Moving/Packing Tips?

DH & I will be closing soon our new house and I need to start packing but don't know where to start LOL
Do I pack picture frames/fragile things etc in newspaper, bubble wrap? tissue paper and bubble wrap?

The couple of boxes I have packed, I have been numbering the boxes and labeling what's in them on the boxes and in a notebook so I'm trying to stay organized.

Any helpful tips for moving would be greatly appreciated!! Thx!!

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

That's great that you're numbering every box - I would never have the patience for that! But the movers will just want to know what room the box needs to go into in the new house. You won't be able to keep track of how quickly they'll be moving boxes into your new house to direct them, so the directions need to be on the boxes. In big black letters, write LIVING ROOM or MASTER BEDROOM. Once it's in the new house, you'll wind up opening every box and unpacking where you find priorities are/when you need to use something.

Breakables like picture frames can be packed in bubble wrap or wrapping/packing paper. Both work well. Wrap each plate, dish, glass, mug, etc by itself. For very fragile items, like china, I'd just pay to have the movers pack those.

As for where to start, start with your winter clothes and items you won't be using now like extra linens, towels, blankets. I usually just pick a room, a drawer, whatever, and start.

Now that we have 2 kids and a whole house to move, packing is overwhelming and we just pay to have our house packed. 4 people packed us in 4 hours last time. We're moving again in 2 weeks and the only thing I've packed so far are my kids winter PJs. I just can't find the time or motivation to do anything myself! This is our last move for a LOOOONG time. Good luck with yours!

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

Posted by NYCGirl80

That's great that you're numbering every box - I would never have the patience for that! But the movers will just want to know what room the box needs to go into in the new house. You won't be able to keep track of how quickly they'll be moving boxes into your new house to direct them, so the directions need to be on the boxes. In big black letters, write LIVING ROOM or MASTER BEDROOM. Once it's in the new house, you'll wind up opening every box and unpacking where you find priorities are/when you need to use something.

Breakables like picture frames can be packed in bubble wrap or wrapping/packing paper. Both work well. Wrap each plate, dish, glass, mug, etc by itself. For very fragile items, like china, I'd just pay to have the movers pack those.

As for where to start, start with your winter clothes and items you won't be using now like extra linens, towels, blankets. I usually just pick a room, a drawer, whatever, and start.

Now that we have 2 kids and a whole house to move, packing is overwhelming and we just pay to have our house packed. 4 people packed us in 4 hours last time. We're moving again in 2 weeks and the only thing I've packed so far are my kids winter PJs. I just can't find the time or motivation to do anything myself! This is our last move for a LOOOONG time. Good luck with yours!

Moving/Packing Tips?

I was always give the advice to number the boxes. Keep a notebook of what is in which box so that when you get to the new location if you can’t unpack all at once you will at least know what box something is in if you are looking for it.

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

It's been 20 years since I've packed up a house, you are on the right track with numbering boxes and recording what goes in them.
And yes, label the room they go into.
Don't use newspaper - the ink gets on everything.
Towels, linens and sweaters can be used as an extra layer of padding.
Plates should be stood up on their side in a box, not stacked.
Anything fragile should be marked FRAGILE.

Home Depot sells moving boxes and supplies for a decent price. They have "newspaper" without the ink.

If you have to take something apart, put the hardware into a baggie, label the baggie with the furniture item it is for, then tape the baggie securely to the underside of the furniture.
I used plastic tubs to move stuff that I knew would go into my attic for storage.

Start using up the food in your pantry, in your fridge. Less to pack and move.

Move your valuables yourself.
Find out what the movers will not move (plants) so that you don't have any surprises on moving day.

Good luck and enjoy the new house.

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Moving/Packing Tips?

We actually bought those clear boxes (at costco) rather than moving boxes so we could SEE inside and then they were used for storage in the garage when we were done.

Granted, we were storing in a pod for a few months first, so these boxes were good for storing, too, rather than just moving. But it helped.


