How to Pack for a Move Easily and Painlessly (2024)

Organizing

Use these genius packing tips to make your next move a breeze

• 01 of 30

  Start Packing Six Weeks Before Moving

  

  Make a packing plan with a timeline. The sweet spot seems to be six weeks to pack and move. Here's the breakdown: Use the first three weeks to declutter, purge, and gather packing materials. Use the second three weeks to pack.

  It can be done if you have less time than that—say you must move in three days. Take one day to purge, the next to gather supplies, and the third day to pack. It also helps to have a packing checklist to keep you on task and moving along.

• 02 of 30

  Choose Between Boxes and Totes

  

  Plan to use moving boxes and plastic totes. Totes are best if you are packing items that will go into long-term storage. If you prefer having an unlimited array of sizes for packing, boxes are best. Here are the pros and cons of each:

  Boxes:

  • Pros: Cheaper than totes, efficient to flatten and remove, stackable, more readily accessible and available sizes
  • Cons: Fall apart easily (when wet, for example), can get crushed, can't see through, need extra materials such as tape, can't always reuse

  Totes:

  • Pros: Long-lasting, reusable, good for long-term storage, durable, stackable (for the most part), transparent
  • Cons: Expensive, susceptible to cracks, caves under weight, heavy to lift/move when stuffed, depending on the design, some may not stack well

• 03 of 30

  Purge Before You Pack

  

  You can pack fast if you purge fast. Purging before you pack will substantially streamline your packing time. And don't purge while you pack, or you'll overthink the process.

  Where to start? Here are a few types of items (other than what's in your closet) you might want to toss or donate so you can get packing and have a fresh start in your new digs:

  • Throw pillows (they may become misshapen when packed)
  • Curtains (ditch the dingy ones for a refresh)
  • Decor that doesn't spark joy
  • Unread, unwanted, and dusty old books
  • Old, stained, and unused rugs
  • Chipped dishes and glasses
  • Broken small appliances you "want" to fix one day

• 04 of 30

  Donate Large Items That You Don't Want

  

  It's a relief when you get free help from charity organizations happy to remove your couch or furniture pieces and haul them away. Your former treasures take on new life and can help others while removing the hassle of having to move them.
  

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• 05 of 30

  Rent Moving Boxes

  

  See Also

  The 117 Best Moving Tips of All Time5 Simple Techniques To Move Better ImmediatelyMoving Hacks: 8 Ultimate Packing and Moving Tips (2024) | moveBuddha25 Moving and Packing Tips for Your Smoothest Move Yet

  If you've moved before, you know the cost of boxes, labels, and shipping tape can add up quickly. Scoring free moving boxes is a real money saver, but they're not always easy to find. Renting plastic moving boxes is a smart alternative. Companies like Gorilla Bins offer two-week rental packages based on your home size.Packages typically include:

  • Moving bins in both medium and large sizes
  • Zip ties (so you don't need packing tape)
  • Peel and stick labels
  • Free delivery and pick up

  Places that rent plastic boxes usually wash them between rentals. If you're a germaphobe, some companies, likeBin ItandA Smart Move, sanitize after cleaning.

• 06 of 30

  Hack a Vacuum Space Bag

  

  Things like pillows, blankets, and puffy goose-down jackets take up lots of space when packing. When you compress these items, you can pack more lightweight stuff into fewer boxes. The problem is vacuum space bags cost money. A set of three large bags runs about $20.

  But you can DIY them in a few seconds. Here are the quick steps to making vacuum space bags:

  1. Place an item in a garbage bag.
  2. Put a vacuum hose into the bag.
  3. Create a seal by holding the bag's opening around the hose so that no air gets in and out.
  4. Turn on the vacuum and watch it suck the air out of the bag.
  5. Once the bag is flat, secure the open end with a rubber band.

• 07 of 30

  Label and Take Photos as You Pack

  

  Packing and labeling your stuff by room is a smart plan.But if you have 10 kitchen boxes, which one has the vegetable peeler? To avoid this problem, create a detailed spreadsheet that lists each box's contents. It may sound time-consuming, but some unique moving hacks include taking photos of box contents and using a packing app.

  • Spreadsheet and photos: The easiest way to pack when moving is to organize by photographing the stuff that goes into a box before packing using your smartphone or tablet. To make this trick work, you'll need to give the photo and the box the same name for easy reference, for example, kitchen box #5.
  • Packing app: You can also use anorganizing app, like Sortly, designed to make moving more orderly. It lets you create visual inventory lists for each box you pack using photos and printable QR code labels. When you scan the latter using your smartphone or tablet, the app will share pictures of the box's contents.

