38 Packing Hacks for a Stress Free Moving

In time, every household accumulates many items that it doesn’t use or has multiple copies of. You don’t want to pack nor move things you won’t need in your new home. The months before moving is a perfect time to sort out your belongings and get rid of those that no longer have a place in your household.

Read our decluttering guide before you proceed.

Stack up on packing supplies – that is among the most popular packing tips. In order to bring your costs on moving boxes and other supplies, you should start gathering them in the months before your move. Do frequent rounds on your local shops and ask them for free boxes, ask your friends and check online for freebies on Craigslist, Gumtree, and other websites. You can check out our infographic on finding free boxes for more hot tips.

Additionally, you want to get stacked on duct tape, masking tape, markers, newspapers, packing paper, bubble wrap and all the shrinkwrap you can find. Organise them into a single box for ease of use and to help the house movers do their job easier.

Jewellery packing hacks

• Put your necklaces in between two sheets of plastic wrap. Take out the air bubbles and it will preserve them from tangling, saving you time when you get to unpacking.
• Use pill cases to store your earrings and rings, so you don’t lose them and they are easy to order. Egg cartons and other small containers are also a great solution. Alternatively, you can use these containers to store bolts, screws, nuts and other small hardware.
• Pack stud earrings, clipping them through the buttonholes of a button.
• Don’t pack jewellery and small valuables with your clothes. Instead, put them in a standalone bag and carry them with you for safekeeping.

Clothes packing hacks

• Roll clothes, don’t fold them. This saves huge amounts of space. However, be careful not to make moving boxes too heavy.
• Group clothes hangers into groups of five. Slide each group directly into a garbage bag and they are ready for transportation.
• If you pack clothes that easily wrinkle, like an evening dress, first put it in a dry cleaning bag. You can also use a thick garbage bag if you have one. The plastic will prevent creases and wrinkles from setting in.
• Pack shoes in a nylon bag or use a shower cap.
• Stuff your shoes with small items to maximise space gain.
• For clothes that are out of season, buy a few vacuum seal bags and compress them out of your way. It’s also easy to recognise them and put them away when unpacking.
• Put your towels, linens, pillows, blankets, curtains and similar cloth items to good use. Use them as wrapping and padding for other items or pieces of furniture. Less money spent on packing supplies.

General packing hacks

• To prevent a conditioner or shampoo bottle from accidental spills here is what you do. Remove the cap. Grab a small piece of plastic sheet. Put the sheet over the neck of the tube and put the cap back on. Disaster averted.
• Use toilet paper rolls for all your cables, cords and chargers. Just don’t forget to label them and their appropriate device, so you know what is what.
• If you’re unfamiliar with electronics, snap a photo of their backside with your phone. You can use the photo later to reconnect all the cables and cords.
• Pack books and other heavy items into rolling suitcases. Don’t carry the weight if you don’t have to.
• Pack pictures, mirrors, and other breakable items with large surfaces vertical, not horizontal. Pressure and weight almost always act  vertically, having the surface horizontal is more likely to break. Also, use a ton of soft items  for padding.
• Take extra care for your delicate items. Able Removals suggest packing fragile things like wine glasses, china, and any other usual heart-breakers should take extra time to make sure they are all well-padded and not juggle the “delicate” boxes too much. Check out more tips on how to pack fragile items.
• Be extremely cautious when moving large and heavy items such as pianos. If you’re unskilled in such activities and there’s no one who can help, better call professionals who will move the piano safely and without causing any damage to it. The same rule applies for other heavy household items such as fridges, massive furniture etc.
• Pack all your documents in Ziplocs to protect and separate them. Then put them in a single container, so you don’t have to look for them afterwards.

Packing hacks from a travelling expert

Kristen Sarah

Kristen Sarah

Kristen Sarah is a full-time traveller, tiny home owner and adventure junkie. She has one of the leading YouTube travel channels and is the head honcha of award-winning travel and lifestyle website, Hopscotch the Globe.

