How to pack up a house as fast as humanly possible
January 21, 2025 10:18 AM Subscribe
For annoying reasons, I have only three days and not a lot of help to pack up an entire apartment. Can't spend money on this right now. If I'm not done in three days, it's not an all-out emergency. I'll have four more days to finish packing. But on Friday, lots of people can help move boxes. After that, there will still be help, but less.
I know how to pack in a fairly organised manner, writing lists of contents of numbered boxes. But this time, I have to pack much quicker. Do you have any advice that's not just "chuck stuff into boxes"? I think that's the end goal, but I'm having trouble packing speedily because I lack a plan. I stand in rooms and look around and wonder what to pack first. What do I leave out until the end? Do I try to pack in categories? Why does it take so long to set up the boxes? Should I focus on getting the little stuff thrown in first to reduce clutter?
I have a couple family members coming tomorrow, and I'm anxious because before helping (in a kind and efficient manner), they will likely clutch their pearls and state that there is too much to be done. I'm not extremely worried myself, I know we can do this and I have until the end of the month to actually be out of the house. I get panicky when people tell me it can't be done, though. I think if I had a bit more of a plan, I'd feel a lot better.
Thank you!
I know how to pack in a fairly organised manner, writing lists of contents of numbered boxes. But this time, I have to pack much quicker. Do you have any advice that's not just "chuck stuff into boxes"? I think that's the end goal, but I'm having trouble packing speedily because I lack a plan. I stand in rooms and look around and wonder what to pack first. What do I leave out until the end? Do I try to pack in categories? Why does it take so long to set up the boxes? Should I focus on getting the little stuff thrown in first to reduce clutter?
I have a couple family members coming tomorrow, and I'm anxious because before helping (in a kind and efficient manner), they will likely clutch their pearls and state that there is too much to be done. I'm not extremely worried myself, I know we can do this and I have until the end of the month to actually be out of the house. I get panicky when people tell me it can't be done, though. I think if I had a bit more of a plan, I'd feel a lot better.
Thank you!
If you're moving close by, take the drawers out of your dresser but leave the clothes in them. Lay them on the back seat of your car to move. Same with clothes on hangers. Fold in half in you need to but leave on hangers. Not much of a tip but it is quicker if you're not storing your stuff or using movers.
posted by stray thoughts at 10:35 AM on January 21 [5 favorites]
posted by stray thoughts at 10:35 AM on January 21 [5 favorites]
Do you have any advice that's not just "chuck stuff into boxes"?
Are you limited in terms of the number of boxes you can have? Because if not, it sounds like "chuck put stuff into boxes" is exactly what you should do. Don't waste time trying to optimize. Go room by room, wall by wall, meter by meter, and just get everything into boxes.
In terms of efficiency maybe there are more optimized approaches, but you know what? You already have your things more or less organized by room to begin with. Maybe it's not the optimal organization, but it's a realistic one - where things currently are in your current place is where they're likely to wind up at your new place. So just pack things according to where they currently are, write the room name or, like, the name of whatever piece of furniture had held the contents of the box, and be done with it.
Have lots of wrapping material (clothes and linens work for this too) to protect fragile things.
posted by trig at 10:36 AM on January 21 [8 favorites]
Are you limited in terms of the number of boxes you can have? Because if not, it sounds like "
In terms of efficiency maybe there are more optimized approaches, but you know what? You already have your things more or less organized by room to begin with. Maybe it's not the optimal organization, but it's a realistic one - where things currently are in your current place is where they're likely to wind up at your new place. So just pack things according to where they currently are, write the room name or, like, the name of whatever piece of furniture had held the contents of the box, and be done with it.
Have lots of wrapping material (clothes and linens work for this too) to protect fragile things.
posted by trig at 10:36 AM on January 21 [8 favorites]
If you have a spare empty room toss all the 'last things' in there as you find them.
I find packing at waist height less tiring so find a box to use as a 'bench'.
Are there items you are not keeping? make a not keeping / goodwill heap.
