So at this point you’ve gotten all of your junk thrown either in the recycling bin or the dumpster. It will now be much easier to survey your apartment or house and see how you’re going to start packing. It’s a worthwhile idea to have to formulate a packing strategy because, as the clique goes, after a few hours of descending into the task, you’ll discover that you’ll have far more “stuff” than you realized. The more systematic in your approach to packing, the more efficient you will be.
My personal take on the matter is to first concentrate on the “miscellaneous zones” in your house. I’m referring to the nooks, crannies and drawers that have, over the years become de facto miscellaneous zones where things just happen to end up because you didn’t know where else to put them. Random hardware, old unused gifts and the like take time to sort through and discern what needs to be done with them. Attacking these half forgotten storage areas of your home will make moving day run all the more smoother.
Please take note of the use of the word “attack” in this article. Here, “attack” means “sort through, organize, and pack”. I use the work attack because moving is often like fighting a small scale war. When moving, you must divide and conquer !
Once these miscellaneous zones are attacked and processed (ie, either boxed up or thrown away) a good place to set your sights can be the books on the bookshelves. Once the books are completed I usually focus on my closet, packing first the clothes that I don’t use much.
At this point it’s a good idea to back up your computer data. The moving process is very physical. It almost always involves moving sensitive digital equipment amidst very heavy objects that can potentially damage your computer, and worse, your hard earned data. Full data backups of your harddrive are a good idea anyway. But right before a move it’s a *great* idea. Now concentrate on the kitchen. Plan packing your glassware first, then the silverware, and lastly the plates and expensive crystal (if you have any) Next, plan breaking down the bookshelves and dismantling whatever else large structural stuff you can such as the bed tables. Remember we’re just in the planning stage, so we’re not actually doing it. Figure out what types or screwdrivers you’ll need and other such hardware. More on this in a minute…