How to Pack for a Move

Getting ready to pack?

If you didn’t hire a moving company to do all the leg work for you, do a couple deep knee bends and shake the cobwebs out of your biceps: it’s time to pack.

Packing is serious business.  It’s going to take a long time to do it right, but if you cut corners you might suffer on moving day with broken belongings and sweat-loads of effort.

Boxing, Bagging and Bubble-Wrapping

First things first, you need the right supplies to pack.  If you haven’t already done so, go out and get the right moving supplies for your move.  Then follow these steps:

• Group – box like things together, i.e. books go with other books, kitchen utensils with other utensils, tools with tools. Because many of these things are stored together or near each other, this will make it easier to pack and unpack.
• Wrap – Wrap fragile things, like china and glass, in newspaper, bubble wrap or some other cushioning material.
• Bag – fabrics, like blankets, towels and clothes, are good to pack into bags because they are more flexible to pack.

Labeling

It seems excessive; however, labeling is an important task.  If you don’t label, you will have to open each box to figure out where it goes and what it contains.

For many of your possessions, labeling will involve writing on the box to indicate what’s inside.  You should also label parts separable furniture.  For instance, if you’re moving a dresser, label the drawers so you know which is the top drawer, middle, etc.

Measure, Organize and Plan

Nothing is worse than loading 80% of your stuff into a moving truck only to realize, sweating and tired, that the remaining 20% won’t fit. This is especially true for rigid furniture, like beds and tables.

To avoid this, measure everything out to make sure it will fit in the truck. Then come up with a basic plan for loading your stuff into the truck. It might take some time, but drawing a diagram could be very helpful.

Pack for Safety

A safe moving day starts during the packing phase.

• Don’t over-pack – When packing, don’t over-pack boxes. This will prevent the box from tearing or breaking, and it will save your back from undue stress.
• Tape & fasten – Make sure to securely tape boxes closed, and fasten any loose parts in place.
• Break down – If something has multiple parts, separate them so they don’t break or come apart later.

Next Step: Finding Cleaners

Related Articles
Getting Moving Supplies
Finding Self-Storage
Figure Out Type of Move