Bulk soft things can be rolled up in mats/carpets and tied with twine.
Have you enough boxes? For delicate items I use hard liquor boxes as they're a lot more protective than wine boxes.
posted by unearthed at 10:37 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]
I find packing at waist height less tiring so find a box to use as a 'bench'.
Are there items you are not keeping? make a not keeping / goodwill heap.
Bulk soft things can be rolled up in mats/carpets and tied with twine.
Have you enough boxes? For delicate items I use hard liquor boxes as they're a lot more protective than wine boxes.
posted by unearthed at 10:37 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]
I fully agree with you: this can be done.
If lots of people can help Friday, your first priority is prepping stuff you really need their help with. This may mean doing counterintuitive things like making messy piles for the sake of clearing a path for furniture to go. Consider what's heaviest and/or most awkward, what you really wouldn't want to be stuck with if you didn't have to be. The people tomorrow might be helpful in keeping any piles from being too terribly messy or hazardous to fragile items (they're likely to be more micro-focused on things like that) even if packing art supplies and figurines isn't the most efficient use of time, whereas you should hold tight to that bigger vision of how you want Friday to go. Anyone getting bogged down in details can be redirected to that thought: "on Friday these bookcases are going, so please clear them out;" "after Friday we'll have the space that the guest bed is currently in to work with, as long as we clear a route for it to depart." Etc.
posted by teremala at 10:42 AM on January 21 [3 favorites]
If lots of people can help Friday, your first priority is prepping stuff you really need their help with. This may mean doing counterintuitive things like making messy piles for the sake of clearing a path for furniture to go. Consider what's heaviest and/or most awkward, what you really wouldn't want to be stuck with if you didn't have to be. The people tomorrow might be helpful in keeping any piles from being too terribly messy or hazardous to fragile items (they're likely to be more micro-focused on things like that) even if packing art supplies and figurines isn't the most efficient use of time, whereas you should hold tight to that bigger vision of how you want Friday to go. Anyone getting bogged down in details can be redirected to that thought: "on Friday these bookcases are going, so please clear them out;" "after Friday we'll have the space that the guest bed is currently in to work with, as long as we clear a route for it to depart." Etc.
posted by teremala at 10:42 AM on January 21 [3 favorites]
I would amend phunniemee’s a bit, since you already have boxes and asked “ Why does it take so long to set up the boxes?” I would set up a bunch of boxes first and put multiple sizes of boxes in each room, and go room by room. (I’ve always packed and labeled by room, not category of item.) The only thing to really worry about is fragile items, and making sure the boxes don’t get too heavy, which is why you want multiple sizes in each room and err on the side of the heavier something is the smaller the box is that you put it in. Use blankets, throw pillows, clothes, etc. to help with the fragile items.
Build one or two boxes and label it Last, or First, or Essentials - and that’s where you put toilet paper, paper towels, marker and tape, one set of dishes and silverware and mugs/cups for eating and drinking (or disposable versions of such), some basic cleaning supplies, maybe your coffee maker if that’s a critical ingredient to your functioning, and anything else you want to pack last and open first.
posted by misskaz at 10:42 AM on January 21 [4 favorites]
Build one or two boxes and label it Last, or First, or Essentials - and that’s where you put toilet paper, paper towels, marker and tape, one set of dishes and silverware and mugs/cups for eating and drinking (or disposable versions of such), some basic cleaning supplies, maybe your coffee maker if that’s a critical ingredient to your functioning, and anything else you want to pack last and open first.
posted by misskaz at 10:42 AM on January 21 [4 favorites]
One exception to the above: if you think you need to, first pack a suitcase with some clothes, toiletries, towels, chargers, etc to use until you get unpacked. If you think that might take you a long time, either put on a timer and make yourself do it within 30 minutes, or just place an open suitcase on the floor in the middle of one room, quickly dump X days' worth of clothes in it, and then as you box things up if you come across something you think you'll absolutely want at hand in the first few days, throw it in the suitcase. When you're done you can repack the suitcase neatly if you want.
