Packing for a house move is a laborious, error-prone task. It takes too much time and too much effort and hides too many pitfalls. You need to follow the golden rules of packing so you don’t make a critical mistake – and you need to use the safest and most efficient techniques for packing different kinds of items so you can provide the best possible protection to your belongings. You also need to – or at least would certainly like to – find a way to speed up and simplify the process.
In fact, there do exist a number of packing hacks for moving that can help you complete the job in a faster and more efficient manner – you just need to know them.
Here are some clever packing tricks you may want to try out when preparing for your next relocation:
Use the nesting dolls method
Nesting dolls – or Matryoshka dolls – are sets of dolls of decreasing size that fit inside one another.
When packing for a move, you can use the Matryoshka doll principle to save space and reduce the number of packing containers needed for your relocation – just nest your items inside one another whenever possible for maximum packing efficiency.
Pots and pans, plates and bowls, hats and chairs, and various other household items can be easily stacked together; hollow items can hold other smaller items inside them; shoes can be stuffed with socks; etc. – nesting packing will allow you to save space and, therefore, money:
- You’ll need fewer packing containers – so you’ll save on packing expenses (See also: How many boxes do you need for a move);
- There will be fewer boxes to load and unload – so your move will take less time and if your movers are charging you by the hour, the final moving cost will be lower (See also: How much do local movers cost);
- Your goods will take less space in the moving truck – so you’ll pay less if your shipment is consolidated or will be able to rent a smaller vehicle (and pay a smaller rental fee) if you’re performing a self-move.
Bonus tip: When using the nesting dolls packing method, do not forget to pack some items in the topmost container of a stack – when stacking pots and pans, put small kitchen items in the topmost pot; when stacking bins and buckets, put small bathroom items in the topmost bin; etc.
Additional useful information: Russian doll packing
Roll your clothes (and everything else that can be rolled)
By a rule of thumb, anything that can be folded, can also be rolled. And when being packed for moving, it should be rolled – rolled items can take about 50% less space than they would take when folded.
So, rolling too will help you save space (and money – as explained above) when packing for a move. As an added bonus, it will save you time and effort as well – rolling your clothes, for example, is much easier and much faster than folding them neatly for packing.
Pack soft, voluminous items in vacuum bags
In addition to nesting packing and rolling, there is another efficient packing trick that will allow you to save space (and money) when moving – packing in vacuum bags.
Vacuum seal bags, also known as compression bags, are great space-savers – when the air is sucked out of them (there is a valve on the side of the bag for that purpose), they shrink down to a very small size and become compact and easy to move.
Vacuum bags are extremely useful for packing soft, bulky items such as duvets, quilts, pillows, blankets, winter clothes, and other items made of easy-to-condense materials.
Related: How to save space when packing for a move
Pack small items in sealable plastic bags
While vacuum seal bags are great for voluminous items, Ziploc bags are perfect for small things – they allow you to easily organize and keep together any small items you need to pack for moving.
Sealable bags are especially useful for keeping together the small hardware parts of disassembled furniture (put all screws, bolts, etc. in a zipper bag, seal it tightly, and tape it to the corresponding furniture piece to avoid losing the hardware), but they work great for packing any small items you’re moving to your new home as well (group your tiny belongings in a way that is meaningful to you, place them in Ziploc bags, seal the bags tight, and put them together in a box).
Pack heavyweight items in suitcases
Using travel suitcases as moving containers is one of the best packing tricks for moving. Suitcases are designed to hold items safely inside them (they’re sturdy and padded on the inside, so they provide excellent protection to the things inside them) and you’re definitely going to take your suitcases with you when moving – so it’s only logical to pack some of your belongings in them. The real trick, however, is to pack them with your heavier items.
Most suitcases have small wheels on the bottom, so they’re easy to roll in and out of a home – and that allows you to easily take weighty objects, such as books and small appliances, from your home to the moving truck – and vice versa.
Pack hanging clothes in garbage bags
Using garbage bags to pack hanging clothes directly from the closet is a popular packing hack – it makes the task of packing clothes for moving incredibly easy.
