Things to pack last

We’ve all been there. You’re finally settling down for a nice mug of cocoa  after a hard day of packing up all your worldly belongings into boxes, only to find you don’t have any mugs.  Instead you retire to bed, brushing your teeth and setting your alarm beforehand. Only to find you’ve packed your toothbrush, toothpaste and your alarm clock. All very easily done, but also very easily avoided if you know what to keep out.

Remembering that there are some things you will need to keep out is the first step. It’s important to pack as much as you possibly can, only leaving out the true essentials. But, what are the true essentials? Well obviously this will depend on the circumstances of your move and your intentions but here are a few universal answers to that question, in no particular order:

Some of the most important things are your toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, perfume/aftershave. That doesn’t mean all of your toiletries and makeup, only the minimum you couldn’t do without for a day.

Any travel and personal documents you need such as your passport, credit cards and plane tickets. The best tip you will ever get when it comes to moving house is to purchase a wallet for these items and keep this very safe. The last thing you want is to be all packed up and suddenly realise you’ve packed your passport in one of the boxes.

 One of the more commonly forgotten and often underestimated items - the phone charger. You might feel like you’ve got more important things to worry about than texting but when it comes to co-ordinating the move, saying goodbyes and dealing with all the other problems that may arise from moving abroad - without your phone, you’re useless!

Money makes the world go round and you won’t be going round the world unless you’ve got plenty of it. Regardless of whether you’ve got your credit cards, it’s important to keep some cash out just in case. Whether this may be because you need to pay for the taxi to the airport, some surprise fees courtesy of the removal men or even worst case scenario, you get to the UAE to find your cards don’t work.

A pair of scissors or a box cutter is another important thing to leave till last. You’ll be surprised how often you’ll need to cut things when packing up and unpacking but it comes with a key difference to the other points - make sure you pack it BEFORE you head for the airport. Surprisingly regardless of your circumstances, airport security will not take kindly to a sharp implements in your purse!

These may all sound like simple things and you may well be thinking “I already knew all that”. But it’s not a question of knowing what you need to keep out, it’s a case of REMEMBERING. Forget just one of those points and your stress levels will be taken to a whole other dimension. The solution? Don’t just dive in - plan before you pack!