Your Step by Step Guide To Packing Up Each Room Right

1) Plan out the task ahead of time

• Packing up an entire home takes time. Set your goals according to your moving date.
• Be realistic. If you are working 2 jobs and the kids are in 4 different after school programs, maybe consider packing up 2 months ahead of time.

2) Get those supplies all in one place

• Start getting motivated by having all your supplies together and ready for you. Not having everything ready and available is a great way to let excuses get in the way of starting to actually pack up.
• Buy enough cardboard boxes, tape (multiple rolls to avoid two people needing the roll at the same time, bubble wrap, scissors, markers) and more ahead of time.

3) Start making your life easier by minimalizing and decluttering

• Every extra item you keep is more work when packing. We recommend starting ahead of time to purge your closet and sell off clothes to second hand stores or give them away.
• Go through the junk drawers and extra places in your home that need some additional love, and see what can be thrown or given away.

4) Take a video of every room in your home

• This video will assist you to get binding quotes from moving companies and help you when trying to unpack all your boxes in your new home.

5) LABEL every single box

• We mean it! Even if you think you’ll remember and are sure where those panty hose are, we promise you things will get lost without a good labeling system.
• I would highly suggest going deeper than just labeling by room which is the minimum. I would label the room, and write out as detailed content list as possible on the box it self from multiple sides to make life easier for unpacking.

Pro tip: Label FRAGILE on the most critical boxes to help the movers know where to put in a little extra TLC.

6) Start packing up the garage as much ahead of time as possible

• The garage is usually one of the hardest “rooms” to pack up. It requires heavy lifting and getting a little greasy.
• Starting off with the hardest task first and having it over with will help you get motivated.
• The garage tends to have bulky and odd shaped items, prepare for this ahead of time.
• Use the time to sort through the unneeded junk that has been stored in the garage for years instead of just packing it up and moving it to your next garage.

7) Put aside a bag of critical items

• Before beginning the packing of the inside rooms put this essentials bag off to the side.
• You will need things such as a first new set of sheets and blanket, toothbrush and toothpaste, shower essentials, a change of clothes and pjs, and simple kitchen supplies. Its best to keep this in your car so it doesn’t get misplaced.
• On the days leading up the move we tend to lose key items such as keys or chargers. Make a corner a designated spot where this bag along with anything else of importance should be kept.

8) Personalized inventory checklist

• Keeping your own inventory is a smart step, not only to get accurate quotes from mover, but also to verify that nothing goes missing during the move.
• I would recommend keeping a tally of the number of boxes packed as well as the number of furniture items you are expecting to arrive.
• Remember to keep in mind and write down which furniture pieces have been taken apart and need reassembly. It’s best to keep all parts in the same box, but when it’s not feasible, label each box accordingly.
• Keep a tally of the conditions of items before packing them up. If you see an item is damaged, ensure to take photo evidence of its state.

9) How to pack the boxes

• It’s not only about what goes inside, but sometimes about the way you put it in.
• Make sure you utilize the space inside each box to its maximum capacity.
• Ex: Think smart, when packing shoes, you can stuff socks inside.
• Tape the bottom of the boxes with strong masking tape and ensure it is sealed. The same goes for when closing off a box.
• It is best to pack the heaviest items of your box towards the bottom and the lighter at the top.
• Use blankets and towels as extra packing material for padding fragile objects and to separate between glass items.

10) Bedrooms

• When packing up your bedroom, split it into task areas: closet space, drawers, bedding area and so on. Label each box according to its contents.
• Pack up the least used items first such as a makeup area, or clothes from prior seasons.
• Try to clear out any drawers of unneeded items and get rid of as much clutter as possible.

11) Bathrooms

• This should be quite a simple task as there are not usually so many items in the bathroom.
• Throw away any almost used up bottles that could spill.
• Leave out the basics for the final days up to the move.
• Lots of bottles and cleaning supplies can be quite heavy so make sure to use a strong cardboard box.

12) Living Room

• Usually most items here are bulky and will have to be dealt with by the moving company. In the meanwhile pack up all the surroundings. It could be pillows, throw blankets, decor items, books or candles, whatever it is, it isn’t critical and can be packed ahead of time.
• Pack electronics carefully and ensure to include their charges within the same boxes. It’s best to usually put all electronics either in one box or in your “essentials” bag.

13) Kitchen

• The kitchen is usually one of the last places that you should pack up as you will be continually cooking and eating.
• Start ahead of time by packaging up any “extra” kitchen items that you don’t use in your every day meal prep such as blenders, mixers and extra dining sets.
• Use extra bubble wrap and act with care as there are many glass breakables in the kitchen.
• When packing up the food, get rid of any opened items that will cause crumbs and potentially attract unwanted critters.
• Make sure to use enough cartoons when packing up heavy items such as canned goods or unopened dry good as they can get heavy, fast.
• Keep aside the basic items for the morning of the move.
• Never make the mistake of packing the coffee machine up too soon.
• To minimize food waste, try to buy less and eat up more of the goods you already have in your refrigerator and pantry in the month leading up to the move.

If you’ve made it this far in our guide, you’ll make it through the move and packing season! Out of State Moving Companies is here for you whether packing is your forte or if you couldn’t put together a cardboard box for the life of you.

Feel free to be lazy and hire a professional packing service thrown in with your moving package.