a girl packing books into a container and getting ready for moving cross-country overlay

Make Your Relocation Less Stressful with These Packing Tips for Moving

Posted in Moving Essentials,Moving Tips & Tricks on March 1, 2021

Preparing all your belongings for a new house or apartment can be quite scary because there are so many things that you’ve no idea how to approach and what to do with. But with our fierce packing tips for moving, you’ll learn to keep it all easy and quick. We’ll show you how to maximize productivity and avoid feeling stressed out. So, let’s begin.

Now finishing this process is not rocket science, so you’ll get it over with one way or another. But, if you want to avoid burnout, last-minute panic, overspending, or any other trigger of stress and dissatisfaction, be wise and plan it all out in advance. This means you must know how many days you will be doing this and how. When you make a rough sketch, consider other aspects too, such as budget and helpers. And if you’re ready, let’s dig into our colossal tricks.

When Should You Start Packing To Move?

Now whatever reasons to move you have, the best possible advice here is to start as soon as you can. For some people, it’s a month in advance and for some a week. But, don’t overthink the beginning too much because you’re about to see that it’s more about what you do with your time than how much of it you have, for sure.

Empty planner
Start on time

Start With Preparing Boxes and Supplies

If you were wondering how do I start packing to move, assembling and getting the tools you need is a great beginning. These can be found in many places online and in stores, but if you want to save an extra buck and be efficient, heed these moving hacks.

Tip 1 – Get Free Boxes

We get it, many people think it’s complicated to get free boxes and don’t want to waste precious time here, so they just head to Home Depot or buy online. But, it’s a mistake for two reasons – a) if you buy boxes and packing supplies that aren’t sold by professional cross country movers, you risk getting low quality ones and b)you’re exceeding your moving budget for no clear reason.

You can get free containers in one of the following ways:

  • Ask friends or look up Craigslist,
  • Ask at your local liquor store if they can spare any,
  • Your favorite restaurant can also help,
  • Finally, try grocery stores, especially large chains such as Walmart and Costco, as they have these in abundance.

Tip 2 – Use Up All You Can To Pack

It’s fine to purchase bubble wrap, packing paper, and all of those, but do use what you already have. Why carry empty suitcases, duffel bags, and alike when you can fill them with your objects and easily carry them to the new place.

And smaller items can also work wonders for you. Use a sock to wrap some of your perfume bottles, or tuck them in shoes to keep them in shape during the transport. Take towels and wrap them around breakables and finish learning about packaging fragile items that way. Take a look at the following video if you’d like to hear about more astonishing ways to minimize the cost and ace time-management when relocating.

What Is the Most Efficient Way To Pack for a Move?

Perhaps you’re going to another state alone and plan on setting up your dream home there and look forward to finally organizing it to fit your needs. Or you’re relocating for love and imagine a fairy-tale love nest with your lover. Whatever is the case, you’ll do yourself a favor with these ideas.

Must-Do Idea 1 – Purge Ruthlessly

There’s no successful preparation to leave without decluttering. You don’t want to wind up in a new place with a ton of boxes with objects you forgot to throw, never liked, don’t know what they’re for, or never used. Plus, you’ll pay for transporting them. So, get rid of all you don’t need, and once you think you’re done, go again, and again. Stick it out because chances are you’ll never miss what you dispose of. And, there will be one less item on your list of things to do after relocation.

Idea 2 – Don’t Take Your Items Out if You Don’t Have To

Imagine having a drawer or a toy box just one cut away from unpacking. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Well, with plastic wrap, it’s actually possible. This winner in the category of tips for packing for a move allows you to just wrap your items that aren’t fragile (we’re talking about entire cupboard drawers or bedside tables) and finish at that. Just pay attention to how to pack a truck if you’re not using reputable cross country moving services and you’re all set up.

A paper bag with books
Improvise, adapt, overcome - Marine Corps slogans are useful in more than one way

Best Packing Tips for Moving Your Clothes

When considering how to pack clothes, everyone wants to avoid wrinkles, dirtying, or damage. But rolling, folding, ironing, washing, and repeating it all once or twice doesn’t sound like fun in the sun either. So, we present you with some effortless hidden shortcuts.

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Shortcut 1 – Garbage Bags Are Affordable and Superb

These don’t look too alluring, but if you keep your clothes on the hangers and wrap them in garbage bags, you’re in for a surprise. Remember to tie the hangers with a rubber band on both sides, and that’s it. You can put in extra effort and set aside out-of-season clothing if you’re relocating in winter, for example, but you don’t have to. Your fav outfits will be ready to help you cook up a storm in the new city.

