The Beginner’s Guide to Packing Supplies
Are you moving sometime in the near future? One of the first things to ask yourself is whether you’re going to be packing everything yourself or investing in a time-saving packing service. Should you decide to do the packing yourself, start planning and getting organized now. The more organized you are, the easier and faster the move will be. To help you get organized, we’ve created The Beginner’s Guide to Packing Supplies. Read on for our best advice on packing supplies and getting organized.
Moving Boxes
When buying packing supplies, you’ll see small boxes, medium boxes, large boxes, speciality boxes, and more. Each of these boxes serves a different purpose, and there are specific reasons for each one. Learn more about each type below.
Small Boxes (1.5 Cubic Feet)
These boxes are best for canned goods, bathroom items, jewelry, and books. If you have a lot of books, you may be tempted to pack them in larger boxes for efficiency. Sure, you’ll use fewer boxes, but you may be forgetting about practicality. Someone still has to pick that box up and possibly carry it up and down stairs. A book on its own seems pretty light, but once you add 20‒25 books inside, you’re already looking at anywhere from 20‒50 pounds per box.
Medium Box (3 Cubic Feet)
Medium-sized boxes are ideal for folded clothes, pots and pans, and pantry goods. Since these boxes are twice the size of the small boxes, they can get twice as heavy. This doesn’t mean you should fill the boxes to this point. Instead, choose larger items that are relatively light.
Dish Pack (5.2 Cubic Feet)
You don’t want to take risks when it comes to packing your most breakable items. These types of boxes are designed with double-strength walls to protect breakables and removable partitions to separate glassware. We recommend these boxes for any glassware, vases, lamps, and dishes.
Large Box (6 Cubic Feet)
Large boxes are intended for large, but light, items. Use these for your bedding, towels, blankets, wreaths, pillows, and other household items.
Wardrobe Box
Forget taking your clothes off of their hangers and having to fold and pack them away into boxes. With a wardrobe box, you can easily move your clothes straight from the closet to the box. When you arrive in your new home, settling into your new closet will be effortless.
When purchasing packing supplies, you’ll likely need a few boxes of each type. Use this estimator from Zillow to determine how many of each type of boxes you’ll need for all of your belongings.
Essential Packing Supplies
While boxes are the largest and most prominent packing supplies you’ll need, they aren’t the only important supplies. When you’re purchasing boxes for your next move, be sure to consider the following additional packing supplies to make your move much more efficient:
- Packing Tape—You want your boxes to stay sealed to protect the contents inside. Packing tape is sturdy enough to hold up through the entire move, yet easy enough to remove with a knife or scissors once you’re settled.
- Packing Tape Dispenser—A packing tape dispenser allows you to seal a box in one swift move. Save yourself the trouble of dealing with twisted pieces of tape or having to make sure you have scissors with you at all times.
- Markers or Labels—When all of your boxes look the same, it can be impossible to know what’s inside each one. Consider printing out custom labels to make organizing a breeze. A permanent marker will do the trick as well!
- Scissors or a Box Cutter—These will be most useful when unpacking, but you’ll likely find uses for them when packing as well. Just make sure not to pack them away in a box! If you do, be sure to label which box contains the scissors so you can access them right away after the move.
- Cushioning/Protection—We recommend packing paper, foam rolls, foam peanuts, or inflatable bags for extra protection within the boxes. Newspaper can work as well, but you’ll want to be careful as the ink can stain hands and belongings.
Be sure to pick up these packing supplies when planning your next move. Click below for more advice on stress-free moving.