• 08 of 30

  Make Peeling the Sticky End of Tape Easier

  

  Locating the sticky end of a roll of shipping tape canbe challenging and annoying when the tape tears off into chunks or stringyshreds. You can avoid this problem by using a toothpick to mark where to peel.

  • Place the toothpick horizontally on the tape's sticky side about 1/2 inch from the end.
  • Fold the end of the tape under so it covers the toothpick.

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• 09 of 30

  DIY Cheap Packing Material

  

  Bubble wrap and packing peanuts aren't cheap. You can use towels, sheets, and clothingto protect your breakables, but unless the things you're boxing are squeaky clean, you will have a lot of laundry to doafter you unpack.

  If you own a paper shredder, shred your paper clutter. Instead of dumping the shredded paper into the recycling bin, use it to cushion blows. To avoid a big confetti-like mess, stuff the paper shreds into plastic grocery bags before using them to pad boxes and fragile items. Remember to tie a knot at the top of each bag to prevent spilling.
  

  Tip

  Another packing hack: Save your rinsed-out plastic bottles for packing. Plastic bottles in various sizes can be used to stop odd-shaped items from shifting around the confines of boxes.

• 10 of 30

  Use Ziptop Bags for the Small Stuff

  

  Make your move transparent using zip-top bags. Not only are they ideal for packing and protecting important papers, cords, furniture screws—you name it, but you can reuse them to organizesmall items after the move.

  The best moving hack advice is to label each bag clearly. Group them by gadget or device in labeled bags.

• 11 of 30

  Create Problem Solving Kits

  

  You'll need some bare essentials before, during, and immediately after the move on hand, like clean towels for washing your hands. Creating a few problem-solving kits and keeping them handy in transparent boxes or a large suitcase will remove frustration. Here's a list of suggestions:

  • Weekend kit: Include everything you would need if you left town for a few days, including clothing, toiletries, and medications.
  • Bed and bath kit: Think basicslike toilet paper, towels, and sheets.
  • First aid kit: When accidents happen, a small stash of plastic bandages, antiseptic towelettes, and absorbent compresses will be useful.
  • Toolkit: Pack what you'll need to open boxes and assemble furniture like screwdrivers, pliers, hex keys, and scissors. You might want to organize and label the screws and nails used to dismantle furniture and put them into this kit so you have everything ready to rebuild quickly.
  • Munchie kit: Pack snacks, bottledwater, and a few pantry items for the following day, like coffee and your coffee machine.
  • Cleaning kit: A few goods include garbage bags, paper towels, and multipurpose spray cleaner.

• 12 of 30

  Prevent Packed Bottles From Leaking

  

  A little kitchen plastic wrap will stop liquid toiletries from leaking in transit.This hack also prevents shampoo and other liquids from leaking into luggage. Here's how:

  • Take the cap off and wrap a small plastic wrapover the opening.
  • Next, put the cap back on.

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• 13 of 30

  Bag Your Wardrobe

  

  Many people reach for white kitchen trash bags as garment bags during your move, but the thin plastic usually rips open before you get your clothing onto the moving truck. A better option is to use heavy-duty outdoor trash bags. They don't tear open as easily, so you can reuse them later for garbage.

• 14 of 30

  Tape Your Artwork and Frames

  

  See Also

  94 Moving Hacks for Faster, Easier, Less Stressful Moves - Moving.com

  Moving art and picture frames is delicate, especially with fragile canvases or glass frames that can shatter if not packed right. Bubble wrap your artwork, but another tip to protect glass frames is to use masking tape directly on the glass.

  Use the masking tape to place an "X" across the front of the glass to stop it from shattering from a blow or moving around, dislodging, and damaging the art or photo (if it does break).

• 15 of 30

  Prep Your Mattress the Right Way

  

  It takes a few supplies to wrangle a mattress, including a mattress bag and rope or ratchet straps. Other essential tips on safely moving a mattress include dragging it down the stairs with a blanket underneath it and making sure your memory foam or hybrid mattress is moved flat, not on its side. If you turn a memory foam or hybrid mattress on its side for transit, it can damage its structure.

• 16 of 30

  Tape Your Drawers Shut

  

  Taping your dresser drawers shut is a simple packing hack for moving clothes, saving a lot of time and mess when moving (though heavy). The trick is to use tape that doesn't damage your furniture.

  Packing tape has too much residue that can affect the finish. Instead, use painter's tape, designed to sit on finished surfaces.

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• 17 of 30

  Upgrade to a Wardrobe Box

  

  Sometimes, you need more protection for your hanging clothes than bags. That's when a hanging wardrobe moving box comes into play, and the minor expense can be worth it to keep your coats and formal wear clean and safe. These boxes come in various sizes (small, medium, and large) and have a sturdy metal bar to hang your items. Buy this type of box at home improvement stores or moving companies.

