When and How to Start Packing for Your Move

Some questions are hard to answer—they require a considerable amount of thought and weighing multiple factors. But when to start packing? This one is easy! You should begin packing the very moment you decide to move.

Part of what makes moving so stressful is everything you have to get done to relocate from here to there: make repairs, prep your house for selling, shop for a new home, secure a mortgage, get estimates from moving companies or for moving vehicles, change your address, turn utilities on and off, make arrangements for new commutes or new schools … new everything.

So why not give yourself a nice long stretch of time and lots of breathing room to get the most labor-intensive task out of the way (or, at least, on the way) by packing up all your belongings just a little at a time, slow and steady, so that what could be overwhelming actually becomes fulfilling and productive. One or two boxes a day, perhaps. One room per weekend. Everything from the basement and attic first or, conversely, everything in the garage or shed first. The point is to give yourself wide margins between which you can pack your things comfortably and methodically so you don’t get squeezed in and short on time on the latter end of the move.

As to how to pack most efficiently and economically, a handful of tips can get you started down the right road … and keep you rolling right up until moving day:

  • Gather the supplies you’ll need:
    • Moving boxes of all different sizes. Get as many as you can for free at retail outlets and by checking with your neighbors on sites like Nextdoor.com, but it’s worth considering professional-grade sturdy boxes for some of your heavy and valuable items, like china, glassware, mirrors, artwork, and electronics.
    • Bubble wrap
    • Tissue paper and/or newspapers
    • Heavy-duty packing tape
    • Scissors
    • Stickers & markers for labeling
  • Pack out-of-season items first–no matter how early you pack them, you won’t miss them and any buyers coming to view your home won’t either.
  • Start in the least-used rooms in your house—the guest bedroom and the dining room, for example, saving the kitchen and bathrooms for last.
  • Even in rooms you use every day, items in those rooms that you don’t use every day can be packed well ahead of time, like all the videos and books in the den, figurines in the curio cabinet, extra linens in closets, board games.
  • As you proceed through packing, organize and streamline as you go: sell things you don’t use, make donation piles of clothing and household goods, throw out unsalvageable items that have just been taking up space.
  • Label, label, label. We can’t stress this enough. Whether you find yourself in need of something you packed away three weeks ago or whether your toddler simply won’t go to sleep the first night in your new home without his pet giraffe, having your boxes and tubs marked with what’s in them and what room they belong in is an invaluable time-saver and frustration-reducer.

Even if you run out of time, don’t panic! A professional moving company can offer any kind of assistance you need, from supplying specialty packing materials to dismantling the entertainment center. Call us anytime for a free estimate.

BB&D Moving Services
301-57-5447 (MD)  |   571-375-2826 (VA)  |  786-390-4040 (FL)  |  bbdmoving.com/