What is The Best Way to Pack to Move?

Introduction

Moving can be both an exhausting and exciting time in your life. On one hand, it signals change and the start of a new adventure, however on the other hand it means you have to pack up all your belongings. In the following, article we’ll cover the best way to pack to move to a new home.

We’re going to cover a few topics in the article, but if you’d like to skip to any specific section, you can click any of the links below to be taken to that section in the article. No need to scroll to find the section most relevant to you.

Here are the sections in this article:

• What You’ll Need to Start Packing
• The Best Way to Pack to Move
• 2 Most Important Things to Remember

We recommend reading this article straight through though because everything we discuss is in a specific order, starting with what items you’ll need to start the packing process.

What You’ll Need to Start Packing

Before you start unloading that bookshelf, you’ll want to collect some items that will keep you organized and efficient. After all, if we can stay organized when packing up there will be less frustration, yelling, and questioning as to why you’re moving at all. Trust us, we’ve been there.

Here is what you’ll need before you start packing:

• Boxes or containers, hard plastic containers are best
• Labels or Post-It Notes
• Clear packing tape
• Bubble wrap or towels

Obviously you’ll want boxes or containers to pack your items into, but we strongly recommend purchasing large plastic containers, similar to the ones pictured below. We recommend these containers because they are sturdy and reliable (no more ripped boxes) and you can then use these for future storage that won’t decay. Once again, looking at you weak, cardboard boxes.

The labels or Post-It Notes are to clearly label each of the boxes. We’ll get more into this when we talk about this step in the packing process, but if you don’t have Post-It Notes handy or don’t want to make yet another trip to the store, you can always cut up a regular piece of paper, label it, and then tape that piece of paper to your box or container, resulting in a make-shift Post-It Note.

The clear packing tape is to keep the labels or Post-It Notes held sturdily on your boxes or containers. And if you do decide to go with boxes, you’ll need the tape to close them shut. Yet another reason why we recommend plastic containers since the have a lid and latch built-in.

Finally, for all your delicate items, you will want to make sure you either have bubble wrap or towels. For most people, it’s a task to go out and purchase bubble wrap just to move your items, which is why we recommend towels as well. You can use kitchen towels, bath towels, hand towels, and more. And the best part of using your towels to wrap your delicate items is that you’re packing them at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone is a great way to feel efficient and happy with packing up your home, a process that is typically characterized by frustration.

Once you have collected your boxes or containers, labels or Post-It notes, clear packing tape, and towels or bubble wrap, you’re ready to start the actual moving process of packing up your home. Let’s talk about that now.

The Best Way to Pack to Move

We’ve broken down the best way to pack to move into a 5 step process because any more than 5 steps and it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but 5 steps is easy. Anyone can do it.

And we want to be clear that this is just for packing your items and doesn’t necessarily include moving the larger items like couches, beds, or dressers.

Now that you know the 5 step process, let’s break each step down even further that will hopefully answer any questions you have.

Purchase Boxes or Containers

First step is to get boxes or containers so you have something to pack your items into. As mentioned earlier in the article, we recommend hard, plastic containers because they’re more durable, reusable, and last a long time.

The only downside is that they’re more expensive than cardboard boxes and moving is an expensive process in and of itself, but if you have the extra money you won’t regret hard, plastic containers.

And again, do these look very sturdy?

The other thing to note about purchasing boxes or containers is you need to get the right amount. Too many boxes and you’re just wasting money, but purchase too few and you’re going to have to make multiple trips to the store and back.

A good rule of thumb is to have at least 1 box per room and do a quick eyeball check and see if that’s enough. For a room like your kitchen, you might need 2 or 3 boxes, but your Living Room only needs 1 box. It will ultimately depend on how much you have that needs to be packed.

Also, remember that you might already have storage containers like travel bags, luggage, and more. Don’t try to rebuild the wheel in purchasing boxes for everything. If you can use a suitcase for your clothes, then do it.

You can purchase both cardboard boxes or plastic containers either on Amazon or nearly any big box store, like Target or Walmart. Hardware stores like Home Depot or Ace Hardware are also great choices.

Once you have your boxes ready to be packed, the next step is to organize those boxes by room and label them.

Organize and Label Boxes by Room

Have you ever moved into a new place and just wanted to pull out 1 pot, a couple plates, and utensils to make a meal after a long day, but couldn’t find the box that held those items? Yeah, it’s frustrating. That’s why we recommend organizing your boxes by room and labeling them accordingly.

Doing this will help keep you organized and as much as it helps with the packing process, it helps even more with the unpacking process.

Moving to a new place should be exciting and not frustrating. And there’s no quicker way to induce the frustration of moving than a chaotic mess when you get to your new home.

We recommend putting a “Room” label on each box, for example Living Room, Bathroom, Office, or Bedroom. And if you have multiple boxes for a room, for example 3 boxes for your kitchen, you should put another label on the box that indicates what is in the boxes.

