Your last box should include all the items you will need to have available before the rest of your goods are unpacked. These are the basics which you normally use until the very last minute before you leave and which you usually need to use immediately upon arrival. It should contain some or all of the items listed in this appendix, as well as anything else which your particular situation demands.Whether you are moving yourself or being moved, your last box should be placed where it can be unloaded right away. If you are using movers, instruct them to mark these boxes as LAST BOX, and make sure that they will make a similar notation on the inventory sheets. When you or the movers are unpacking, place the last box where you will have unobstructed access to it. Among the recommended `last-box´ items are:
Coffee, tea, coffee cups, creamer, sugar, powdered drinks, instant oatmeal or cereal , cans of soup, peanut butter and jelly, crackers, raisins, and other convenient foods.
Coffee maker or tea pot.
A plastic pitcher.
Paper plates, napkins, cups, paper towels, plastic silverware, and serving spoons.
Pots, pans, a bottle opener, and a can opener.
Bakeware.
Food items.
Trash bags, paper and plastic bags, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap.
Dish soap and towels.
Cleaning supplies, including rags, cleanser, window cleaner, and trash bags.
Towels, sheets, pillowcases, pillows, blankets, shower curtain, bathtub mat, soap and shampoo.
Toilet paper, tissue, paper towels, and napkins.
A bag of screws, nails, hooks, etc.
A screwdriver, a hammer, small tools, and scissors.
Extension cords.
A flashlight.
A radio.
A first aid kit and aspirin or acetaminophen.
Clothes hangers.
A phone book from your previous hometown. (You will be surprised how many times you need this!).
A few toys, books, and crayons.
This Tip was excerpted from:
Moving: A Complete Checklist and Guide for Relocation by Karen G. Adams, Silvercat Publications, San Diego, 1994.
ISBN 0-9624945-6-9
