Best Packing Tips for Moving

Moving is a big undertaking. There is a lot to plan and a lot to do, but you can make moving a breeze with SMARTBOX’s help! We have compiled our best packing tips for moving that we’ve garnered through years of experience.

Contact us today by calling 301-683-6111 or fill out the form to the right to learn more!

Our Best Packing Tips for Moving

Supplies, supplies, supplies – You’re probably going to need more boxes and moving supplies than you realize. Make sure you have more than enough tape, boxes, and protective padding like bubble wrap or newspaper for your move. If you need any moving supplies, just let us know and we can get you what you need!

Secure your boxes – Before you load anything into your boxes, run a strip of packing tape along the bottom seam of the box and then another strip perpendicular to it. That’s going to add a significant amount of stability to your boxes. It’s a good idea to pad the bottom of your boxes with wadded up newspaper, too. It’ll help keep things safe when the boxes are being picked up and set down.

Utilize towels and sheets – You want everything in your boxes to be packed in tightly—there should be no chance of things slipping and sliding around. You can use your towels and old sheets as additional padding for your items. It’s a great idea to use towels to pad boxes filled with bathroom items and sheets for things from the bedroom—this way everything stays together and is protected!

Keep things together – This is one of the most important packing tips when it comes to making your move easier. Be sure you pack similar items in the same box—don’t mix kitchen utensils with office supplies or living room knickknacks with bedroom belongings—it will make unpacking everything at your new place that much more confusing.

Don’t lose track of small items – There are a lot of things in your home that have small parts that need to stay together, from picture frame hangers to furniture casters and everything in between. Go ahead and remove these pieces before you move and store them in plastic baggies. You can either label them and store them all together in one place or tape each baggie to the item it belongs with so you can ensure you don’t lose anything along the way.

Small things in big boxes, big things in small boxes – This is a great general rule of thumb for packing because you never want to have one of your large heavy items falling through the middle of your big boxes. One important exception to the rule is books because, although they’re small, they get heavy—always pack your books in small boxes!

Stronger things on the bottom – As far as packing tips, this may seem like it should go without saying, but it’s important that you remember the items situated at the bottom of your boxes are going to take more of a beating than the things at the top, so make sure you pack stronger, studier items on the bottom and leave fragile, light items at the top.

Use your drawers – Save yourself a couple boxes by leaving non-breakable items, like clothing or linens, in your dresser drawers when you’re moving. Make sure to use masking tape—which is gentler on your furniture—to close off the drawers and keep them from sliding out during transit.

Label your boxes – When you’re labeling your boxes, make sure you label not only the top, but all four sides as well—you don’t want to be stuck shifting around heavy boxes, just to find out where the one on the bottom is supposed to go. If you want to make labeling even easier, there are a couple things you can do:

• Attach a label to every door in your new home that corresponds with a box
• Color-coordinate your boxes, in addition to labels—all the blue labels to the kitchen, all the red to the guest bedroom, etc.
• Number your boxes—this will not only help you know which boxes go to which rooms, but ensure you have all of them upon arrival
• Put arrows on all four sides of your boxes that indicate which way is up
• Print out your color-coordinated, numbered, and appropriately identified labels from your computer—this can save you a lot of time

Pack in advance – Anything you’re not using—out-of-season clothing, guest bedroom linens, items stored in the basement—pack in advance! SMARTBOX makes it even easier to pack in advance by providing you with portable storage containers you can take your time filling. You can start your packing as early as a month in advance—or more!

Make priority boxes – These boxes should include priority items you’re going to need to unpack first—toiletries, phones, sheets, towels, etc. Even if you think you’re going to remember that kitchen box number 4 is the one with the paper plates in it, it’s just going to be easier to slap a “priority” label on it.

Pack plates on their sides – This is one of those packing tips that can not only save space, but save a little heartache, too. Pack your plates on their sides, so they’re standing up like they’re in a dishwasher rack. This will make them sturdier and less likely to get broken in transit—but don’t forget to wrap them in newspaper and pad them accordingly!

Invest in wardrobe boxes – Wardrobe boxes are a great way to pack lightweight items that are bulky and difficult to put in a regular box, such as comforters, pillows, blankets, and more. It’s also an excellent way to transport a lot of your clothes if you want to keep them right on the hanger! Even though wardrobe boxes are quite large, you need to make sure you don’t over-pack them and make them too heavy to lift—you don’t want the bottom dropping out and all your pillows spilling onto the ground!

Utilize your luggage – You probably already own things that are specifically made for traveling, like your luggage! So, pack those suitcases and bags full of clothes and other household items to bring with you!

Label cords, cables, and plugs – All those TV cords and video game system plugs are going to look pretty much the same when you open that box at your new home—it’ll make your life a lot easier to simply wrap a little masking tape or another label around the cord and write what it goes to on it.

Keep important papers with you – This might be one of our most important packing tips—keep all of your important papers with you in your car. This includes things that you definitely wouldn’t want to lose, such as birth certificates, recent bank records, new job contacts, current bills, utility company numbers, etc.

Let SMARTBOX Help Making Moving Easier

At SMARTBOX, we have decades of experience helping people move, whether it’s just down the street or across the country, so you can depend on us for all your moving needs.

Contact us online or by phone at 301-683-6111 to reserve your boxes!

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