Packing up an entire house for a cross-country move – seems daunting, doesn’t it? You’ll never appreciate how much stuff we accumulate in our family homes until you start putting it all in boxes for a move.
But it doesn’t have to be stressful. If you’re moving soon, here are our expert packing tips to make the moving process much easier and less stressful.
Before You Move: 6-8 weeks prior
To make the packing process much less stressful, get started two months before your move with some important tasks:
- Deep clean: A clean, organized house is much easier to pack up when the day comes.
- Declutter: Packing up an entire house is tough, don’t make it harder by transporting stuff you no longer love or need.
- Purge room by room: Start with your wardrobe and work your way through your house purging everything you don’t want to take with you.
- Sell what you can: Make some extra cash to put toward your move by selling any items that could be rehomed.
- Donate what you can’t: If you can’t sell it but it’s still in good condition, take it to a local charity shop.
- Get your packing supplies: Start buying packing materials like boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap to spread out the cost.
Where and When to Start Packing
Packing always takes longer than you think it will. You won’t realize how much stuff you have until you start trying to fit it all in boxes.
You should start packing up at least 3 weeks before your move date with any belongings that are purely decorative.
Start with the least used rooms (guest rooms, dens, etc.) and work your way to high-traffic areas (kitchen, master bedroom), to minimize disruption to everyday life in the meantime.
Save Time, Money, and Hassle While Packing
If you’re feeling totally overwhelmed by the mammoth task of packing, you’re not alone. It’s a huge task, not to mention it can be emotional packing up a family home.
That’s why it’s much easier to hire local movers to help.
Our moving team offers affordable, efficient packing services to save you time and hassle. We can even help you declutter to make sure you’re only transporting the belongings you care about.
As professionals movers, we know how to pack belongings strategically to keep them safe and make moving a breeze. So if you’re struggling to get your stuff boxed up, we’d love to help.
Genius Packing Hacks
If you’re planning on DIYing your packing, here is your moving checklist:
Mix light with heavy
It might be tempting to pack all your books in one box, but lifting that thing is going to be impossible.
Instead, distribute your heavy items across a few boxes and then pack smaller, breakable items around them with bubble wrap. This will make the boxes much easier to life and transport.
Ziplock your toiletries
If there’s a chance it could open and spill everywhere, put it in a ziplock bag. There’s nothing worse than unpacking a box to find shampoo oozing over everything.
Do this with bathroom products, cleaning supplies, and any sauces from your kitchen.
Don’t lay plates flat
Ever wondered why vinyl records are stored upright, not flat? It’s to reduce the risk of them getting damaged. Flatware has more structural integrity when it’s on its side, and is less likely to get chipped or cracked from pressure when moving.
Keep essentials separate
Always keep a separate bag full of essential items in easy reach. It’s frustrating going through boxes trying to find medication, toothpaste, or toilet paper when you’ve packed everything up already.
Pretend you’re going on a week-long holiday and pack an essentials bag with everything you might want before your move.
How to Start Packing
When you start the packing process, here are some tips to get the process off to the best start.
Label your cardboard boxes
Grab a sharpie and label your box on the top and side with the room and a brief description of the contents. This will make life much easier when you unpack on the other side. It will also help your movers be extra careful with fragile and valuable items.
Get good quality boxes
Many people collect used boxes from the grocery store or deliveries, but these aren’t always a great option for moving.
We recommend investing in quality moving boxes. These are built to support the weight of heavier items and lightweight items and since they’re all the same size, loading them up in a moving van is much easier.
Pack room by room
Focus on one room at a time and pack all items from one room together. Once you’ve got everything from that room packed, color code all the boxes with a master list so you know which room to take them to in your new house.
Separate stuff you’d like to sell or give away
The packing process will be much more stressful if you pack up unwanted items. It’s to be ruthless and separate all the stuff you don’t need in your new house.
Make some extra money by selling it in a garage sale or online. And if you can’t sell it, give it away. But don’t spend time and money transporting items you don’t want or need, especially large items like a piece of furniture.
How to Move Safely During the Pandemic
Even though restrictions are lifting across the US, it’s still important to consider safety when moving during Covid-19.
- When getting quotes from professional movers, ask for a video call rather than having multiple teams in your house for a quote.
- When it comes to moving day, keep any vulnerable family members as separate as possible, and keep a distance when you hire movers.
- Keep an eye on local restrictions in your area so you have up-to-date information.
We make sure we sanitize our hands regularly, wear masks when needed, and keep a safe distance from our customers to keep everyone safe during the moving process.
Looking for a moving team in Boulder?
At Free Range Movers, we offer a range of friendly, affordable moving services for customers in Boulder and the surrounding regions.
From decluttering and expert packing help to safe, secure moving services with our dedicated drivers, we’ll help make the moving process fun and stress-free. Contact us to get a quote today!