first and had them set in the new house so that when the rest of us arrive we at least have a bed to rest and something to eat!

Gather all packing supplies. Tape, cardboard boxes, plastic sheets, newspaper fillers, bubble wraps and black markers to mark the boxes. If you are planning to do this on your own, get some card board boxes, either buy them fresh or coax your kabaddiwala to give them at cheaper rates. Also bargain hard for a discount on bubble wrap from the hardware store. 

The rule of packing is to place the heavier items at the bottom of the box and then put in the other lighter items on the top. Pack similar things together. Like steel cutlery should go in with steel kitchenware and crockery should be in a box of its own. Home décor items that need special handling should be separately packed.

Use small boxes to pack in small items. This will not only save time, but will also save the goods inside from getting damaged.

Once you have placed all the items into the box, make sure to seal the mouth of the boxes and cartons properly. It is advisable to label all the boxes as soon as you pack them.

Count the number of boxes that are being uploaded so you remember them when unloading.

So as you can guess I am done with some of the packing bit… if you don’t count the shoes and the books still lying around. Tomorrow I’m on the look out for a mover. I did ask my best friend for some recommendations, but apparently she is out of town! Huh!! So I guess I need to figure something else!