But as before, don't waste time on this, don't try to optimize.
posted by trig at 10:43 AM on January 21 [9 favorites]
But as before, don't waste time on this, don't try to optimize.
posted by trig at 10:43 AM on January 21 [9 favorites]
Go pack a suitcase to live out of, and one Kitchen Essentials + Cleaning Supplies box. I get paralyzed by "what do I leave out" and the correct answer is nothing, eat pizza (frozen or delivered) and sandwiches. Everything not in the suitcase and Essentials box gets packed, without ranking or prioritizing.
The only exception to this would be largeish or fragile items, lamps and decor/special items that either need to be packed more carefully or need padding or wrapping. You can leave these for the helpers to do since it's fiddly work, but try to move all those items to a corner of one room or a cleared table so you can just point there and say "do those".
In an urgency pack, I pack by square feet radius. Take a box to the closet, write closet on it, start dropping the contents of the closet into it. It doesn't matter if there's stuff in there that would make "more sense" packed with something in another spot - that's where it was, so that's where it gets packed. Hand a relative a box and send them to a location and tell them to come back when the box is full. Next box: empty the bathroom. Next box: start at the leftmost kitchen cabinet and work right.
If you want to be really efficient in getting out of this place, you can't cull and sort at this time. The reason professional packers are so fast is that literally everything in your house is just lego to them. They chuck in box, no stopping to think. Big lego, little lego, chuck chuck chuck.
Unfortunately the time to cull and clean was like 2 weeks ago. You'll have to move too much stuff and get rid of it as you unpack.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:43 AM on January 21 [10 favorites]
The only exception to this would be largeish or fragile items, lamps and decor/special items that either need to be packed more carefully or need padding or wrapping. You can leave these for the helpers to do since it's fiddly work, but try to move all those items to a corner of one room or a cleared table so you can just point there and say "do those".
In an urgency pack, I pack by square feet radius. Take a box to the closet, write closet on it, start dropping the contents of the closet into it. It doesn't matter if there's stuff in there that would make "more sense" packed with something in another spot - that's where it was, so that's where it gets packed. Hand a relative a box and send them to a location and tell them to come back when the box is full. Next box: empty the bathroom. Next box: start at the leftmost kitchen cabinet and work right.
If you want to be really efficient in getting out of this place, you can't cull and sort at this time. The reason professional packers are so fast is that literally everything in your house is just lego to them. They chuck in box, no stopping to think. Big lego, little lego, chuck chuck chuck.
Unfortunately the time to cull and clean was like 2 weeks ago. You'll have to move too much stuff and get rid of it as you unpack.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:43 AM on January 21 [10 favorites]
I have moved cross country several times in the last few years and have experimented with different strategies for making packing up easier each time.
From my experiments I have found that aside from packing a first day box (key stuff like toilet paper, soap, towels and whatever you need immediately when you get to your new place) putting effort into organizing during packing made absolutely no difference in things being easier to unpack or pack up. I am firmly in the camp of just pile stuff into boxes or bags willy nilly with nothing more than a label on what room the box contents came from.
While I think it is really great to use moving as a time to sort through stuff and get rid of things you don’t need anymore you can also do this as you unpack if you have a time crunch.
posted by forkisbetter at 10:44 AM on January 21 [5 favorites]
From my experiments I have found that aside from packing a first day box (key stuff like toilet paper, soap, towels and whatever you need immediately when you get to your new place) putting effort into organizing during packing made absolutely no difference in things being easier to unpack or pack up. I am firmly in the camp of just pile stuff into boxes or bags willy nilly with nothing more than a label on what room the box contents came from.
While I think it is really great to use moving as a time to sort through stuff and get rid of things you don’t need anymore you can also do this as you unpack if you have a time crunch.
posted by forkisbetter at 10:44 AM on January 21 [5 favorites]
I had a company pay for a cross country move and they packed a 4,000 sq ft house in 3 days with 4 people. It can be done. Methodical, consistent work. Dispassionate. Do not spend time looking at items remembering where you got them or what friend did with you when you were there.
