Packing and unpacking might be the most time-consuming aspect of a move, especially if you plan on doing it yourself. The thought of going through and packing everything you own can be daunting, let alone the decluttering and disassembly you’ll need to do in the process. We’ve spent many hours researching the best-rated moving companies (and writing about moving), and have learned a thing or two about packing.
To help you out, in this article we’re aggregating our best packing tips, along with some general recommendations to make the move easier. Whether you’re moving locally in NJ or across the state, these tips will streamline your packing process and ensure a smoother transition with reputable movers NJ.
10 Packing Tips for Moving
The time and care you take with packing will pay off later in the moving process. Here are 10 packing tips to protect your belongings, streamline the move-in process and save money.
1. Gather Free Packing Supplies
Reduce moving expenses, and request free moving boxes and supplies. Many large retailers and local businesses have free, empty boxes to spare. Examine stores that receive regular deliveries or large-volume shipments, like bookstores, pharmacies, grocery stores, and restaurants. Then reach out to friends, family, and coworkers to see if they have any boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, mattress bags, or other moving materials and supplies.
2. Use What You Already Have
See what you can find in your home that can serve double duty as packing materials. For example, you can stuff your kid’s stuffed animals in all of the nooks and crannies when packing boxes with fragile items. Use blankets, linens, and towels instead of bubble wrap.
3. Invest in Specialized Equipment and Services
You usually won’t find free specialty boxes, though some packing supplies and equipment can be a good investment, especially for mirrors, TVs, glassware, and other fragile items. Many retailers sell preservation boxes, including some with dividers for drink glasses. Or you can hire movers to pack only your more fragile possessions for additional peace of mind.
If you rent and pack a moving truck on your own, rent any equipment you think will make loading, securing and unloading your items easier. Hand trucks, furniture dollies, ratchet straps, furniture pads, and lifting straps. Use vacuum-sealed bags to maximize space for winter gear and bedding. Have a box cutter on hand to help you open up boxes when you unpack, too.
4. Be Prepared for Hazardous and Perishable Items
There are, however, some things that moving companies won’t move; did you know that? Typical examples include flammable liquids, spray cans and perishables. Some do not move plants or pets, either.
Request a list of items that your moving company won’t transport. Get rid of these items prior to your move or load your car and take them yourself. Your local government, landfill, or trash company can help answer questions about disposing of hazardous materials that can’t be thrown out with regular trash.
5. Add Organization to Storage Areas First
Start with the things you use the least; they are the first to be packed. With that in mind, begin with storage areas like your basement, attic, or garage, and sort and pack items you can donate. The things in your closets and other places may be kept in boxes already, and this saves you time and money.
Keep in mind that when you hire a long-distance moving company, they generally charge you based on how long and how heavy your belongings are. That makes it worth taking some time to go through and clear out things you rarely use, rather than packing and moving them.
6. Pack the Kitchen Early
Your kitchen will be the hardest room to pack, with cabinets full of breakable dishes and glassware. And you probably use a lot of the stuff in it every day. Those two facts make it a temptation to wait to pack your kitchen until the last minute. That said, it’s best to pack the kitchen a few days before your move, as you’ll want plenty of time to pack things up correctly.
Begin with service platters and small appliances that aren’t used every day. Then clear the rest of your cookware, by pledging to eat nothing but takeout food or easy, microwavable meals. Pack all your dishware and utensils except for a single place setting for each family member, or buy paper plates, disposable cups and plastic utensils for your final week in your old home.
7. Importance of Providing Essential Needs
Consider what you’ll want to have easy access to on moving day. If you are relocating cross-country, think about what you’ll need during the journey. Put these items in a suitcase that you’re going to take with you during the move. You could take one or more changes of clothes in addition to your medications, toiletries, relevant paperwork, and anything valuable or of sentimental value.
8. Check Off and Label as You Pack
As you pack, write up a moving inventory. You can do this in a spreadsheet, or notebook, or just snap pictures of each box as you pack it. This will allow you to file an insurance claim with your moving company — if anything gets lost or broken while you move — more easily.
Box up your belongings — also label boxes, so you know what room each box should be placed in and the contents of each. You can keep things organized with stickers or a color-code system or just spell it all out on the box. Numbering the boxes that belong in each room might help, too. If there are five boxes for the living room, for instance, label the first one “Living Room 1/5” and so forth.