1. Mark Your Suitcase As 'Fragile. Even if you're suitcase isn't fragile, mark it that way because the people who are handling your suitcase won't know either way. They'll see the sticker and hopefully be more careful with your belongings. Fingers crossed.
2. Store Your Curling Iron in an Oven Mitt. Bring an oven mitt to store your curling iron or your hair straightener for the mornings that you have to pack up and leave super early. It will prevent your hair tools from burning something in your suitcase.
3. Put Breakables In Socks. Anything breakables or items that can explode such as hairspray or shampoo bottles, put them in socks. That way if they do break or explode, it will happen in your socks and not all over your suitcase.
4. Pack Versatile Clothing. An easy lifestyle decision that doubles as a travel packing hack are buying reversible clothing for your next trip. Packing one item that can be turned into multiple outfits is key to packing light without looking like you're wearing the same outfit every day. There's a clothing line called Encircled which sells awesome 5-in-1 travel clothing items that are high quality and affordable. I have a couple of items from their line and use them all the time. One shirt I own can be worn 8 different ways.
5. Use GoToobs. GoToobs are fantastic! They are 100 ml squishy plastic containers for your liquids. They are great if you just wanna pack a carry-on shampoo, conditioner body cream or sunscreen. What makes GoToobs better than other travel containers is the fact you can get out every last drop of liquid because of the material it's made from.

Essentials packing hacks

• Don’t forget to pack a box of essentials. These are your most basic items like toilet paper, eating utensils baby and pet supplies, chargers etc. Use a clear plastic bin or another recognisable container for this. If you don’t plan on unpacking by the end of the evening, you will also need a bag of clothes for your first night in the new place.
• Also, prepare an essential toolbox with the tools you need to dismantle and assemble your furniture.

Check also:

How to Label Moving Boxes Like a Pro

Where to Get Boxes for Moving

Moving boxes hot tips

• Don’t fill large moving boxes with heavy stuff. They will get impossible to carry around and there are high chances your box will rip open from the bottom center, where it’s weakest.
• If you don’t have a corrugated box (wine box), you can make one yourself. Cut even pieces of cardboard that fit inside a sturdy box. Using scissors, make evenly spaced cuts along the short side up to the middle. If you make four of these pieces you can assemble a 3 x 3 grid box.
• To make lightweight boxes easier to carry, you can slice out holes on each side to make improvised handlebars. Make two vertical slices and one connecting the bottom edges. Fold the flap upwards and the box is ready for lifting. Make sure the weight is not too much and the cardboard is strong enough to endure with the cuts made.
• Label your boxes on the top and sides. Use colour coding for different rooms. Last but not least, it’s worth taking an inventory to each box if you have the time.

Furniture packing hacks

• Wrap an entire chest of drawers in plastic wrap. Add a few loops of duct tape to secure the wrapping paper in place and the drawers are ready to move with all of their contents intact.
• If drawers have sticking handles that might cause bumps and damages, unscrew them and screw them on the inside.
• Put two fitted sheets on each side of your mattress. This way it will stay clean during the entire trip and ready for use. The sheets can go in the washing machine immediately after.
• Wrap the legs of heavy furniture (such as the sofa) with a few layers of newspaper and duct tape. This makes for easy sliding and protects the floor from scratches.
• For furniture with no legs, you can fold two towels and put underneath each end. This will make sliding easier and allow you to move your heavy furniture around.
• When you dismantle furniture to reassemble in your new home, carefully collect all small bits of hardware and put them in a sandwich bag or another appropriate container. Then, label and tape this to it’s according piece of furniture to ensure it will always be nearby when you need it.
• If you’re not hiring a man and van company, it’s worth to buy or hire moving equipment. Dollies and hand trucks are invaluable when moving to a big house with lots of items. You can resell them easily afterwards.

Kitchen packing hacks

• If you go the normal way and wrap each plate with newspaper or another packaging, it will take you hours. Instead, buy a few stacks of foam plates and put one in between every two plates. Quick and easy. Read more on how to pack dishes and glasses.
• Put mugs and glasses and other breakable items in socks for quick and safe padding. You can also stuff the inside with socks as well if you need to.
• You can keep all your cutlery in the silverware tray and wrap the whole thing with plastic and duct tape.
• If your cooking pots don’t fit into each other, use their inside space to put spices, cooking equipment and other small items that fit.
• Wrap your knives in paper altogether and stick them in an oven glove to safely store and move.
• It’s a good idea to stop shopping for groceries a few weeks prior to moving. Try to eat as much of your supplies before DDAY. Having to move food is a hassle, which you can easily avoid.
• Turn off and unfreeze your fridge and freezer (and all other kitchen appliances) at least a couple of days in advance. Make sure they are dry and clean on moving day.

Do you have more awesome hacking and moving hacks? Share them with us in the comments below!

Check also:

How to Find FREE Moving Boxes

Tips for Unpacking

95.00 % of readers found this article helpful.

Click a star to add your vote

(4 votes, 95.00 % )

Loading...

boxes health how to