Shortcut 2 – Make Your Own Wardrobe Box

Another way to approach the question of how to organize your move in the outfits aspect is to make your own transportable closet. Sounds Narnia-like, but it’s actually not as complex. All you should do is tape a rod (you can find these in Walmart) inside a box, create a bar, hang all your clothes on it, seal, and enjoy.

T-shirts on hangers
Don't put too many hangers in one garbage bag

Don’t Forget the Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of darkness for most people because there are many tricky items that you have to deal with here. Nobody likes to have headaches over valuable plates, glasses, or other kitchenware. But, the good news is that here, too, you can cut corners with splendid results. Here are some tips for packing to move that can save you from spending hours while trying to learn how to pack dishes.

The Best of Packing and Moving Tips for Plates Is a Paint Bucket

If you don’t feel like getting special materials to protect your plates, you can just grab a sturdy paint bucket. You can also pack them with your bathroom towels as padding, and the savings will be such that even Scrooge McDuck would be proud. Put a towel on the bottom of the paint bucket and then stack a plate on top and repeat until you fill your bucket. And if you’re worried about moving scams and want your friends to do the work, they’ll be grateful for the handles that allow super light carrying.

Use a Suitcase for Extra Space

It seems like we’re getting a little crazy, but think of it this way – if you have some empty suitcases, they can serve as a large container. Make sure you prepare enough padding, be it a towel, paper, wrap, T-shirt, or any other alternative. Bowls are ideal candidates for this one, as well as cutlery and mugs. Just make sure you wrap each item individually and run a test in your home to see if it works. If you’ve got rollers, maybe you won’t even need to know how to tip movers because they’ll consider this generous enough.

Focus on the Glasses

This aspect is the one where thinking outside the box is the least welcome, not because we want to dim your light, but because mistakes in learning how to pack glasses most often lead to terrible results. So, take a breath and do your best to follow through all steps here:

  • Take the best boxes or storage containers you have and put some padding on the bottom,
  • Put the glass on the corner of the paper and take two sheets of wrapping to roll around; bonus points if you try to tuck paper in the glass as you go,
  • Wrap the stem individually if there is one,
  • Place the bundle vertically in the container,
  • Fill any gaps with scrunched up paper or another panacea for shifting,
  • Seal it well and label clearly.
Cups, plates, and spoons
Use common sense when dealing with dishes

Arrange the Items You’ll Need for the Big Day

Putting your belongings in containers is a sure way to destress you, but to feel totally zen, you must also check that you have all moving essentials on you. This means you have to be ready for all the day of all days brings, and take into account not only all your immediate needs but also the needs of your kids or furry friends if you’re relocating with pets. These are our cross country moving survival tips.

Keep All Your Valuable Documents Together

You can take a moving binder for this or any other file, but do stash all your documents neatly. We’re talking about passports, ID cards, any housing contracts, health insurance, driving permits you must have if you’re going by car, and all other papers that you don’t want to lose. This will really give you peace of mind and keep your anxiety in check. And more importantly, you’ll be ready for all scenarios.

Essentials Bag Will Become Your Happy Place

You’ve probably heard it by now, but essentials bags really make a difference. This means you have to consider what you’ll need for the first night or even a day, and put it inside. Take toiletries, pajamas, a change of outfit, snacks, all medications if you take any, clean towels, bedsheets, a book you loved growing up, spare batteries for your remote control, ok, not that much. Surely, it’s not the majority of your household inventory list, but do consider all your priorities and things that’ll make you feel at home as soon as you come to your new house. And if you have a kid, you guessed it right; they require one of these as well.

Food Is on This List Too?

This may sound silly, but after a long day of trying to apply all of the advice and wisdom you collected online and learning things you never really knew, like how to move a piano, the last thing you’ll desire to do is cook. Many people bring foods that are durable and can endure transportation for the first night to avoid running around the unexplored neighborhoods in search of a wholesome meal.

A duffel and a backpack
Your go-to bag or box must be ready for use at all times on the big day

Is It Worth Paying for Packing When Moving?

To pack or not to pack, that is the dilemma of many people. To reach an answer, you should know that though you can do it on your own, ’tis safer to let professional long distance movers do the work. They have bags of experience, and they’re guaranteed to offer you packing services of the highest quality. So, if you need to save time to focus on other crucial relocation aspects such as how to get a job before you move, you’ll be more than delighted to have this kind of help.

And cross country moving services don’t stop there either since you can also book top-rated car shipping for your vehicle and storage facilities for all the belongings you found no tips for. So, weigh up the pros and cons and make the decision that’s best for you.

Michael Vaughan

Moving through the Bay Area, Michael works as a freelance writer in the moving and transportation industry.

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