Packing is an inseparable part of each residential move. Unfortunately, many people postpone packing until the last minute, because they have no idea where and how to start. Therefore, the last-minute packing becomes a confusing, messy, and stressful experience with thousands of disorganized boxes in the middle of your living room…

It seems that packing for a move is a dreaded task in anyone’s moving checklist because successful packing requires a lot of effort, a strict plan, and time. This guide will show you how to manage the packing process and enjoy the organized packing agenda.

3 MAJOR TASKS BEFORE PACKING

1. The first thing you need to do is to find what you need to pack because you shouldn’t just pack all your things without sorting them out. So, the first step before packing is to take stock and declutter your home. Room by room you will be able to create a detailed sheet with everything you own.
2. Once you have taken inventory, make notes that will help you decide what to do with each item (keep, sell, donate, dispose, etc.) By doing this you will be able to reduce the number of items you’re moving and also lower your transportation costs.

KEEP IN MIND: these two steps must be done as early as you can, in order to have plenty of time to arrange a garage sale or travel to a disposal site. We recommend implementing these steps about one month before the moving day.

3. Congratulations! Now you have your final packing list. This will help you to count packing boxes and supplies you need. Getting high-quality packing materials is a must to keep your items well protected during transportation.

You need to look for duct tape, paper, and bubble wrap to protect your fragile items and electronics, and markers and labels so you do not need to worry about getting lost in the pile of boxes.

The number of moving boxes could be estimated by looking at your home square footage, the number of rooms, home type, and lifestyle. If this looks too complicated, Call the Movers will be happy to do the packing for you.  Still, want to do the packing yourself? No problem, you can call us for initial packing consultation.

WHAT TO PACK FIRST?

If you are planning to transfer some of your belongings to storage, these items should be one of the first things you pack when moving. When packing for storage is over, you will be able to start packing other least frequently used items.

This includes:

• Out-of-season clothes and jewelry
• Extra towels, bedding
• Knick-knacks and books
• Artwork, decorations, and other collectibles
• Dishes and kitchenware you do not use on a daily basis.

DO NOT FORGET to label each box and put an extra mark on boxes with fragile items. You will thank yourself because it simplifies the unpacking process.      

PACKING ROOM BY ROOM

You can also use the packing room by room technique. It is a good practice if you are a first-time packer. Also, packing room by room will help you to mark all the boxes easier – you can use different colors or markers for each room.

When packing room by room, we recommend that you start packing from the hardest room because you will be very optimistic and motivated in the very beginning. By this logic, you should start from your home storage areas, such as a garage, basement, closet, or spare rooms. Start packing from garage tools, Christmas decorations, sports equipment.

Then you should proceed to the kitchen and pack everything from breakables to large and heavy kitchen appliances. EXTRA TIP: check what you have left in your fridge, freezer, and pantry in advance. Then, decide what items you should try to consume before moving and what items you’ll need to donate and dispose of. Also, you can try to prepare food for a moving day not to feel wasteful.

When packing the items of the living room you will face two biggest challenges – large furniture pieces such as sofas, couches, cabinets, bookcases, etc., and delicate electronic devices such as TVs, stereos, desktop computers. You should start packing your living room about one week before the move and reserve all day for this work.

WHAT TO PACK LAST? 

After finishing packing the least frequently used items, you should pack the bedroom and bathroom items. These rooms hold the most important items we use daily, so by packing them you should also create your essentials box to bring with you to your new home. This includes toiletries, clothes, medication, important documents, chargers, and other items that you use on a daily basis. Your essentials box should contain essential items that you will need on the first days at the new place.

Deciding what to pack first when moving can seem intimidating, but with a little help, you’ll find that it’s not too difficult. With Call the Movers, you can hire only your desired number of packing professionals instead of an entire moving crew to guide and assist you to safely pack and prepare your belongings for your upcoming local move, long distance move or storage.