• 18 of 30

  Pack Your Suitcases, Duffle Bags, and Backpacks

  

  Don't forget to use your unused suitcases, duffle bags, and backpacks for transporting items. Luggage is sturdy, usually has wheels, and can be an excellent packing receptacle for heavy items like books or fragile items like serving dishes and platters. Ensure you wrap delicate items and label the outside of the container with "fragile" if it contains breakables.

• 19 of 30

  Safeguard Furniture Hardware

  

  Perhaps one of the most frustrating things about moving is losing a screw or the parts of one of your furniture pieces. Months later, when you unpack a box, the "aha" can be heard from a mile away.

  When disassembling furniture, put all the hardware in a clear, sealable plastic bag labeled with the item it belongs to. Prominently tape it to the piece of furniture, keeping it together for the move's duration. Similarly, tape the remote controls to the TVs, adjustable furniture, or the appliances they control.

• 20 of 30

  Backup Your Computer

  

  One palpable fear about moving is the possibility of something breaking or getting destroyed. Major items like your computer that may have valuable information stored on it should be backed up to another place like the cloud or another hard drive.
  

  Tip

  Prepare yourself for the inevitable fact that some items may not remain intact. Rule of thumb: Keep it on you (or next to you) if it's valuable.

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• 21 of 30

  Use Photos to Document Wiring

  

  In a rush to hurry along a move, pause a minute before unplugging everything from behind your TV, audio, or computer setup. Snap a quick photo of the wiring before removing all those cords. Photos are a huge time saver for reference if you're not a whiz with electronics or do not want to wrack your brain trying to remember how everything was wired.

  Another tip: Keep all the wiring from one setup together in a ziptop bag, labeled, and affixed to the components.

• 22 of 30

  Save Wine Boxes for Packing Items

  

  When cracking open a case of wine to celebrate your upcoming move, save the box for your shoes. Many wine cartons or liquor packing boxes use cardboard separators between bottles; these dividers make packing a snap for items you want to keep together in an orderly way, such as fragile stemware, kitchen utensils, or shoes.

• 23 of 30

  Put Away Items in Kitchen Pots

  

  If your pots nest perfectly away, that's one way to transport your kitchen pots and pans. Another orderly way to pack your kitchen is to pack away non-perishable items into pots or containers with lids. Spice jars, baking ingredients, and tools can stay together and get there in one piece.

• 24 of 30

  Wrap the Kitchen Utensil Trays

  

  If you have trays for all your kitchen utensils, accessories, or hardware drawers, keep them intact and cling-wrap them to transport them easily to their new location in your home.

  Tip

  Scan the trays for broken items or things you have multiples of. This might be a time to purge some things, lightening the load of items you bring to the new place.

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• 25 of 30

  Roll Your Rugs

  

  If you plan to reuse your current rugs, the best way to transport them is to roll and tape them shut. Rugs are not fun to move if they start unraveling in your hands.

  Before you roll them, give them a good vacuum; if possible, steam clean them a few weeks before leaving. They need time to dry thoroughly before rolling them tightly closed.

• 26 of 30

  Take Care With Lamps

  

  Remove the lightbulbs from all lamps, wrapping each in paper and gently placing them in a box where they will not be jostled. Wrap the bases in bubble wrap, paper, or towels. Wrap the lamp shades separately, using pillowcases or softer tissue paper. Stack shades if they can nest nicely.

• 27 of 30

  Give Plates a Buffer Zone

  

  Stacking plates may work in cabinets, but stand them up vertically when transporting them. Line the bottom of the box with a towel and wrap each plate with bubble wrap or newspaper.

• 28 of 30

  Make Hand Holes in Your Moving Boxes

  

  Most boxes do not have handles or an easy spot to grab the box other than holding it from underneath. Making hand holes is one of the simplest ways to make carrying boxes easier. Get a box cutter or scissors to cut hand holes on either side of the box, about 1/3 of the way down from the top.

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• 29 of 30

  Organize Jewelry Easily

  

  If you don't have a jewelry box that can be sealed carefully, then an inexpensive but effective packing method for jewelry is egg cartons. Plastic egg cartons work best since they have no slots or holes. Segregate your rings from your other items, or separate your chains in each egg slot to keep them from getting tangled.

• 30 of 30

  Get Help If You Can

  

  Assess what you can do on your own and if you can afford to get movers or a moving truck or ask for help the day of the move. You may be at a point where you don't want to ask your friends to pack and carry boxes, but if you have children or pets, it might be easiest to lean on friends and family to watch them as you handle the move.

  If you have essential documents, like passports, birth certificates, or other valuables you want to keep safe, leaving them with a trusted person while you move might ease your mind.