moving boxes packing tips

Relocating can be a stressful experience, but proper prepping makes moving day easier—and that’s true whether you’re moving on your own or hiring a professional moving company. When you look around your home, you might feel overwhelmed at the thought of packing, but here are some tips to make things easier.

Start with Stuff You Don’t Use Often

If you know a move is coming, don’t wait until right before moving day to start packing. Most people have items they rarely use, so start there. Clear out the attic, basement, and closets that hold things you only use occasionally, such as seasonal clothing or holiday decorations.

Set up a staging area in your home where you can begin stacking boxes and separating your belongings into pack/toss/donate piles. If you don’t have room in your home for this, consider renting a portable storage box to use as your staging area.

Choose Full-Service Packing Professionals or Do-it-Yourself Packing

If you’re working with professional movers, you’ll have the choice of do-it-yourself (DIY) packing or full-service packing by our experienced professionals. If you want a truly hassle-free experience, full-service is the way to go. The movers will pack everything for you, so you don’t have to worry about whether fragile items are packed properly.

If you do choose DIY packing, be sure you learn best-practice methods for various items, such as electronics, artwork, furniture, etc.

O’Brien’s Moving & Storage is a highly rated moving company with nearly a century of experience providing comprehensive moving services. We provide detailed moving and packing tips and informational sheets that you can download free of charge to assist as you plan and prepare for your move.

Donate Unwanted Items

Moving is a good time to downsize what you own. As you go through everything to pack, separate items that you no longer need. If clothing or that small kitchen appliance you just HAD to have has sat unused for years, why lug it to your new home?

If you have large items to donate, such as furniture, local charities will usually be willing to come to your home and pick them up, so donating these items is very convenient. As longstanding members of the community, we can offer plenty of recommendations to help you donate household goods that you prefer not to move but remain in good shape. There are also local companies that you can hire to dispose of any items the charities will not take.

Know Which Items Can’t Go with the Movers

Some items cannot go with the movers. If you’re doing the packing, you’ll need to know what they are. Some of the things that cannot be moved by professional moving companies include:

  • Flammable Items
  • Combustible Items
  • Aerosol cans
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Gasoline
  • Plants
  • Paints
  • Ammunitions and Explosives
  • Jewelry
  • Legal Documents (wills, financial papers, insurance documents, etc.)

If you have any of these, you’ll need to make other arrangements for their transport.

There is an old saying: How to do eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Packing is the same way. Start early and do a little each day, and you’ll find that as the day draws near, you’re ready to go!

For superior professional moving services at competitive prices, contact O’Brien’s Moving & Storage. Give us a call today to learn more or fill out our online form now to request a free, in-home consultation with our experienced Lehigh Valley movers.