How to pack for the move: a room-by-room guide

MC²X guide · 6-minute read

Packing well is what makes the difference between a smooth move and a mess of broken items. The good news: with the right materials and a simple order, you can pack every room safely. Here is the step-by-step.

Materials you will need

• Cardboard boxes in various sizes (sturdier ones for heavy items)
• Wide, strong packing tape
• Bubble wrap and paper (newspaper or tissue paper) for fragile items
• Stretch film for drawers and upholstery
• A marker for labeling and plastic bags for screws

3 golden rules

1. One box, one room. Never mix items from different rooms, it makes unpacking much easier.
2. Label everything. Write the room and the contents on at least two sides of the box. Mark "FRAGILE" when needed.
3. Right weight. Heavy items in small boxes; light ones in large boxes. A box you cannot lift will tear.

Kitchen

It is the most demanding room. Wrap each plate individually and store them upright (like records), not lying flat, so they resist pressure better. Glasses and wine glasses get paper inside and out. Pots can be nested with paper between them. Sharp cutlery goes protected and clearly labeled.

Bedroom

Clothes can go in boxes or, even better, in suitcases and wardrobe boxes (with hangers). Bedding and pillows work as padding for other items. Disassemble beds and keep the screws in a bag taped to the frame itself.

Living room and electronics

If you still have the original boxes for the TV and devices, use them. If not, wrap the screens in bubble wrap and always transport the TV upright. Photograph the back of the devices before unplugging the cables, when it is time to reconnect, you will be grateful. Coil the cables and label them.

Fragile and valuable items

Paintings, mirrors and glass go protected with bubble wrap and transported vertically. Documents, jewelry and small valuable electronics you should carry with you, never on the truck.

The first-night box

Set aside a box (or suitcase) with the essentials for the first 24 hours in your new home: bedding, toiletries, chargers, medicine, a change of clothes and basic utensils. That way you do not have to open everything on the first day.