Packing Tips For Moving
Packing and unpacking may be the most time-consuming part of a move—especially if you choose to handle them yourself. The idea of sorting through and packing everything you own can feel overwhelming, not to mention the decluttering and disassembling you’ll have to do in the process.
I see the obvious benefits of hiring a mover to pack all your belongings for you, but I would at least consider doing it yourself if you feel you have a lot of clutter to get rid of. We spent time packing our belongings on nights and weekends.
Throughout this process, we saved thousands of dollars in moving fees and we were able to donate a lot of stuff instead of moving it and then donating it later. Here are my tips for doing your own packing:
- Get matching boxes. I completely understand how tempting it is to try to save all your Amazon boxes or procure some boxes from a local grocery store. But hear me out—it’s worth it to get boxes that are all exactly the same size. The boxes we used were primarily medium boxes with handles and bankers boxes(which require no packing tape). I highly suggest bankers boxes for books and heavy, small items.
- Use clothing bags for clothing and linens. We purchased plastic storage bags for moving all our “soft stuff” like clothing, bed linens, pillows, and even items like kids toys. These bags fit a lot more than boxes and create a plush layer that is great to use as padding in your POD for furniture, mirrors (or other items that you are very concerned about protecting).
- Label everything. Even if the box you are packing seems “random,” try to resist the urge to label it that way or not label it. Instead, make notes on the boxes of any items you may try to find later. If you want to do a color coded system, I recommend these moving box labels.
- Declutter ruthlessly as you go. One of the best perks of packing your own boxes is you can simultaneously declutter your belongings as you go. I recommend getting rid of anything that you don’t use, you don’t love, or that you’ve outgrown in style. I like to use the Marie Kondo “Does it spark joy?” method. Try to donate as much as possible.