Many people start packing a few weeks before closing, especially if they're moving from a similar-sized rental. The golden rule for moving is to start packing early. The sooner you start, the more time you have to tidy up, organize and pack your belongings. You've sold your house, you're moving to a new one, and time isn't exactly on your side.
You need expert advice for packing when you move. And you've come to the right place. Figuring out how to pack for a move can be a challenge if you're doing it alone. We have easy-to-pack tips for moving in a hurry to help you fill in those boxes like a Tetris world champion.
Here are some of our favorite tips for packing for moving, courtesy of some of the industry's top influencers and experts. Whether you're looking for easy packing tips for a move, packing tips for moving in a hurry, or advice on when to start packing for a move, we've got you covered. We'll help you face your move with less stress and with more confidence, from essential to-do lists to pack your bags to last-minute advice. It's hard to forget things, but this is the best time to review all the items in your house and decide if they're worth taking them to your new home.
And when it comes to sorting, there's no greater source of inspiration than the cheerful guru herself, Marie Kondo. It may seem tedious, but once you get down to work, you won't believe how much progress you can make and how good it feels to not have excess stuff. Moving boxes fill up quickly and, all too often, people underestimate the amount of things they have in their homes. This translates into last-minute trips running around town to buy items to pack and moves to a reduced price.
Since packaging is often considered the most important part of the moving process, one of the most important tips for moving is to buy more than one or two box sizes and decide on a box loading strategy. Sharrah Stevens, of The Kinwoven Home, recommends buying more moving items than you consider necessary. He says that the number one comment he hears from subscribers, time and time again, is that they didn't buy enough boxes for moving. This rule also applies to bubble cushioned rolls and to moving blankets.
Paying for these things in advance is much cheaper than dealing with damaged furniture and household items. Do you need advice on how to pack to move in a hurry? Keep clothes on hangers to pack (and unpack) quickly to prevent wrinkles and save time. It may seem counterintuitive to leave clothes on their hangers when they can be folded and stored neatly somewhere, but sometimes you need to sacrifice a little space to make your life easier, right? Heather, from Poppy + Grace, has tips for packing clothes for a move, including a way to simplify the process. Simply group the clothes you hang in batches and cover them with a garbage bag.
This is especially useful if you're looking for packing tips to move in a hurry. If you have bulky sweaters and winter clothing that take up a lot of space, consider using vacuum-sealed bags. These bags look like extremely large sandwich bags, but they have a port for placing the vacuum nozzle. Emily Norris opts for this packaging method and, if you don't want to buy this specific type of bags, she recommends that you make your own with a normal garbage bag.
Sometimes, the items that can take longer to pack are the random items you forget about. From that wrapping paper box to the trash drawer full of pens, duct tape and cords, we recommend the Russian technique of packing dolls (one of our favorite tips for packing and moving). As the name suggests, you place a few small, packed boxes inside larger moving boxes to organize them and save space. If you have some holes inside the larger box, don't worry. You can fill the space with towels, bedding or t-shirts as a filler.
Kristi, from Inspired Living with Kristi, knows a thing or two about packing for a move. As a teacher, she went in and out of several classrooms and, in her personal life, moved with her family seven times four times more than in the entire country. He recommends separating your valuables and packing them personally in a suitcase, especially if you are going to make a long-distance move. Your suitcase should always be in a place where you can access it and never give it to anyone to help you with the move.
And as a note, if you are going to fly to your new location, make sure that your suitcase is the size of a hand suitcase and check that this suitcase is not a good idea. You have a lot of tips on how to pack your bags to move, but that's only the first half of the battle. When you arrive at your destination, the real unpacking fun begins. Sharrah Stevens, from The Kinwoven Home, not only has tips for packing for moving, but she also has tips for unpacking it, which is a completely different process, but also inevitable.
She recommends unpacking the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen (in that order) the first day you move into your new home. This is because you are likely to feel tired from the move and that you will greatly need a shower, a meal and a good night's sleep. Make sure that the boxes with things for these rooms are more easily accessible in your truck or moving container. If you've heard a flight attendant give a safety briefing before takeoff, you've heard the instruction to put on your oxygen mask before helping others in the event of an incident. This is because our natural inclination is to put our needs before any urgent matter.
But if you don't take care of yourself first, then you can't take care of anything or anyone else. In theory, this same rule applies to moving an entire house. The answer is to stay physically and mentally healthy. Trying to figure out what to pack first when moving can be a challenge. Kimmy, from She's In Her Apron, recommends starting the packing process by going through each room and packing the non-essential things you won't need during the last week in your home.
Although this is second on our list of things to pack first when you move in, if you prefer to start small and avoid carrying heavy objects from the deep recesses of your basement, you can still achieve a lot by packing your fine china and home decor. Unless you have family members in town to help you pack, now's the time to pack all those things that you normally keep for guests. Disassemble the guest beds, fold the bedding and throw away the spare toiletries. If you need more space to pack, use the dressers and storage items in the guest room, as they're probably already empty. Fill the drawers and then wrap the piece with plastic wrap to keep everything safe during transport. Executing all of these packing tips for a move can certainly be done alone.
However, at the end of the day, you should know that there's nothing wrong with asking for a helping hand. For a flexible move, ask to have a portable PODS container delivered to your front door for convenient packing and carrying according to your own schedule. When you're ready, PODS will pick up your container and deliver it to your new home, either across town or across the country. Not only does PODS offer moving services with flexible deadlines, but it can also provide you with help packing and charging if you need more strength.
Visit PODS online for a free quote for local moves or call (85) 706-4758 for long-distance moves. Nikolay advises starting to plan and “pack in advance” about eight weeks before the move, so you can “start slowly and prepare wisely.” You might think it's absurd to start the packaging process two months in advance, but if you're like most people, there are a lot of things that you don't use regularly and that can be packed in one box. For example, if it's summer, start packing your winter items: winter clothes, heavy blankets, and Christmas decorations. If you have a storage unit, start charging these items several weeks before your next move.
Alternatively, you can start packing supplies room by room and perhaps the guest room is a good starting point, as it is the least used room. Remember to pack small items in large boxes and large items in small boxes. It seems contradictory, but it will prevent the box from breaking. The ideal time frame for packing and moving may vary depending on the size of your house and the number of items you are moving. The truth is that packing always takes longer than you think, especially in urban homes where years of belongings are often hidden in unexpected places.
If you follow these tips and plan your packing schedule carefully, you'll be ready for your move. While full packaging service may not fit every budget, even partial packaging services can make a significant difference. She says, “Ornaments are a pretty broad category, but packing them first (lots of vases, photo frames, candlesticks, candles, trays, and anything else that can be defined as decoration) forced me to be more methodical, rather than jumping between different rooms and items. I have seen all kinds of movements over the years, and the ones that give the best results are always those that are packaged in strategic batches with an appropriate schedule. Michael Torres, a software developer who has moved four times in six years, has perfected his system to avoid last-minute stress What does it mean to pack.
I always treat the move as a huge vacation and pack a suitcase for the moving “trip” to make it easier to get to the new house, as well as a hand bag to stay with me for the last few days and then come with me in the car when I move in. By dividing the enormous task of packing into manageable stages, staying organized with a clear system, and considering professional help for the most challenging aspects, your next move can be markedly less stressful than your last. You can also pack important items and move them yourself so they never leave the site and don't run the risk of getting lost.