One person does a room. Kitchen with lots of breakables should probably be prioritized. Not sure what kind of plan you want, but put stuff in boxes efficiently is a damn good plan. Have the packer take a picture of the box including the outside label "Dining Room #2". Don't waste time writing it down. A picture will work and you can always inventory it later.
Depending on hos far you are going and in what vehicle you are using, would affect the degree of packing caution.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:52 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]
One person does a room. Kitchen with lots of breakables should probably be prioritized. Not sure what kind of plan you want, but put stuff in boxes efficiently is a damn good plan. Have the packer take a picture of the box including the outside label "Dining Room #2". Don't waste time writing it down. A picture will work and you can always inventory it later.
Depending on hos far you are going and in what vehicle you are using, would affect the degree of packing caution.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:52 AM on January 21 [1 favorite]
Pack an "open me first" box with cleaning supplies, maybe some hand tools, an outlet strip, that kind of thing.
Pack like things together—the boxes will be easier to handle and will travel better. So don't mix clothes and books and kitchenware. But also don't let yourself be slowed down by this rule.
If you don't have a tape gun, get a tape gun. Use 2" packing tape that comes on 3" diameter rolls. Don't mess around with strapping tape, duct tape, masking tape, etc.
Save the small stuff for the end. There will be more of it than you can believe. Throw out what you can.
posted by adamrice at 11:05 AM on January 21
Pack like things together—the boxes will be easier to handle and will travel better. So don't mix clothes and books and kitchenware. But also don't let yourself be slowed down by this rule.
If you don't have a tape gun, get a tape gun. Use 2" packing tape that comes on 3" diameter rolls. Don't mess around with strapping tape, duct tape, masking tape, etc.
Save the small stuff for the end. There will be more of it than you can believe. Throw out what you can.
posted by adamrice at 11:05 AM on January 21
Agree to pack a large suitcase/box TODAY with all the stuff you need for the next week, so you live out of that suitcase and that suitcase only while you are packing and after you move in to the new spot. So clothing, meds, shower/bathroom stuff, a pan or two, basic cooking supplies, toilet paper.
Then just chuck stuff in boxes by room as best you can, try to label for where in said room it might go (eg Bedroom-dresser, Kitchen-pantry, etc).
And the black bags for moving vs white bags for trash is a great idea.
posted by greta simone at 1:21 PM on January 21
Then just chuck stuff in boxes by room as best you can, try to label for where in said room it might go (eg Bedroom-dresser, Kitchen-pantry, etc).
And the black bags for moving vs white bags for trash is a great idea.
posted by greta simone at 1:21 PM on January 21
Get a box of clear contractor bags and rolls of packing tape. Take out two complete outfits and four sets of underwear/socks, put them in a backpack or duffel bag along with your toiletries and set it aside.
Don't triage now. Take all your clean clothes, put them next to your dishes, use you clothes to wrap all your dishes and put them in boxes. Same for art. Sheets wrap furniture. Pots, pans, etc, go in jackets and in a box. All utensils go in their own box.
Books go in boxes, Anything fabric you haven't used to for padding anything goes in contractor bags. After that, anything left - knicknacks, etc - go in boxes (padded) if delicate, bags if not.
All your plants , if you have them, go in one corner, they go last.
posted by mhoye at 1:41 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
Don't triage now. Take all your clean clothes, put them next to your dishes, use you clothes to wrap all your dishes and put them in boxes. Same for art. Sheets wrap furniture. Pots, pans, etc, go in jackets and in a box. All utensils go in their own box.
Books go in boxes, Anything fabric you haven't used to for padding anything goes in contractor bags. After that, anything left - knicknacks, etc - go in boxes (padded) if delicate, bags if not.