9. Group Furniture Parts and Assembly Tools
Bits of furniture like bookshelves and bed frames may require disassembly before a move. Note down any hardware and tools you’ll need to put those things back together. One strategy is to pack screws and small pieces in a resealable plastic bag and stick the bag to a larger piece of furniture with masking tape.
Or, you could mark the bag with a permanent marker and then stuff it into a separate box. Through this method you’ll keep the hardware and tools for each piece of furniture in the same box.
10. Think Beyond Packing
Unless you hire a full-service moving company, you will pack your own boxes, and you’ll carry those you pack. That means you’ll want to map out the size and weight of each box. Packing as few books and dishes as possible into a smaller number of boxes will help prevent overfilling, because they are heavier items.
(Depending on the color, these boxes also tend to accommodate small items—consider keeping some, in whatever shade, if you’re shipping items that won’t weigh very much.) Even when filled with relatively light items, a larger box is more difficult to carry than a small box with built-in handles.
Also, consider where you’ll unpack as you pack. It’s likely cheaper to move your clothes using plastic bags, but wardrobe boxes are going to be much more convenient when you get to the other end. The boxes come with metal bars built in so you can leave clothes hanging on their hangers, speeding up the process for packing and unpacking.
Moving Tips and Tricks
After all, packing is but one aspect of the move itself. If you’re looking to make your move less stressful, you need a complete guide to moving that includes advice on everything from selecting a moving company to finding the best way to change your address.
In the dropdown sections below you’ll find some helpful tips and tricks to get started:
Use a Moving Binder
The very first thing you will want to do is create a moving binder. There are devoted moving planners you can buy online, or you could create a binder filled with sheet protectors, pocket folders and dividers. If you’re a digital planner, find an app to use, or create a new folder in Dropbox or Google Drive to save copies of everything related to the move.
After the first two items in your binder — a moving budget and a moving checklist — I suggest making sure you’ve got a plan for everything you need to be concerned about leading up to the move. Search around for the pricing of multiple moving options and services, from renting a moving truck to using a full-service moving company. Estimate your moving expenses using your research. Make sure to include moving insurance, tips, and any travel arrangements you have to make.
Choose Move-In Dates Wisely
When planning a moving date, anticipate the law of supply and demand. What is the busiest time of year for local and interstate movers? Summer! Many thus charge more over the summer months. If you are on a tight budget, then planning to move during the off-season, which ranges from late fall to early spring, is a much better option. Midweek moves can also help you save money instead of moving on the weekend.
Take a Hybrid Approach
The most convenient way to move is to hire a full-service mover and pay for white-glove moving services — which include packing, unpacking, cleaning and assembling your furniture. Renting a truck and doing it all yourself is a lot cheaper but requires significant time and work.
Rather than choosing one or the other extreme, adopt a hybrid. Be frugal where you can be, but pay for things that will simplify your life. For example, you may rent your own moving truck and move everything yourself, but get professional movers to pack for you or consider hiring a full-service company to load and unload your belongings, but do your own packing.
A more middle-of-the-road option is to rent a portable moving container from a company like PODS, which spares you from having to drive a moving truck.
Keep a Tape Measure Handy
If you’re moving home, take the time to measure absolutely everything before moving (especially if you’re moving to a smaller home). If your home is going to be smaller than the home you live in now, write down the size of each room in the new house. Next, measure your furniture, decor and other large items to ensure that they will all fit. In that way you won’t spend time or money moving something you won’t be able to keep.
Create an Unpacking Schedule
Otherwise, a year from now you could wake up to half unpacked boxes that are still shoved in the back of the closet. Create an unpacking schedule before you bring the first box into your new residence. While unpacking maybe there is a rush, to do quickly unpack the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen so that you can sleep, shower and eat smoothly is more important.
If you work from home, concentrate on your home office. Last are the living room, dining room, guest room and less-used rooms. Establish a timeline for when you want to be completely unpacked and a few milestones to achieve along the way. Celebrate your progress and reward yourself to keep you motivated each time a room is complete.
Final Thoughts
When you start to pack for your move, take some time and thought into your process. Is cost your big issue, or convenience? Your answer will help you decide which packing hacks make the most sense for you.
Scoring free boxes and using heavily used household linens will save you on packing supplies, but shelling out the cash for specialty boxes or fragile-only packing help could be worth the money to save you time and hassle.
