Packing is usually the biggest chore of any move, so we went to the source to find out what works and what doesn't work: our readers who have recently moved.
Here are some of their replies that might help you as you prepare for your move:
"Always label all moving boxes with as much as you can of what is in there. So when you need one thing you can see what box it is in."
"Take pics of everything before movers load it into a truck."
"We did pack most of our own things, and bought new boxes and plenty of plain wrap (instead of newsprint), and tape. It probably cost a bit more, but made the packing easier. With new boxes we didn't have the mess of a lot of large ready set-up boxes."
"Label boxes accurately so that boxes go into appropriate rooms and so that daily items are easy to find."
"I'm not really sure there is an easier way to unpacking. Just knowing that you can't enjoy your new home until you are fully unpacked and have everything where you want it is about all the motivation you should need."
"Unpack wardrobe boxes immediately and break down boxes to give back to movers. Unpack boxes that contain one or few items, breakdown the boxes and again, give to movers."
"Label well and don't overload boxes."
"Get more boxes than you think you'll need and make sure the mover will give you more wardrobe boxes than you think you will need. Get more tape than you think you will need and tape the boxes closed. Movers won't move open boxes."
"As far as packing and unpacking, it is wise to pack your belongings according to room and more specifically location of that room. I went from room to room and packed my boxes according to what cabinet, drawer, shelf, area they were located in."
"It is a pain but I wrote down everything that was packed in each box. I wrote numbers on each box and had a list of all the items I packed inside. I tried to keep all items that belong in the same room, in the same boxes."
"I've moved with the Air Force for 24 years & I always pack myself. Just take one room at a time."
"I have tons of t-shirts and sweatshirts...I used them to wrap a lot of fragile things. I rolled them up and stuffed on the sides of boxes to give more protection ... also used towels and rugs ... saves on so much paper." [Relocation.com note: This will make your boxes heavier, just be sure you don't make your boxes too heavy to lift.]
"When unpacking it has been my experience that one person doing the unpacking, choosing where to put things in the new place, and, not having to take time to tell someone else where to put stuff, is actually faster than having a group of people helping you unpack."
Other survey questions you might be interested in:
Readers' tips on overcoming the biggest challenge of their move -
Readers' tips on making Moving Day less stressful