Initial planning, packing, and moving is a lot of work and sometimes you can’t help but feel stressed. We absolutely don’t want you to feel like moving is a stressful experience, therefore we can handle your entire moving process, while you focus on your family, work and settling into your new dream home.
Room-by-Room Packing
1.Gather Your Supplies
Before you start packing any of your rooms, make sure to gather all the packing supplies needed.
This includes paper that doesn’t bleed ink, newspaper, stretch wrap, and another padding. Try to steer clear from styrofoam, since styrofoam may take up to 1 million years to biodegrade.
And of course, no move can happen without boxes. Make sure to choose the right size boxes and put heavier items in smaller boxes.
Places you can find good quality packing supplies and moving boxes:
- U-Haul
- Home Depot
- Lowes
- Amazon
The best would be to get new sturdy boxes for your move, however, if you are on a budget you can always find free boxes from your neighbors, family, friends, or local businesses.
The next thing you’ll need to secure your boxes is tape and a sharpie. Never forget to label your boxes! For example, all the boxes you packed in the kitchen should be labeled ‘kitchen’ so you know exactly where to unload boxes in your new home. As well as any breakable items in boxes should be labeled as ‘fragile’.
2.Start with the least used areas- Basement/Garage/Attic
The first rule is to start packing the least used area first, in many cases that is your basement, garage, or attic. Usually, these spaces are filled with things, like Christmas decorations, tools, camping gear, or even empty boxes from when you first moved to the property.
We advise starting on this first and early since this is also a good time to get rid of items you no longer use or want, and pack only the things you would want in your new home.
3.Packing Dining Room In A Few Easy Steps
The dining room can be very easy to pack, depending on how many items you have. However, you must be careful as well since dining rooms are usually filled with fragile items such as expensive china, crystals, paintings, etc.
Roll up the rug and secure it with tape. The dining room table and chairs are usually moved as is with minor disassembly and wrapped in moving blankets to ensure no damage or scratches occur during the move.
Now, all the fragile decorations, china, chandeliers, etc should be first wrapped in bubble wrap carefully and secured with tape before placing them in the box. Place heavier items first. Take your time and don’t rush in this room, since many of your belongings usually are antique or very expensive and irreplaceable items.
4.Careful Packing Of The Kitchen
Kitchens are slightly more difficult to pack up because of the extraordinary number of kitchen items found in them: appliances, utensils, plates, glasses, cups, and so on. The real challenge comes when you need to pack all the fragile items in your kitchen.
- Plates – use two sheets of packing paper or one sheet of bubble wrap to wrap each individual plate and stack them vertically in the box.
- Glasses– you can use sectioned boxes for your glasses, or use soft packing paper to wrap each individual glass. Pay special attention to stemware as the stems are extremely fragile. Use extra bubble wrap for extra protection. Arrange glasses carefully so there’s no shifting inside the box and accidental breakage.
- Open blades– Many kitchen utensils (mostly knives) have blades and sharp ends that can easily damage the box or there’s a possibility you’ll hurt yourself in the process of unpacking, if not properly packed. Cover any of such parts in thick bubble wrap.
- Small appliances– Your toaster, mixers, blender, and coffee maker would be the best in its original packing. In case you didn’t keep those boxes, get similar ones and add extra padding inside
Pro tip: Perishable items can not go in the moving truck! Make sure to pack them in the cooler and take it with you or eat the leftovers before your move.
5.Moving On To The Bedroom
When moving on to the bedroom, you’ll face a different set of challenges. Also once you get to this step, it is a good idea to sort through clothes as you’re packing and get rid of ones you’ll never wear again.
Clothes– We strongly recommend using wardrobe boxes for your expensive and designer clothes. These boxes make your move a breeze since they can remain on hangers. Fold and pack the rest inside boxes.
Bedroom furniture– Wrapping bedroom furniture in blankets is pretty straightforward, but the disassembly part will give you a little bit of trouble. First, figure out if you can disassemble the furniture yourself, or you’ll need assistance from professional movers. Keep all the small parts in Ziploc bags.
Keep in mind that big furniture pieces on your own can be risky, so it might be better to leave this to the experts.
Book/decorations– Boxes can be very heavy when packed together, therefore use big sturdy boxes and try to keep them under 40lbs. Another great suggestion is also packing them in suitcases since they are big and can hold a lot, and leave remaining boxes for other items like picture frames, clocks, and bedroom decorations.
6.Easy Packing Of The Bathrooms
Bathrooms will probably take the least time to pack and it is fairly easy.
Initial sorting– Dispose of any bathroom items that have expired or are almost empty. This way you’ll save time and space packing. Look through your towels, shower curtains and mats, and throw away the ones that are too old to be of any good use in your new home.
Keep in mind some of the bathroom products may be hazardous and can not be packed and loaded in the moving truck. Double check in advance what those items are.
Products– Already opened toiletries should be packed and sealed in Ziploc bags or wrapped in saran wrap to prevent leakage. Any fragile items should be wrapped in bubble wrap or bath towels for protection.
Pro tip: You can also use extra bath towels for extra padding in the boxes.
7.How To Pack A Laundry Room
Before your move, dispose of any chemicals that are hazardous and which can not be transported on the moving truck. If you are able to wash up all of your laundry before the move, organizing and unpacking at your new place will be much easier.
Laundry baskets are hollow and large which are perfect for storing items such as pillows for transportation. Wrap the ironing board with protective plastic and place the iron in a small box and secure it. Make sure sewing kits are sealed, taped, and placed in a small box. Hampers can also be used as additional storage of laundry items during your move
8.Sorting And Packing Your Living Room
We left this room for last since living rooms are typically the most lived-in rooms in your house.
Electronics– The secret to packing electronics for moving is to pack them in the original packaging your electronic devices came in. If not, then you should use new sturdy boxes slightly larger than the equipment you are trying to protect- TV’S, stereo systems, printers, scanners, etc.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to take a photo of the cables before disconnecting them for easier reconnection at your new home.
Use plenty of bubble wrap and blankets to wrap your electronic devices and fill in the gaps inside the boxes with filling and padding materials.
Do the same thing with large paintings as well.
Furniture– Remove legs from couches and chairs and wrap all your big pieces in moving blankets. Removing legs will be much easier in maneuvering furniture and loading it in the moving truck.
Roll up all the rugs and secure them with tape. Wrap mirrors and artwork in bubble wrap and padding and keep them safe.
Whether you choose professional packing service or you decide to complete this task yourself, when packing your entire home, the best way to go about it is to pack room by room. It is the most efficient way and you won’t feel disorganized and stressed about what to pack first, and mix the items in different boxes. Continue reading for proven rules that will help you avoid some rookie packing mistakes and make the most of your room by room packing strategy:
In Conclusion
Moving is a laborious and time-consuming process, and you will definitely need someone to help you out. You can distribute the packing tasks amongst family members or ask close friends to give you a hand.
If at any time this room-by-room checklist gets too much for you, Zip Moving and Storage is here to do all of these tasks, and provide you with a stress-free relocation
