Packing 101 Checklist: 13 Essential Steps to More Efficient Packing and Moving

Jan 29, 2021 | Residential

Proper packing will save you time and frustration when it comes time to unpack your belongings.

1. Start by packing out-of-season items and those things you use infrequently.
2. Empty dresser drawers of breakables, perishables and prohibited items.
3. Isolate and protect dangerous items like knives or skewers that might puncture or damage other items (or movers).
4. Keep all pairs and components together. Place small hardware items in plastic bags and tape them securely to the equipment.
5. Wind electrical cords, fastening them so they do not dangle.
6. Wrap fine china, crystal and delicate items individually in clean, unprinted paper; tissue paper, towels or even facial tissue.
7. Place a two- or three-inch layer of crushed paper in the bottom of every carton for cushioning. As each layer is completed, fill in empty spaces firmly with crushed paper.
8. As you fill smaller boxes with delicate items, consolidate them into a single large box, filling in spaces with crushed paper.
9. Avoid overloading cartons, but strive for a firm pack that will prevent items from shifting. The cover should close easily without force, but should not bend inward.
10. Seal cartons tightly with tape except for those containing items listed on United’s High-Value Inventory Form. These must be left open for the van operator’s inspection.
11. As you finish with each carton, list the contents on the side of the and in a special notebook. You might want to number and/or code the cartons as well.
12. On the label, assign each box to a room in your new home. Tape signs on the door of each room at your destination so movers can get the cartons into the proper rooms quickly.
13. Place special instructions on cartons you want movers to unpack first at destination.