Preparing yourself to move into a new home can be very daunting, but is the first step in an incredibly exciting process that will bring you to a new home and new life. When deciding how to pack up your home, you of course need to have a plan in place to pack efficiently and within the right timeline. After all, if not done correctly, packing can quickly get overwhelming and chaotic if you don’t have the right plan in place to get your things taken care of before moving day.

So how do you pack correctly and in the right manner for your household or business? We’ll lay out a week-by-week and room-by-room guide so you can be confident in your packing process.

How to Prepare for Packing

Before you start your packing process, you need the right materials and supplies in place to get yourself situated. Prior to packing, you should also create a packing checklist and schedule to keep you within realistic guidelines and on a schedule that can be customized around your job or your kids’ needs.

Before packing, gather the following supplies:

  • Boxes: Whether obtained for free or purchased, boxes should be your biggest priority to get your packing process off the ground. Try to get a few different sizes to cater to the different items you’ll be bringing with you. If you’re concerned about the cost, try to get boxes for free or low cost from friends, family, local businesses, or from places like Facebook Marketplace, where people might put them up from their own moves.
  • Tape: Without tape, you of course will not be able to put your boxes together or secure their contents. Having this adhesive to secure and seal your boxes and other packing materials will ensure your items’ safety.
  • Box cutter/scissors/utility knife: Having box cutters or scissors readily available will let you cut your tape and other materials cleanly and safely, and will let you avoid any frustration in trying to assemble or put together any supplies.
  • Bubble wrap/packing paper: Whether using bubble wrap or the low-cost alternative of packing paper, having these items to cushion fragile items like dishes or antiques will let you pack your things without worrying about them. You can also use alternatives found around your home like blankets or even clothing.
  • Permanent marker: This might sound silly to prioritize, but keeping your items labeled in marker will keep you organized and will let your movers pack your moving stuff safely.

Packing Tips

In general, having rules of thumb to go by when packing up rooms in your home will let you pull off the process with efficiency and attention to detail. Besides creating your packing schedule and organizing your home, consider the following tips before you get started:

  • Declutter. Get rid of any items you don’t need, want, or use, and donate, give away, or sell items you won’t be taking with you on your move. Try to create a system to effectively eliminate items – if the furniture is too awkward or bulky for your new space or will be too hard to move, or if you haven’t worn certain clothes in a while, for example. This will both make packing easier and will make your moving estimate cheaper.
  • Begin packing non-essentials: Early on in your moving process, take things room by room and pack up things like decor or display items. This will both let you get this aspect of packing out of the way and will let you feel accomplished by having so many household items already stashed away. This will also save you time, as you would be surprised by how many nonessentials you might have!
  • Pack like with like: While packing room by room, try to pack similar items together. This will let you stay organized and will make boxes easier to separate based on where they go, their fragility level, and what they are.
  • Label: Label your boxes by the type of contents in them and by what room they go in. This will help both you and your movers be at your most efficient – and will keep fragile items from possibly getting damaged.

When it comes to the packing process, staying as organized as possible and keeping your items safe will allow your moving process to be efficient and will save you from any added stress associated with items getting lost or damaged.

Looking for the best Washington moving company to assist in creating the best moving process for you and your household? See what Bekins Northwest Moving & Storage can do for you today. From local and long-distance moving services for residential and commercial needs and everything in between, we’ll give you the best possible service and pricing. Contact us today!