Packing for moving is a laborious and time-consuming task. It is generally recommended to start the process a month or so in advance so you have enough time to take proper care of your belongings and get everything ready by moving day.
Sometimes, however, you may need to move on short notice and may not have a month – not even a week – to prepare for your relocation. In some cases, you may even need to pack for your move in one day.
While everyone would like to be able to pack and move in one day, it sounds like an impossible mission. And in most cases, it is indeed impossible – unless you hire professional packers and movers who have the specialized equipment, technical know-how, and rich experience to pack an entire household in the course of several hours.
If your home is very small, though, and you have a minimalist lifestyle, you may be able to pack for a move in one day.
It is an enormous challenge, yet studio apartments and one-bedroom apartments can be packed in a day. Even some two-bedroom apartments and small houses can be packed in about 16 hours or so if there are enough people on the job and they know what they’re doing.
If your home has more than 2 bedrooms, however, or if you have an attic, garage, or basement, you shouldn’t even think about packing in one day – such a feat can only be achieved by a team of experienced professionals.
So, how to pack for a move in one day?
- Option 1: Hire professional movers and packers to do the job for you. Not only will they be able to pack your home within a few hours, but the safety and efficiency of their work will guarantee your smooth and successful relocation;
- Option 2: Find out how to pack for a move quickly and get down to work without delay.
If you find the second option more appealing, be sure to read (and follow) the quick packing tips below – and you may very well succeed in accomplishing the seemingly impossible.
Recruit as many helpers as possible
One-day packing is not a one-man job. Every extra pair of hands will save you several hours, so you need to ensure as much packing help as possible:
- Enlist all family members in the packing process – including kids who are old enough to help (See also: 5 ways children can help during a move);
- Ask friends to give you a hand – You can even throw a last-minute packing party – buy some drinks, order a pizza, play everyone’s favorite music, come up with some challenging packing games, and enjoy the opportunity to spend some time together with your friends while packing your items as quickly as possible (See also: How to get friends to help you move);
- Ask a reliable friend, relative, or neighbor to look after your young kids and pets (if any), so they stay safe away from the packing chaos and you can focus on your work. (See also: Should you hire a babysitter on moving day)
Give every helper a specific task (ask one person to wrap items in packing paper, another – to put things in boxes, add cushioning and padding, and seal the cartons, still another – to wrap larger household items in moving blankets, etc.) or assign them a specific room or part of a room (one person may be responsible for packing the bathroom, another – for packing the bookshelves, a third one – for packing the closet, etc.). Make sure you give the most difficult tasks (like packing plates and glasses) to your most experienced and most careful helpers.
Start as early as possible
Needless to say, the earlier in the morning you start packing, the more time you will have to complete the task. So, be sure to rise with the dawn, have a quick breakfast, and get down to work without delay.
Stay focused and don’t get sidetracked – keep a steady pace, eliminate distractions (TV, phone, etc.) and finish your current task before your start another. It’s a good idea to play some rhythmic music – it will keep you entertained and stimulated, considerably speeding up things.
Bonus tips:
- When wondering how to pack a house in one day, remember that the best approach is to pack room by room. Focusing on one area at a time will help you stay organized and get the job done quickly and efficiently;
- Make sure you have ample packing supplies on hand, so you don’t need to run to the store – and waste time – in the middle of the packing process. Keep in mind that when packing in a hurry, you may not be able to maximize the space in the boxes, so you will most likely need more packing containers than you would if you had more time;
- Take photos of your belongings before you pack them – so you have proof of their condition before the move and visual aid when reconnecting electronics, reassembling furniture, and recreating your home décor after the move.
Pack your essentials and your most valuable items first
When pressed for time, you need to prioritize – and your essentials and valuables definitely have the highest priority.
Pack essentials first (documents, medications, toiletries, personal care items, personal electronics and chargers, clothing, etc.), so they don’t get mixed up with the rest of your items (or get lost) during the ensuing packing chaos. (See also: What to pack in a survival box)
Take care of your valuables next – it’s best to pack your most expensive items and most treasured belongings early in the day, while you’re not yet tired and can think clearly and work deftly, so you can provide them with the best protection possible.
Skip the sorting
It’s advisable to sort your belongings before moving and get rid of unneeded items. Yet, when packing in one day, you don’t have time to declutter – you will have to purge while you pack.
Be ruthless though – the fewer items you decide to take to your new home, the faster you will finish packing (and the cheaper and easier your move is going to be).
So, start packing and when you come across an item that has no special value to you and is unlikely to be used again, throw it into one of the following piles:
- To be discarded – damaged, worn out, unusable, and worthless items. Throw these things away or take them to the nearest recycling center;
- To be given away – things in good condition that you don’t need or don’t like anymore. You won’t be able to sell any of them (there will be no time to organize a garage sale or list your unwanted items online and wait for someone to buy them), but you can easily and quickly drop them off at a local donation collection center. (Be sure to give away to friends and relatives who come to help you pack anything they like from that pile first.)