Another idea was to use different colored tape on the tops and sides of boxes (not necessarily to seal the boxes) and each color represented a room or floor.
ex: kitchen boxes had green tape so all boxes with green tape stayed together in the kitchen., kids room was blue, so boxes with blue tape went into a room together.

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

Totally agree with labeling the boxes as to which room it will go to - that's key!

I would definitely take care in wrapping breakables - dishes, glassware, etc. - in bubble wrap or other protective material (as someone said, using what you have - kitchen towels, etc. - is efficient).

Realize that it takes a LOT longer than you think to pack, especially the kitchen where there is SO much stuff and a lot of it has to be wrapped individually. So leave yourself enough time to do that, and start that room early. You can always use paper goods the last few days or leave yourself a couple of dishes to use and pack the rest asap.

If you have stuff that is really valuable/breakable/sentimental, consider just putting that in a separate box or bin that you will move yourself, rather than entrusting it to mover's care.

I wouldn't worry as much about clothes -- a lot of professional moving companies will empty your closets for you and pack everything up in wardrobe boxes. It was SO worth it for me to use this service... a real time-saver.

I would be more diligent about organizing your main household items and maybe star or somehow mark the real essentials. You will need things like bedding and kitchen items asap. More miscellaneous things (books, decor, etc.) don't need to be as well organized and those will likely be the last boxes you get to. I swear, I have a box or two of miscellaneous things that I never unpacked from my last move 9 years ago. They are still sitting in the basement (which just goes to show that I didn't need to bring those things in the first place! lol).

To that point - I'd use the opportunity of packing to purge things that are old or that you simply no longer need. It's a lot easier to tackle a good cleanout when you are packing to move than to bring all the stuff with you and then try to find spots for it and shove it in a closet and tell yourself you will get to it eventually. Because you likely won't! LOL.

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

Purge. Purge. Purge.

Before putting anything in a box, evaluate it.

Use up cleaning supplies, pantry items and freezer/fridge stock.

I put boxes into closets/cabinets and on book shelves. This helped us manage in the old place in the days/weeks up until move day.

We did a lot of boxes ourselves. We had 3 weeks before we moved in and each time we went to the new space - to let in painters, floor or utility guys, we brought a car full of fragile, sentimental or odd shaped items.

I scrubbed the whole kitchen and did drawer/shelf paper prior to moving day. I also wiped out closets. This made unpacking so much faster.

Also, we put dresser drawer stuff in big garbage bags. So quick and easy and stuff pretty much stayed folded.

I used any kind of container - suitcases, toy bins, baskets, etc. just shove down in my car and transported myself.

Use a small suitcase to pack toothbrush; change of clothes, shower stuff. This will make it easy to find and help if’s you have a hot day and want to freshen up.

Tape remotes to the tv as well as power cords. Or put them all in same box with good label.

Buy a case of water and put it in the fridge. So much easier to have cold water when you need a break.

Have a safe and secure plan for pets. Somewhere for them to be during the move. Have food/litter with your overnight stuff

Save up. So many hidden expenses in moving!

Message edited 6/13/2018 7:23:08 PM.

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

Moving/Packing Tips?

I agree with the previous posters who said to leave a lot of time to pack, purge, and make sure everything is clean and organized. I have 2 kids and I packed on and off for a month. Purged a ton of stuff. Cleaned out. I labeled all of my boxes with the room they were going into. I did not keep a log of what was inside. The move went smoothly, and I was 80% unpacked in 2 full days. Unpacking is so much faster than packing. I wouldnt waste my time caring what is in each box -- just where it is going and know you will open it in 1-2 days anyway.
Pack yourself an overnight bag with pjs, change of clothes, toothbrush etc as if you are going on vaca. Then you will have what you need in a safe spot without having to worry.

Re: Moving/Packing Tips?

Everyone is giving great advice. I just wanted to add, I didn't want to waste money on bubble wrap so I used paper towels instead. It kept everything clean and I saved them all in a bag under the sink and used them for cleaning for a while. Win/Win