How To Pack Up The Whole House With Your Family Without Losing Your Mind

We break it down for you so that when packing up the entire house with your family, you won’t make the common mistake of stressing out the family.

We give you tips to involve the kids in the decision making process. We give you our go to ideas to keep everything you need handy during this transition period.

Packing up for a move with family can be a rough task to plan out, but with careful thought put into the organization, it can be a lot less stressful. Here are some iMoving tips and tricks to make the process less painful.

1. Start by creating a timeline well in advance of your moving date, and make a checklist of tasks to ensure nothing gets overlooked. 

• Think about any big life events you will need certain items for and plan around this.
• Packing in advance all the rooms less used like the garage will help you get ahead and not get stuck with last minute tasks.

2. Involve the whole family by delegating age-appropriate tasks and setting clear expectations. 

• Give the kids the task of decorating the boxes if they are too young to actually help.
• For the older kids you can ask them to pack up their own closets and get rid of what they no longer like or ask them to pack up their sports equipment from the garage.
• Try to make packing for them feel like a game and be a fun happy experience.

3. To stay organized, label all boxes clearly with their contents and the room they belong to, and consider using color-coding for different rooms or family members. 

• Labeling each side of the box will help the unpacking process go much smoother. You can task this job to your kids to review that each box is properly labeled on each side.
• Packing room by room and keeping items together for each piece will help streamline the process.
• When packing, use quality materials such as new boxes and bubble wrap to protect your belongings. 

4. Pack essentials separately in a designated bag so you have immediate access to necessary items upon arrival at your new home. 

• This essentials bag should have all the items you need immediately when you arrive such as a new clean sheet set, a change of clothes, the items you need to shower, a tooth brush, and your essential documents.

5. Utilize space efficiently by packing soft items like clothes and linens in suitcases and using the soft items as padding.

• Save on bubble wrap by filling the empty space in boxes with your soft objects to prevent items from moving.

6. To make the packing process more enjoyable, create a packing music playlist to keep spirits high for the kids, and turn tasks into games for kids to make the experience more engaging. 

• Think kiddy fun! Moving can be scary for kids, but when you make it a game and have them feel involved in the decision-making process in whatever way, you can make them feel proud of their contribution.
• Have them plan out the decor for their new room to get excited about the move.

7. On moving day, prepare a kiddy fun kit with those other essentials like snacks, drinks, and important games your kids love if things get out of control. If possible, hire professional movers to assist with heavy lifting and logistics so you can give the attention and care to your kids they will need with all the changes. 

• Candy will be your new best friend.
• Have them map out where the new ice cream place closest to the new house will be. Think ahead of time about the games your kids love that will keep them occupied during the drive and during those critical times when you need to focus on packing. Having these handy will be a make it or break it during certain times.

8. Keep valuable items with you rather than in the moving truck. If you are driving your family car, keep those favorite teddy bears and precious items your kids love with you to ease their stress from the move.

• Let you kids choose their top 3 items they want to bring with them in the car for the drive to the new home.

9. After arriving, unpack strategically by focusing on the kid's rooms first and create a comfortable space where everyone can relax. 

• Usually, it is common to begin by unpacking the kitchen, but when you want to focus on the kids, just bring McDonalds home and focus on their bedrooms first so they can have their safe space.
• Get your kids back to their routine as quickly as you possibly can. Enrol them in classes they love so you can have a few free hours to unpack the rest of the house.

10. Take time to explore your new neighborhood with the kids as soon as you can and enjoy the fresh start as a family, making new memories in your new neighborhood.

• Let the kids explore the neighborhood by bike if they are old enough and make it an adventure for them. Consider creating a scavenger hunt to learn the new area.

Moving as a family can be quite the task depending on your children’s age and level of maturity. Involving them in the process is the best way to have this day roll over smoothly. Get them excited by letting them design their own rooms and having them decorate their boxes.

If you can afford it, use a full packing and unpacking service to avoid the extra stress on your little ones. You will make it through this move. iMoving’s team is here to get you through the day with sanity and a lack of stress.