Since the concession announced a little over a week ago, buyers, sellers and tenants are allowed to move until June 7 within certain limitations and regulations.

This does not leave much time to pack and prepare ahead of the move.

To help maximise the time homeowners and tenants have to pull off this move, RE/MAX of Southern Africa provides the following tips:

Pick a place to pack

Especially now that we are confined to our homes, it can get overwhelming to see unpacked boxes in each room of the house.

On top of this, a lot of time can be wasted by constantly trying to find the packing supplies.

READ: Deeds Office open but real estate cannot operate

Instead, pick a place that can be used as a packing station and keep the required items together.

Stock the packing station with plenty of tape, boxes in various sizes, bubble wrap, newspapers, and markers.

Develop a plan of action

When you’re in a rush, having a plan of action can help minimise the number of items that get misplaced or left behind.

Packing one room at a time and labelling the boxes by room will help ensure that items can be easily found when unpacking.

It is also helpful to colour code the rooms and mark the boxes accordingly with markers, stickers, or coloured tape.

Remember to pack a few boxes with the items you would want on the first day in the new home, such as bed sheets, pet food, electronics chargers, toiletries, and a change of clothing.

Be sure to mark these so you know where to find them.

Colour-code your rubbish bags

To avoid confusion, have rubbish bags in two colours: one for packing and the other for throwing things away.

A lot of space can be saved by packing clothing and linens into big plastic bags, as they can be squeezed into tight spaces between boxes.

Fill and seal drawers

If you are using professional movers to move, pack your dresser drawers with as many items as possible – this will save both time and space.

Just be sure to seal the drawers with duct tape so that they don’t spill open and drop their contents.

Don’t get hung up on clothes

Rather than taking clothes off hangers, folding them, and packing them in boxes, simply toss your clothes with their hangers onto the backseat of your car on the day of the move.

This will save a lot of time and energy.

READ: How the housing market will perform post-lockdown

“While I am grateful for the new regulation that allows for the moving of homes until June 7, I am also hopeful that we will soon see new regulations that allow real estate services to re-open sooner than at its current level two classification,” said Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa.

“There is only so much a real estate agent can do remotely if they are not allowed to access a home.

“Very few new sales and rentals (if any at all) will be concluded until the real estate sector can operate.

“This will leave many homeowners and landlords in very difficult financial positions.

“ So, while I commend government for making this decision and wish anyone who is moving over this time a safe relocation, I also hold out hope that we will soon see further easing of lockdown restrictions within the real estate sector.”

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