Packing for Your Move
A lamp shade? Wine glasses? My in-laws?
Use our comprehensive and fully customizable move planner and checklist to find great tips on how to pack your home with ease. Incorrectly packing your belongings can result in damaged or broken items, so avoid the headache and pack like a pro with tips from One Simple Move™.
Also find boxes, supplies and other packing essentials at a discount to go with your packing tips – not to mention email reminders of tasks and tips, our Home Inventory Organizer, and Directory of move-related services providers!
Here are some packing tips to get you started:
1) Reduce – Before you think about packing anything, walk through your house and make those tough decisions about what will stay and what will go. Getting rid of all those items collecting dust in your house will save you the cost of having to pack, move or store them - and it's also a great way to start fresh in your new home!
2) Create a System – Decide on a plan and stick with it. Color code each room in your current house with a matching room in your new home, and apply that color to each box that is packed for the room. This makes it easier on the movers – or yourself – when unpacking the box at your new home.
Make sure to have a system for knowing what is packed in each box as well. This can be as simple as writing it on the box, or a separate inventory list with a corresponding number for each box, with the contents of each box listed.
3) Find Those Instruction Manuals – Make a list of large or fragile items you are going to have to disassemble. Collect the instruction manuals and tools necessary to take them apart for proper packing, and keep them somewhere safe so they don't get packed away by mistake.
Tools – Collect tools necessary for disassembling and assembling larger items, as well as those tools that are always handy to have when moving like screwdrivers, wrenches, and measuring tape. If you keep these separate you won't have to go through all the boxes in your garage when you arrive at your new home just to find the ¼ inch pneumatic ratchet wrench.
Kitchen Essentials – If you intend on doing any cooking the first few days after you move in, pack your kitchen essentials separately. This box might include pots, pans, utensils, dishware and basic seasonings to get you through your first home-cooked meal in your new home.
Toiletries and Clothing – Pack a bag as if you were going on a weekend vacation (think of it as a trip to the jungle of boxes). You might not have the energy to unpack all of your belongings once you arrive at your new home, so keep a change of clothes and all your toiletries and necessities in a travel bag - and don't forget toilet paper!
Hazardous Materials – Items that are flammable, corrosive or explosive are not to be packed. This would include propane tanks, motor oil, fireworks, ammunition, acid, darkroom chemicals, and charcoal, among others. Leave these items with neighbors or friends or dispose of them properly through recycling or junk removal services.
Perishable Food – For long distance moves, perishable food items are something you do not want to pack. Again, you will have to leave these with your lucky friends and neighbors. For local moves that will take under 24 hours, you should be able to transport perishable food items with proper packing.
Plants – Depending on the state or country lines, some plants may or may not be allowed to be transported. Some moving companies will not transport plants, or if they do, will not take responsibility for damage to plants. Check with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for regulations on moving plants across state lines.
Get all of the packing tips found here and more in our comprehensive move guide with interactive planner and customized checklist by creating a free One Simple Move™ account – in less than thirty seconds!