All your plants , if you have them, go in one corner, they go last.
posted by mhoye at 1:41 PM on January 21 [3 favorites]
Way more boxes than you think you'll need. Books go in med. - size boxes, Pots & pans, linens, towels, in big boxes. Linens can even go in trash bags and can be used to cushion stuff. Label things really well - label bags with masking tape. Books are easy to pack, so let somebody else pack them.
posted by theora55 at 2:48 PM on January 21
posted by theora55 at 2:48 PM on January 21
N'thing the advice to pack yourself a bag for the duration of the packing, move and 2 days of unpacking on the other end and a box/bag with the cleaning stuff you need to tidy up enough to get your deposit back at the end. As long as you have those, it's unlikely to be a catastrophe if someone packs something in a weird place and it takes you a little while to find it again.
If you have a lot of books (or other rectangular media), do those first. They're easy to fit in boxes, you almost certainly won't need to access them in the next couple of days, and they'll give you a sense of momentum as you'll get a big pile of packed boxes quickly. Then prioritize packing fragile stuff you need to carefully package to make sure you have time to do it right and any heavy stuff other than books you need other people to help you with to make sure you have it ready for them. Then everything else can be done in all the quick ways people outlined above.
posted by snaw at 4:37 PM on January 21
If you have a lot of books (or other rectangular media), do those first. They're easy to fit in boxes, you almost certainly won't need to access them in the next couple of days, and they'll give you a sense of momentum as you'll get a big pile of packed boxes quickly. Then prioritize packing fragile stuff you need to carefully package to make sure you have time to do it right and any heavy stuff other than books you need other people to help you with to make sure you have it ready for them. Then everything else can be done in all the quick ways people outlined above.
posted by snaw at 4:37 PM on January 21
Lots of great advice already. I've moved house 30 times over the years, all done myself with helpers (as opposed to pros). Adding my 2 cents to what theora55 wrote:
Get at least twice as many new boxes from UHaul or Home Depot as you think you'll need. They will buy back what you don't use. You'll use mostly the small size (probably what theora55 calls "med. size") and not as many bigger ones. Big boxes become unwieldy from the temptation to overload them.
Get a packing tape dispenser/applicator like this: https://www.amazon.com/Dispenser-Pacific-Mailer-Lightweight-Industrial/dp/B08VRM8DRC .. Home Depot have them too, and plenty of rolls of tape, for assembling the boxes.
DO NOT SKIMP ON BOXES. You need the boxes to be all the same size for ease of moving; if you gather random wine boxes, spirit boxes etc. they're hard to manage.
As others said, use plastic bags too, but boxes are a lot easier to manage for the actual move (as opposed to the packing).
If you'll be renting a truck, consider renting a dolly or handtruck from the same place.
If you still need help after your friends have gone, hire casual workers from outside Home Depot or local lumberyards, or if that's not a possibility where you live there are other sources for casual labor.
posted by anadem at 4:40 PM on January 21
Get at least twice as many new boxes from UHaul or Home Depot as you think you'll need. They will buy back what you don't use. You'll use mostly the small size (probably what theora55 calls "med. size") and not as many bigger ones. Big boxes become unwieldy from the temptation to overload them.
Get a packing tape dispenser/applicator like this: https://www.amazon.com/Dispenser-Pacific-Mailer-Lightweight-Industrial/dp/B08VRM8DRC .. Home Depot have them too, and plenty of rolls of tape, for assembling the boxes.
DO NOT SKIMP ON BOXES. You need the boxes to be all the same size for ease of moving; if you gather random wine boxes, spirit boxes etc. they're hard to manage.
As others said, use plastic bags too, but boxes are a lot easier to manage for the actual move (as opposed to the packing).
If you'll be renting a truck, consider renting a dolly or handtruck from the same place.
If you still need help after your friends have gone, hire casual workers from outside Home Depot or local lumberyards, or if that's not a possibility where you live there are other sources for casual labor.
posted by anadem at 4:40 PM on January 21
I've moved twice quite recently, both quickly. The second went much better than the first!
1. Spend 10 minutes pulling out a bare minimum of kitchen needs and put them on top of your stove. Get your helpers to pack the rest. Kitchens are tricky to pack, take much longer than other catagories. Give them carte blanche to throw away expired food and chipped plates.
