How to Pack for a Move: A Room-by-Room Packing Guide

Packing is the part of moving that everyone underestimates.

It always takes longer than you think, and the last night before a move is where good intentions go to die.

The fix is to work room by room, in the right order, with a system. Here is how to do it.

Bad boxes break. Free boxes from behind a grocery store are the wrong size, the wrong strength, and sometimes damp.

Get proper supplies before you start.

• Small boxes for heavy things: books, canned goods, tools.
• Medium boxes for most items.
• Large boxes for light bulky items: bedding, pillows, lampshades.
• Wardrobe boxes so hanging clothes go straight from the closet to the box.
• Dish barrels or dish packs for kitchen fragiles.
• Packing paper, bubble wrap, quality tape, and thick markers.

One rule before we start. Label the side of every box, not the top. Once boxes are stacked, you cannot read the tops.

Start with the rooms you use least and finish with the ones you use every day.

That usually means storage, guest rooms, the basement, and the garage first.

Then living areas and bedrooms. Then the kitchen and bathrooms last, because you need them until the final morning.

Working in this order means you are never packing something you will have to unpack again before you move.

The kitchen is the hardest room. Give it more time than you think it needs.

Wrap each plate individually in packing paper, then stack plates on their edge in the box, not flat. Plates on edge survive a bump. Plates stacked flat crack.

Wrap glasses and stemware individually and fill the hollow of each one with paper. Use a dish pack with dividers if you can.

Pad the bottom and top of every fragile box with crumpled paper, and fill every gap so nothing shifts.

Pack pots and pans nested, with paper between them.

Throw out or use up food. Do not move half-empty spice jars and old condiments across the state.

Keep one small box of essentials out: a few plates, mugs, a pan, and basic utensils for the last few days.

Bedrooms are the easiest room to pack, so use them to build momentum.

Use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes. Everything goes straight across on the hanger and back into the new closet in minutes.

Folded clothes can often stay in dresser drawers if the dresser is sturdy and the drawers are light. Ask your movers first, since some prefer them emptied.

Vacuum bags are great for out-of-season clothes and bedding. They shrink a mountain into a manageable pile.

Keep jewelry and cash with you. They should never go on the truck.

Label bedroom boxes with the person’s name, not just the room. It saves an argument on the other end.

Electronics need a plan. Photograph the back of your TV and console before you unplug anything, so you know where every cable goes.

Keep the original boxes if you have them. If not, use plenty of padding and mark the box as fragile.

Bag and label cables so they do not become a knot in the bottom of a box.

Wrap picture frames and mirrors in paper, then pad the corners. Stand them on edge in the box, never flat.

For art or anything truly fragile, custom crating is worth the money. A blanket is not protection for glass.

Books go in small boxes. Always. Fill a large box with books and nobody will be able to lift it.

This room is small, so it is easy to leave for last. That is a mistake, because it is full of things that leak.

Empty half-used bottles or seal them. Tape over the caps of anything liquid, then bag them, then box them.

Toss expired medication and old products instead of moving them.

Pack a toiletry bag for each person with what they will need for the first few days. It should ride with you, not on the truck.

These rooms hold the heaviest and most awkward items, and the most things you no longer need.

Declutter aggressively here. Anything you have not touched in years is not worth paying to move.

Do not move hazardous items. Movers cannot take propane tanks, gasoline, paint, or other flammables. Drain fuel from mowers and trimmers.

Tools go in small sturdy boxes. Bundle long-handled tools together and tape them.

Heavy items like safes, exercise equipment, and workbenches usually need a crew and the right gear. Flag them for your movers early.

This is the most important box in your move, and the one most people forget.

Pack one for every person. Include medication, toiletries, a change of clothes, phone chargers, snacks, and anything you would panic without.

Add basic tools, toilet paper, paper towels, and a shower curtain for the new place.

Mark it clearly and keep it in your car. Not on the truck.

Packing well takes days, and doing it badly is how things break.

If you would rather not spend a week wrapping plates, professional packers can do a home in a fraction of the time, with the right materials and a system that keeps everything tracked.

If you are moving in Northern Virginia and want the packing handled, our crews can pack the whole home or just the fragile things you would rather not risk. Request a free estimate whenever you are ready.