Moving all of your household belongings from one place to another is no easy feat.  Packing for a move is one of the most dreaded parts of the entire moving process.  It is stressful, time consuming, and exhausting.  Considering all of the time and effort that is involved in packing up an entire house, it’s no wonder that packing mistakes are inevitable.  To help you have a smoother and easier transition, here is a list of 9 of the most common packing mistakes and how you can avoid them.

Packing Without a Plan
One of the most common mistakes is to just start packing up any household items you can get your hands on without having a clearly defined packing plan.  Although you feel like you are just diving right it and saving time by getting right to it, you are actually going to end up wasting time because your items will be unorganized, packed improperly, and difficult to find when you need them.  Instead, write down a list of everything that needs packing and make it a point to pack items according to room. 

Skipping the Sorting
Many people feel like it is better to pack everything they own and deal with unwanted items once they get to the new house.  This is a space-wasting and time consuming mistake.  It is much better to sort your items before you move and get rid of items you no longer need.  Otherwise, it is going to take way more time loading all of the items and unpacking them, not to mention you are going to clutter up your new home with unwanted items.  By the time you move and unpack, you are going to be so exhausted you aren’t going to feel like sorting through old belongings.  Instead, sort through your items as you pack and donate or sell any unwanted items.

Not Having Enough Packing Supplies
There is no question that purchasing packing supplies can be costly, however, it is better to have more than you need than to get caught in the middle of packing only to find that you are low on supplies.  Take a little extra time gathering boxes from local retailers and purchase any remaining supplies, but make sure you are well equipped for packing day.

Overfilling Your Boxes
One of the worst mistakes you can make is to stuff your boxes full in order to “save time.”  Not only do you risk damage to your items if the box breaks, but it is unsafe for anyone to be lifting boxes that are too heavy.  Avoid this mistake by using smaller boxes for heavy items and larger boxes for lighter things. 

Packing Fragile Items the Wrong Way
A common mistake is to fail to follow the recommendations for safe and secure packing.  Some goods require special packing and treating fragile items as if they won’t break is a recipe for disaster.  While it might take a little extra time to wrap fragile items, it will ensure that your items will arrive at your new home in one piece.  Use plenty of soft packing paper, bubble wrap, towels, or blankets to protect your belongings from damage.

Packing Forbidden Items
Another common mistake is to unknowingly pack items that most moving companies will not agree to transport.  This includes hazardous items that are flammable or explosive, perishable foods, pets, and plants.  It is best to make special arrangements in advance to have these items safely transported.  Hazardous items and perishable foods should be given away or used up prior to moving day.

Relying on Your Memory Instead of Labeling
Unless you are prepared to spend countless hours searching for specific items, it’s a good idea to label your boxes.  Many people assume they are going to remember what’s in every box only to find out that they are incredibly frustrated because they can’t find the items they need.  This whole situation can be avoided by taking a black marker and writing down the contents on each box.

Not Packing an Essentials Box
Among the most common packing mistakes is failure to pack a special moving box with the essential items you will need until you can organize your belongings.  Things you should pack in an essentials box include medications, toiletries, non-perishable snacks and drinks, towels, and a change of clothes.

Waiting Until the Last Minute
Perhaps the biggest mistake people can make is to save the packing for later.   This is one of the worst mistakes you can make when it comes to packing an entire household because you will quickly find yourself under an enormous amount of stress trying to complete this task in a short period of time.  The solution, of course, is to start packing well in advance and pack a little bit each day until the job is complete.