2. Spend 10 minutes pulling out a weeks worth of clothes, a towel and a spare set of sheets. Put them in a suitcase (or on the bed for now). Add chargers and any documentation needed for the move.
3. Start with books. When you get to the top of the box, don't spend more than a few seconds finding the perfect thing to fit in the box, shove in some linen or a throw pillow or out of season clothes. Anything that it doesn't matter if it takes awhile to find. Scrunched up paper is also fine, it's what the professionals do.
4. LABEL THE BOX WELL ON AT LEAST THREE SIDES. Put a full description on one side and a keyword at least on the others. Your future self will thank you. Stack boxes neatly in out of the way places for as long as possible.
5. Put tricky-to-pack breakables on the dining room table. Buy a roll of butchers paper and ask a helper to pack them. Don't let a lamp or weird back of the door hook thing derail you.
6. Do clothes and linens last. They are the fastest to pack and take almost no time at all. Linen in particular is useful for packing around fragile stuff, there should be much left by the end.
posted by kjs4 at 4:45 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
1. Spend 10 minutes pulling out a bare minimum of kitchen needs and put them on top of your stove. Get your helpers to pack the rest. Kitchens are tricky to pack, take much longer than other catagories. Give them carte blanche to throw away expired food and chipped plates.
2. Spend 10 minutes pulling out a weeks worth of clothes, a towel and a spare set of sheets. Put them in a suitcase (or on the bed for now). Add chargers and any documentation needed for the move.
3. Start with books. When you get to the top of the box, don't spend more than a few seconds finding the perfect thing to fit in the box, shove in some linen or a throw pillow or out of season clothes. Anything that it doesn't matter if it takes awhile to find. Scrunched up paper is also fine, it's what the professionals do.
4. LABEL THE BOX WELL ON AT LEAST THREE SIDES. Put a full description on one side and a keyword at least on the others. Your future self will thank you. Stack boxes neatly in out of the way places for as long as possible.
5. Put tricky-to-pack breakables on the dining room table. Buy a roll of butchers paper and ask a helper to pack them. Don't let a lamp or weird back of the door hook thing derail you.
6. Do clothes and linens last. They are the fastest to pack and take almost no time at all. Linen in particular is useful for packing around fragile stuff, there should be much left by the end.
posted by kjs4 at 4:45 PM on January 21 [1 favorite]
Also, pack the big stuff into the bottom of the box. It's much easier to tesselate the little stuff around the big stuff than vice versa.
posted by kjs4 at 4:59 PM on January 21
posted by kjs4 at 4:59 PM on January 21
I had a big move paid for by an employer and they paid people to pack for me. They packed in like 2 hours. How? Check stuff into boxes. I mean they wrapped it in paper first usually, but that was it. No organization system, nothing just hrab the closest thing and stick in a box. Then grab the closest thing and put it in the box. When the box is full, closest it. Get another box. Grab the closest thing and put it in a box.
Look, thinking and deciding and optimizing take a lot of time. But they are optional. The only non-optional thing is putting stuff in boxes. So just do that part and nothing else. If you can do it with your eyes closed so you don't think about the thing in your hand and whether maybe you should throw it out, or would it fit better in that other box, or looking it over because happy memories, then great! Just close your eyes, reach out. Grab the first thing you feel, and put it in a box!
Oh, and label the box by destination room. When you get there, take everything out of the box and give the box away. My movers also unpacked even faster than they packed.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:14 PM on January 21
Look, thinking and deciding and optimizing take a lot of time. But they are optional. The only non-optional thing is putting stuff in boxes. So just do that part and nothing else. If you can do it with your eyes closed so you don't think about the thing in your hand and whether maybe you should throw it out, or would it fit better in that other box, or looking it over because happy memories, then great! Just close your eyes, reach out. Grab the first thing you feel, and put it in a box!
