Packing, packing and more packing

Despite a cluttered room full of still-unpacked boxes in my apartment, I've still got a lot of packing to do before we take possession of our new home at the end of the month!

Mr. Speedy and I have moved many times in the last few years, but I'm feeling more pressure with this one, as it will hopefully be the last for a while. So, I want to make sure we do it right, and stay organized!

Here are some of the tips I've learned over our last 10 moves:

- Take this opportunity to purge. Anything that you haven't used in the past year is likely a good candidate to be donated or tossed.

- Pack slowly. Focus on specific areas and pack things room by room over a few weeks to help you stay organized and prevent breakage.

- Use blankets, tea towels, tablecloths and even plastic shopping bags to help cushion your delicate items. It's cheaper and more eco-friendly than using tissue paper, and doesn't leave black marks on your items like newspaper.

- Make sure your boxes are sturdy enough for the items you're packing. It won't take long for pots packed in a flimsy box to go crashing to the curb. I like to use plastic bins with lids for heavy or delicate items, as they're sturdier than boxes and you can re-use them for storage in your new home.

- Keep it light. Heavy things should go in small boxes. You don't want anyone getting injured on moving day.

- Label everything. Meticulously. When you desperately need that bottle opener for post-moving beer, or a certain pair of shoes for work the next day, you want to be able to pinpoint the exact box it's in.

- Have a plan for your boxes. Group similar items together and pack by room, making unpacking simpler. Label the boxes with their intended destination so you won't be stuck making snap decisions when asked by your moving help as to where it belongs. Plus, it will make unpacking easier as everything will already be in the right spot!

UPDATE:

Received a great tip from the Twitterverse that I'll be trying for our move: Set up and make your bed first, then you can work til exhaustion and just collapse rather than try to do it when tired.

Catch up on the home hunt:

Moving in a month

So we bought the house, now what?

More negotiations

Getting a home inspection

Making an offer

Home hunting makes me nauseous

How to know when the house is right?

Resources for first-time buyers

Our first showings

Crunching the numbers

Finding Mr. or Mrs. Right ... Realtor, that is

Home hunting: Exciting, terrifying, all-consuming

What do we want in a home?

Am I house crazy?