See also: How to decide what to keep when moving; How to get rid of unwanted items when moving
Bonus tip – If you have hired professional movers to transport your stuff to your new home, ask them for a list of non-allowable items, so you don’t waste time packing things they won’t move – give such items away to neighbors or throw them out.
Even if you’re moving yourself, it may still be better to give away difficult to move items that don’t have much value (such as cleaning supplies, for example) instead of wasting precious time packing them for the move.
Leave things in drawers
One of the most efficient ways to save time when packing is to pack drawers as they’re.
Instead of emptying drawers and packing the things that were stored in them in moving boxes, you can simply leave everything as it is – just take the drawers out of the furniture and wrap them in moving blankets to provide protection to both the drawers and the items inside them. Use plastic wrap to secure the blankets in place and to help keep the things in the drawers safely contained inside.
You can even leave some drawers in the furniture if the piece is strong enough and the drawers contain lightweight items (such as dresser drawers, for example). Just don’t forget to secure the drawers with tape so they don’t open during the move.
Either way, make sure there are no fragile items in the drawers as they may not survive the relocation intact.
See also: Do you need to empty drawers when moving
Use wardrobe boxes
Wardrobe boxes will allow you to pack your hanging clothes in several minutes – all you’ll need to do is take your garments from the wardrobe (as they’re on their hangers) and transfer them into the specialized boxes that are tall enough to accommodate the hanging clothes and have a bar for hanging clothes across the top.
You can use the space on the bottom of the wardrobe boxes to pack some bulky items, such as pillows, linen sets, and plush toys.
Use suitcases, hampers, and other containers you have at home
As useful as cardboard boxes may be, packing in alternative packing containers can save you a lot of time and effort – you won’t need to pad the bottoms of your suitcases or duffel bags before putting stuff in them or seal them closed with tape, etc.
Such improvised packing containers may not provide as good protection to your belongings as moving boxes, but they will work fine for non-breakable items:
- Pack books in wheeled suitcases – this will not only save you time, but will also save your back as your heavy books will be much easier to transport in the wheeled suitcases;
- Pack clothes, linens, non-breakable kitchen items (utensils, food preparation tools, tablecloths, aprons, oven mitts, cooking sheets, etc.), non-breakable children’s toys, board games, and other small items that are not vulnerable to damage in laundry hampers, wicker baskets, etc.
- Pack bathroom items, toiletries, and cleaning supplies in plastic bins.
Needless to say, using the containers you have at home as packing containers will reduce your packing expenses too (as you won’t need to buy so many cardboard boxes).
See also: Packing supplies for moving you already own
Pack soft items in trash bags
The quickest way to pack for a move is to throw everything in trash bags. You can’t do that, of course, as most of your items won’t be safe during the relocation unless they’re properly wrapped in protective materials and carefully arranged in sturdy moving containers with lots of padding inside.
Some of your belongings, however, will survive a move in a trash bag – soft items like bedding, clothing, and plush toys won’t break during transit, so you can pack them in garbage bags without worrying about their safety. Just throw these things in large, heavy-duty plastic bags and draw the strings – it will take you no more than a couple of minutes and your soft items will be ready for moving.
Pack small, non-breakable items in sealable plastic bags
Organizing small items requires too much time you can’t afford to spare when trying to pack your entire home in a day. Your fastest option is to place small, non-breakable objects directly in Ziploc bags – you will save the time for organizing them and packing them separately and will avoid the risk of losing them during the move.
Use towels and linens as wrapping and cushioning materials
Not only will this help you reduce the amount of professional packing materials you will need for your move, but it will also help you pack faster as you won’t lose time packing your towels and linens separately. Besides, wrapping an item in a towel is easier – and quicker – than wrapping an item in packing paper or bubble wrap.
Good to know: When it comes to filling the gaps in a box with cushioning materials, packing peanuts are your fastest option – they shift and tumble, filling any empty spaces in seconds.
Use a permanent marker to label your boxes
It is not a good idea to skip labeling the boxes in order to save time – this may cause severe troubles down the road. What you can do to speed things up is to write the contents of the box and any necessary handling instructions with a permanent marker instead of making labels and attaching them to the boxes. Another good option is to print labels on adhesive paper.
So, to sum it all up – how to pack up an apartment in one day (or a small house)?
The fastest way to pack for moving is to pack room by room, leave things as they’re (leave drawers full, leave hanging clothes on their hangers, leave folded clothes in the dresser, etc.), and not fuss over non-breakable items. It’s crucial to have helpers, too.
Do not try to pack in one day without professional help if your home is big (it is simply impossible for non-professionals to pack a four-bedroom house in the course of a single day), you’re moving long distance (when packing quickly, you won’t be able to provide your items with good enough protection to survive several days on the road), or you have specialty items (specialty items need special packing care in order to stay safe and sound during a move – they should always be left to professional packers).