For example, the 3 Kitchen boxes would each have a label that says, “Kitchen” and each box would have an additional label with what’s in the box, such as “Utensils and Plates” or “Blender and Instant Pot” or “Pantry Food.” That will tell you what boxes you need to unpack first and where to find those items. After all, most boxes will look the same whether they contain forks or books.

Once you have your boxes assigned to each room, and ideally sitting in those rooms, with labels affixed, it’s time to wrap your delicate items in bubble wrap or towels.

Wrap Delicates in Bubble Wrap or Towels

Moving is a process. One that involves a lot of movement, bumps, dings, and more. Which is why you’ll want to make sure your delicates are safe in their respective boxes, a process easily completed by wrapping each delicate item in either bubble wrap or a kitchen or bath towel.

For example, plates and kitchen glasses can easily break when put into a box and moved around and set back down. In fact, it happens all the time when moving.

So when you’re packing those plates, make sure to wrap each one in a kitchen towel or something more comprehensive like bubble wrap. The latter is recommended because it does a better job at preventing force from smashing glass, but it is expensive and yet another moving cost, when you can use the towels you already have.

Delicates should include anything made of glass, ceramic, pottery, small knick-knacks that could get smashed by other items, and anything else that is easily breakable. If you think it could break by dropping it on the floor, then it should be considered a delicate item and packed accordingly.

Once you have all your delicates wrapped up, it’s finally time to put everything into the boxes.

Pack Boxes Like Playing Tetris

Tetris is a great game and if you played it when you were younger, you’re in luck because you have the perfect skill for packing boxes. Packing is more of an art form than a science because you want to make the most of the space you have, which is sometimes difficult.

It’s hard to fully describe how to pack like you’re playing Tetris, but a good rule of thumb is to try and prevent any extra space in your boxes. That means start with the flat items first. Books and any other flat items are a great base for any box. Then start putting other items in, but see how you can fit them together and make sure to fill in any extra spaces.

The one thing to keep in mind when packing boxes, is to keep the delicate items on top. Even if you think they should be near the bottom or fit in an extra space because of their shape, don’t do that. The delicate items should always be the last thing you put into your boxes to prevent them from being crushed or breaking. And this still applies if they’re wrapped in bubble wrap or a towel.

And one other thing to keep in mind is to not overpack each box. Make sure the items fit snug, but don’t smash everything together. That’s a great way for items to become crushed, break, or chip apart.

Once you have everything packed in box, it’s time to get that box out of the way and somewhere it won’t get tripped over.

Move Boxes Out of the Way When Packed

This last step is easy, but important to remember. Once you have a box fully packed and it’s been taped up or closed, move it out of the way. Move it to the garage, your front entry, or a designated storage room in your home while you move.

This does two things. First, it gets it out of the way. It’s frustrating when your packing is going great and then you trip over a box or stub your toe. Moving the box out of the way makes this easy to avoid.

The second benefit of moving the boxes out of the way is that it makes you see the progress you’re making. Once a room is completely empty, you can forget about it. Move onto the next room. This is more of a psychological trick than anything, but it helps you see your progress and avoid getting overwhelmed and you want to do everything to remain calm and avoid getting frustrated.

So keep this in mind when packing.

And that’s it! A quick and easy 5 step process on the best way to pack to move. You might spend longer on some steps than others, but this is a great plan to keep you organized and efficient.

2 Most Important Things to Remember When Packing

There are a couple things that should be reiterated and you should think about when packing up your home.

Stay Organized When Packing

First, organization is key. Staying organized will prevent you from getting overwhelmed and help you be efficient so you can be done quicker.

Throwing everything into 1 box or skipping the labels may seem easier and think you’re saving time, but you’re only saving time in the short run. In the long-run and especially when you go to unpack, you’ll be cursing yourself that everything is a jumbled mess and you’re running from room to room just to unpack 1 box.

Also, you want to avoid getting overwhelmed. Packing is stressful, no one will argue you on that, but staying calm will help you get done faster, more efficiently, and avoid any yelling or frustration.

There are a couple ways to do this. First is to take regular breaks. Don’t try to knock everything out in an hour. Moving is a process and can’t be done in 2 hours.

Have a Plan and Stick to It

Second, have a plan and stick to it. Being prepared, having a timeline, and a goal of what you want to get done is a great way to know if you’re on track or need to push back your timeline. Maybe you won’t get everything done in one day, that’s fine if it helps you avoid getting frustrated and upset.

Packing and moving will end when you get to your new place and it’s best to remember that when you start to get upset. No one likes packing up or moving, but just remember why you’re doing it and how much better it will be when you’re all done.

Remember these two things and packing up your home will be a breeze.

Conclusion

Packing can be a difficult and frustrating process. It’s not very fun, but is manageable and certainly possible if you remember a few things.

First, make sure to follow the 5 step process on the best way to pack to move. Purchase the boxes or containers, organize and label them by room and what’s in them, wrap the delicates up, pack the boxes like you’re playing Tetris, and finally move those boxes out of the way when they’re all packed up.

Do that and you’ll be surprised at how easy it goes.

And always remember the most important things when moving are to stay organized and have a plan. You’ll get through it with no trouble if you follow the instructions outlined in this article.