Oh, and label the box by destination room. When you get there, take everything out of the box and give the box away. My movers also unpacked even faster than they packed.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:14 PM on January 21
If I were doing this, I'd go to Costo and buy maybe 20-40 of those oversized black plastic totes with yellow lids that snap on. I'd take an image of the bin's contents as I fill one, then label the outside with clear tape and a printed label. Maybe just a bin number and then attach or rename the image with the bin number. You want to chuck stuff safely into a bin, wrap it with paper, label the bin, and do the next. Easy to move, easy to store, easy to pick up, easy to stack. 1,2 3... Put a set of essentials for daily living into separate containers and keep that away from the bulk of goods in totes until you get everything sorted in the new location.
Have a roll of newsprint dunnage on hand. Unroll a sheet, rip it loose, pack the goods, and repeat.
Then, sell the totes online. Done. Have cordage on hand to tie things together, zip ties, Sharpies, blue tape to put on stuff for labels, and maybe some paper labels with wire ties to help identify boxes in boxes: gloves, protective eyewear, music, water. Get 'er done.
The heavy stuff is on the bottom, not too much, and then the lighter stuff is on top. Be careful with glass and breakables, add extra paper, and do not put heavy angular stuff in those totes with glass and fragile things.
posted by diode at 6:51 PM on January 21
Have a roll of newsprint dunnage on hand. Unroll a sheet, rip it loose, pack the goods, and repeat.
Then, sell the totes online. Done. Have cordage on hand to tie things together, zip ties, Sharpies, blue tape to put on stuff for labels, and maybe some paper labels with wire ties to help identify boxes in boxes: gloves, protective eyewear, music, water. Get 'er done.
The heavy stuff is on the bottom, not too much, and then the lighter stuff is on top. Be careful with glass and breakables, add extra paper, and do not put heavy angular stuff in those totes with glass and fragile things.
posted by diode at 6:51 PM on January 21
If you're in a rush and don't want to spend too much time or money on moving and packing, here are some tips: If you have small containers, like for food, use them for utensils or other small kitchen items. Instead of taking clothes out of your drawers, just move the drawers themselves. Use extra backpacks for things you'll need right away after moving, like your work laptop or personal items. Everything else can go in boxes, just be sure to label them by the room they’re from. If you can, start packing your most important items first—ideally before your family arrives to help, so you’re not scrambling if they tell you it’s not all going to fit. Good luck!
posted by liza97 at 7:36 PM on January 21
posted by liza97 at 7:36 PM on January 21
For clothes hanging in a closet on clothes hangers... tape a bunch (say 5-10) together using masking tape. Take a garbage bag and cut a hole in the middle for the coat hanger hook. This way you will be able to hang up the clothes at your new place without dealing with packing or unpacking coat hangers.
posted by oceano at 3:24 PM on January 22 [1 favorite]
posted by oceano at 3:24 PM on January 22 [1 favorite]
Clothes, towels and sheets can all be used to wrap up your kitchen pottery and fragile knick knacks without having to hunt down bubble wrap. Layer of clothing in box, layer of things, repeat.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 7:29 PM on January 24
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 7:29 PM on January 24
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Write locations on each bag. Things like "bedside table" or "desk" or "floor in corner of bedroom"... You know best what your problems are, fit your own situation.
Then literally pick up whole areas and shove them into the trash bags. Tie the drawstrings in a bow so you can regain fast access later without ripping the whole thing apart. You can also bag about a foot of clothing this way right inside the closet without taking anything off hangers.
You can either move the trash bags as they are, or stick the trash bags into boxes/crates if you're feeling fancy.
The magic of this is that if your life is currently a mess, you don't have to pre organize anything. You can quickly cut and run from your current place into the next, and deal with the problems later. It enables you to make progress even without a plan. The important thing is getting things moved.
Pro-tip: get black garbage bags for actual garbage. When people are helping you, tell everyone the white bags are NOT TRASH. Write it on a poster and put it on the door:
WHITE BAGS = NOT TRASH!!
BLACK BAGS ONLY = YES TRASH
posted by phunniemee at 10:28 AM on January 21 [18 favorites]