Are you moving house? 12 tips

When moving, proper storage is essential for a smooth process.
It's easy to get overwhelmed by cluttered bags and random suitcases, which can make moving unnecessarily stressful.

Maria Laitinen, an experienced professional organizer at Tavararemontti, has helped with hundreds of moves over the past seven years.
Here she shares her top 12 tips on how to pack smart and efficiently.

1. do not pack junk
Clean up before you move!
Sort your stuff into three categories: what to keep, throw away or recycle.
Don't take everything with you and then decide what to keep later.

2. If you are moving to a smaller space
go through your wardrobes and select the items that you will definitely take with you.
The rest you can evaluate later.

3. Categorize your belongings
Pack items from the same category together.
For example, if you wrap plates in towels, label the box with both "plates" and "towels".

4. use a clear marker
Write with a permanent marker so that the text is visible and easy to read.

5. Label the boxes with rooms
Clearly write which room each box belongs to in your new home to make it easier to organize the move.

6. storing moving boxes
If certain boxes need to be stored in a storage unit, label them clearly.
Write which boxes should be placed at the front and back of the storage unit.

7 Avoid "miscellaneous"
Avoid writing "miscellaneous" on your boxes.
Indicate exactly what is in them, especially if they are going to the basement or storage room.

8. Choose quality boxes
Removal companies do not consider banana boxes to be durable enough.
Use sturdy cardboard boxes or open, stable crates for moving and storage.

9. avoid heavy boxes
Pack books in small boxes or mix them with lighter items like decorations in larger boxes.
Be careful not to overload yourself.

10. Even packing of boxes
Make sure that the moving boxes are evenly packed so that they can be stacked.
The metal handles must be closable.

11. plan time for packing
Make sure you have enough time to pack properly and avoid last-minute stress.

12. unpack straight away
Avoid placing things temporarily in your new home.
Unpack them directly where they need to be so you can get settled quickly.