Packing Tips: Ranking the Hardest and Easiest Rooms

Room by Room


So, you're planning to pack your house for a move. This is a daunting process, but the tips in this post can make it easier for you.



First, let's explain the importance of talking about rooms.

It makes things a lot more organized and less stressful if you focus on one room at a time.

What you'll want to do is pick a room to start with. We recommend starting with the hardest room first. Bring some large garbage bags to help declutter and make sure pack items into boxes while you go. Leave the packed boxes in the room, do not move them to the garage or some other room. This is a huge waste of time and your energy, focus on the tacks at hand! This will save time as you will reduce the need to retrace your steps. This will also give you a great idea of whether you should have the professionals come out and help you pack up the more difficult rooms. 

Have a box for items to throw away, another for items to donate or sell, as well as boxes to pack the belongings you want to keep. We recommend using different colored tape to hep sort and identify what is going where. 

Make sure to label the your boxes as to their final destination as well as what contents they hold.

At this stage, labeling will help you make sure you don't accidentally throw away or donate something you want. 


When you are dealing with the boxes of belongings to keep, you want each of these boxes labelled so you know what is in them without having to open them when you get to the new home. Label them on the sides so you can easily read without having to lift boxes off of one another to read the tops.

Label boxes as fragile when necessary too, so you and your professional movers know to treat these boxes with particular care. Remember labeling a box "fragile" does not protect the contents. Please use the proper packing techniques and the proper materials. all breakables should go in to a double wall box.

Leave items you use frequently to be packed last and in boxes labelled to open immediately.

The hardest and easiest rooms to pack

We'll list these rooms in order of difficulty.

Garages

Garages and sheds are a pain because there are so many odd shaped items that you can't just put in a box. This will require extra planning, creativity, and possibly special moving boxes. You can ask your professional mover for expert tips for your individual items.

Kitchens and Dining Rooms

Kitchens and dining rooms are difficult because there are so many breakables. You will need to take longer in this room and pack items with care and adequate protection. Many people save these rooms for last, but this is a terrible idea. Make them some of the first rooms you do, so you aren't saddled with this time-consuming job when moving day comes.

Laundry Rooms

If your laundry room includes an ironing board, racks, other similar items that can't really be put in a box but might become damaged or have moving parts, wrap them in plastic or tie them together.

You'll need to clean the washer by running it with just water and bleach or vinegar long enough before your move that you can allow it to completely dry before the move.

Laundry baskets and hampers can actually make the move easier as you can use them as moving containers.

Offices/Dens/Gaming Rooms/Man Caves/etc.


Electronics need special packing. Keyboards must be packed where you can guarantee no one will sit a box on top of them. Electronics may also need to be climate controlled in extremely hot or cold temperatures, particularly cold. Label cords and accessories that go with certain electronics, so you don't get them confused when you unpack. Also make sure to include cords and accessories in your inventory and pack them together in a safe place so they can't get lost.

Living Rooms

Living rooms usually contain a TV at least, and maybe usually more electronics. You might also have breakable or hard to pack decorations in the living room. Lamps require special care, needing to have the shades, harps and bulbs separated from the base and packed with appropriate padding.

Bedrooms

The main bedroom items, clothes, personal belongings, and children's toys, are the easiest things to pack. You can put hanging clothes in wardrobe boxes..Toys and other small items should be confined into bags and then put into small boxes within bigger boxes to ensure they don't get lost or ruined by being left loose in a box. this is a great time to donate items to local libraries, churches, youth clubs...

Adapting

You may not have a garage or office, but you probably still have items that belong in those categories. Or many of your electronics may be in your bedroom rather than the office or living room. Just use the advice as it applies to you. The items in the rooms are the key consideration.