After deciding to relocate, the stress of packing up and moving out can be overwhelming without proper planning and organization. It’s no secret that relocation can be stressful, as there is a seemingly endless list of tasks to accomplish and arrangements to make before moving day arrives. However, the most time-consuming and perhaps even daunting move-related task is packing, especially if you still have a lot of belongings to move after decluttering your home.

The good news is that you don’t have to handle your relocation completely on your own. There are dependable New Jersey moving companies that you can use to facilitate a much more efficient moving process. For example, at Reliable Van & Storage, we specialize in full-service moving for customers of all kinds. With trained movers and packers at your service, we’ll take over for you with your local, interstate, or international move so that you can relax and enjoy the experience.

Whether you choose to rely on our professional movers and packers, or to pack your belongings on your own, knowing the basics of packing is key to a more streamlined move. Take a look at what you should know about packing up for an efficient move from our team at Reliable Van & Storage, your top-rated moving experts in New Jersey.

Gather Your Packing Supplies

In order to be able to pack efficiently, you need to ensure that you have access to necessary supplies. These includes:

  • Moving Boxes: You can buy cheap moving boxes or recycle sturdy ones. Make sure that you have a variety of sizes to use. If you start early enough, you can usually get these for free or for a very low price by visiting local businesses and asking for them. If you wait until the last minute, you may end up having to pay high prices for these items.
  • Packing Tape: This is another must-have when it comes to packing as it is important to seal your boxes. Use heavy-duty packing tape and duct tape for the best results. You may need to also purchase a box cutter or at least a pair of scissors to open the boxes later if the tape you use to seal them is extra strong.
  • Bubble Roll and Packing Paper: Bubble roll does a great job in protecting fragile items while in the box, while packing paper can be used to wrap them for even more protection.

Of course, there are many more packing supplies and materials that will help to facilitate your moving process even further. To help make moving easier, our movers and packers use a variety of high-quality packing materials like mattress cartons and carpet bags, specialized wooden crates, jiffy paper, and so much more when handling packing projects for our customers.

Create a Checklist and a Packing Plan

The best way to ensure that you’re not forgetting anything is by creating an inventory of the items that you want to take with you. Do this for every room in your house. By creating a list, you will be able to organize much faster and keep track of your belongings.

Once you have a checklist, it’s time to create a moving plan. List each room on a calendar and create a schedule for packing your items based on their location. For instance, you can pack all hardware items together and all kitchen supplies in another box. After putting everything in different boxes, label them accordingly to differentiate one from the other and for the movers to know where to unload each box during the big day.

Pack Items Strategically

One of the most common misconceptions is that huge boxes are best for heavy items. However, it should be the opposite. Large boxes should be filled with light items, while the small boxes are for heavier ones such as books. When you fill big boxes with heavy items, it will be more difficult to lift and there is a higher chance that they will break.

Another common mistake is that people empty their dressers and cabinets before they move and pack their clothes and other items in a separate box. Aside from adding to the packing time, the usable space in these dressers will be wasted. The same is true for empty suitcases—it is a good idea to fill them with items to save space in the truck.

Disassemble Large Items

If you have large furniture in your home that can be disassembled, by all means, do so. This will make the packing and loading of items in the truck much easier. Carrying large items will slow things down and these will also take more space in the truck. Full-service movers like Reliable Van & Storage can handle this for you, so feel free to ask your moving company about set-up and re-assembly options if you’re interested in this service.

Use Blankets and Towels as Padding

Instead of packing your blankets and thick towels separately, you can use them as padding for lamps, artwork, furniture, and other fragile items. Aside from providing an extra layer of protection and saving on furniture pads, doing this will also reduce packing time and save space.

These are just some of the useful packing hacks from the expert movers and packers of Reliable Van & Storage. While it is great to have a little know-how about packing, it is still a better idea to pass on this task to experienced professionals so you can focus on other equally important move-related tasks.

Reliable Van & Storage has been in the moving industry since 1928 and is one of the first charter agents of the Allied family. As one of the most trusted moving companies, Reliable Van & Storage moves more than 4,500 families on average each year. Indeed, our company stays true to its name, as we ensure that we provide secure and reliable packing and moving services both domestically and internationally.