All you need to do is wrap a twist tie around the metal hooks of a group of hangers with similar clothing on them, make a small hole in the middle of the bottom of a durable, drawstring trash bag, get the hooks of the tied hangers through the hole, pull down the plastic bag so it covers the hanging clothes completely, and secure the bottom of the bag by pulling its drawstring. Simple as that.
Related: How to pack hanging clothes for moving
Wrap soft items in sheets
Wrapping lightweight, non-breakable items in sheets is another one of the best packing hacks for moving – your belongings will be well protected in the soft fabric and the bundles will be easy to carry and to fit inside the moving truck (they can be squeezed between furniture legs, placed over large boxes or furniture pieces, etc.).
Instead of packing a group of hanging clothes in a trash bag, you can wrap a sheet around them and secure the bundle with stretch wrap, packing tape, bungee cords, cable ties, or ropes. Sheets aren’t slippery and don’t tear so easily, so they’ll provide much better protection to your clothes than plastic bags.
Bed sheets provide an easy and efficient packing method that can be used not only for clothes but also for any soft, lightweight items you’re moving to your new home – plush toys, cushions, etc. Just spread a sheet across your bed, place your items on it, wrap the sheet around them, and tie the ends into a knot.
Leave non-breakable items in their drawers
Packing drawers as they’re – full of contents – is a rather simple, yet quite efficient trick that will save you plenty of time and effort when preparing for your move. Instead of taking lightweight, non-breakable items out of their drawer and packing them separately, you can simply leave them as they’re and wrap the entire drawer in plastic wrap. It may be a good idea to cover the wrapped drawer in a blanket for extra protection during the move.
See also: How to pack drawers for moving
Use plastic wrap to prevent spills
Plastic wrap can be used not only for packing drawers and securing protective materials – it comes in handy for many other tricky packing tasks as well. Such as keeping liquids from spilling – and staining or drenching other items – during a move, for example.
When packing liquids, you’re advised to remove the caps from your open bottles, tubes, jars, etc., place a piece of plastic wrap over the openings, secure it with a rubber band, and tighten the caps back on. The containers will be completely leak-proof and there will be no risk of your bathroom products, kitchen ingredients, and other liquid and powder products spilling during the relocation.
Additional useful information: How to pack liquids for moving
Use drinking straws and empty paper rolls to prevent tangling
Cables, cords, and chains can easily get tangled during transportation and cause you a number of headaches. Fortunately, there are a couple of easy packing hacks for moving that will help you prevent tangling:
- Thread chain necklaces, chain bracelets, and other thin chains through plastic drinking straws and clasp the ends;
- Use empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls to keep cables, cords, and thicker chains organized and tangle-free.
In fact, using items you already have at home (old towels, clothes, linens, etc.) instead of professional wrapping and padding materials is one of the smartest packing tips you can take advantage of when preparing for a move. It will save you a lot of money and will make your packing job faster and simpler – you can pack glasses in thick, clean socks; put small, fragile items in hard glasses cases; organize jewelry items in egg cartons; pack knives in oven mitts; etc. You’ll be surprised to find out how many packing containers and protective materials you already own – and can use for your next move.
See also: Packing materials for moving you already own
Double box fragile items
Double boxing is an effective packing trick used to ensure the safety of fragile items during a house move. It involves using two boxes to provide the best possible protection to delicate articles, sensitive equipment, and other breakables during shipment – the fragile items are wrapped in packing paper and bubble wrap and packed in a padded box that is then placed inside a larger box. The space between the two boxes is filled with cushioning materials and the outer box is sealed securely. That way, the risk of damage to the breakables packed in the inner box is reduced to a minimum.
Additional information: Double boxing – safe packing at its safest
These clever packing tips and tricks will save you time, effort, and money when preparing your items for moving – and will keep your belongings safer during the relocation. You can, however, take the packing burden completely off your shoulders – hire professional packers and movers to take care of your belongings and don’t worry about a thing. The pros will do all the work for you and will deliver your items to your new home intact and unscathed – it’s the best moving hack of them all!
