Packing doesn’t have to be a pain. There are so many ways to pack for a move, from packing room by room to packing based on the category of the item. Someone in a small one bedroom apartment may pack differently than someone packing an entire two-storey home. Deciding on the smartest way to pack can be overwhelming, so here are a bunch of tips to help you pack your place like a pro and make sure your things (and your sanity) get to your new place in the same condition they left in.
To get started, go through your home or apartment room by room and make a checklist of every type of item you need to pack for each room. This will help you stay organized, better track your belongings from one house to the next, and ensure you don’t forget anything important!
To get even more organized we recommend the following smart packing tips:
We’ve put together a list of common household items that everyone should include in their packing checklist along with tips on the best way to pack them.
There are two different types of clothes you’ll need to pack, clothes folded in your wardrobe, and clothing hanging in your closet. The easiest way to pack clothes from your wardrobe is using wardrobe boxes (they’re the best choice if they’re going into long term storage). For hanging clothes, a cheaper option and easier option is to get some contractor trash bags, poke a whole through the top, and place the hangers through the hole. Then you can tie the trash bag around the bottom to keep the group of clothes clean and orderly. Sometimes a zip tie around the hangers works well too.
Jewelry and accessories are notorious for getting lost, tangled, or both! Here are some helpful tips to pack jewelry to ensure it’s safe and orderly arrival at your new home:
Some say artwork can really make a room your own! Avoid damaging your pictures or paintings with the following tips:
Heavy readers beware! It can be easy to grab a big box and fit as many books as you can in one box, but this makes it difficult to carry and can cause accidents. We always recommend packing them tightly on end (the way you would place them on a bookshelf). If you have multiple rows of books, make sure the rows have the spines of the book facing each other. This way, books won’t shift back and forth inside a box when you’re trying to carry it, this can lead to lack of balance — we’ve all learned the hard way before Einstein Moving came to be! As well, smaller boxes are easier to carry, ensuring almost anyone will be able to lift it without injury.
Electronics can be expensive so it’s important to pack everything carefully to avoid any costly damages. Use the following tips to pack your electronics:
Usually the best part of moving into a new home is that feeling of everything being clean and ready to decorate. That being said, our best tip for packing rugs and draperies is to have them cleaned before moving and to leave them in their wrappings for the move.
Our number one rule for packing toiletries and medicines is to always pack them in a leak proof container or bad (e.g. ziploc bag). We’ve all been there, when your shampoo bottle leaks in your suitcase and your new jacket has become stained for the remainder of your trip. Well the same thing goes for moving, things leak! They always do, so make sure to keep them sealed.
Don’t forget to keep essential toiletries and medicines in an overnight bag so that they’re accessible to you on your first night. There’s nothing worse than having to look for your toothbrush and toothpaste across 5 boxes when it’s late and you just want to go to sleep.
It’s not often we see people moving their washers and dryers but it does happen! If you have a front loading washer try and find the shipping bolts (bolts that go into the back and keep the drum stable while in transit). If you’re hiring professional movers, have them ready to hand off.
We also recommend checking to see if the plug you have currently matches the one at your new place. if not, a new one can be purchased at any home improvement store. Consider replacing old dryer hoses during the move as well (also can be purchased at a home improvement store). There’s no better time for a fresh dryer hose!
The first thing you should do when packing bedding (sheets, pillows, comforters, etc) is to decide if you can use it as padding, or if it’s too high quality and should be packed separately. The bedding that can be used to protect the other items you’re moving can be set aside and used where needed and your other bedding should be wrapped in plastic bags or packing paper if you don’t have access to plastic bags, this will help protect your good sheets from dirt, dust, and other allergens when moving.
Don’t forget to clean your bedding before you move! For extra precaution when using bedding as padding is to line the boxes with clean packing paper to help protect them from dust or dirt.
When packing your bedding into boxes you’ll want to make sure you press down so you can compress the bedding to make enough room for other sheets, blankets, or comforters to be added to a box. It’s easy to end up with a lot of wasted space when you don’t compress things.
We follow eight steps when packing dishes to ensure they won’t break:
Take note – using newspaper is usually fine except for glass items or porcelain dishes. The newspaper print can come off on the dishes and sometimes cause a permanent stain!
Bonus tip – when finished, lightly (very lightly) shake the finished box. If you can hear any clinking noises you did not provide enough padding!
Don’t forget to measure and dissemble large furniture before moving day (unless you hire professional movers to do this for you)! This helps placement and moving in and out of your new place.
Dispose of recycled corrosive, toxic, or flammable items before moving. This also includes draining any items that have fuel like bbqs.
Pets! Don’t forget about your furry little (or big) family member. Include pet food, toys, bedding, and other necessary pet items in your overnight stuff.
Particle board furniture (a type of furniture that consists of particleboard panels that are made from wood by-products, primarily sawdust, mixed with plastic resin glues and pressed into large sheets). This type of furniture does not stand up particularly well to the rigors of moving. While we do our best to move particle board furniture without damage, the inherent weakness of its design causes problems. Therefore, we, along with most movers cannot be responsible for damages to particle board furniture in excess of the TXDOT guidelines. Please see TXDOT’s “Your Rights and Responsibilities When Moving In Texas”.
All items packed by the owner are moved at the owners risk. We cannot be responsible for damages to items packed in boxes by the owner in excess of the TXDOT guidelines — Please see TXDOT’s “Your Rights and Responsibilities When Moving In Texas”.
Contact us if your move is more than you care to handle, we’re here to help!
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