Packing for Moving House: A Complete Guide for 2026

Supplies by home size

The packing order that keeps life livable

1. Storage rooms + garage — pack first, you don't need them
2. Formal rooms — dining room, guest room, formal living
3. Office / books / decor — heavy and out of the way
4. Closets — off-season clothing, shoes, accessories
5. Kids' rooms (except favorites) — let them keep 3 toys out
6. Kitchen (except daily essentials) — pack the "weekly" appliances week 1, "daily" dishes day before
7. Bedrooms — day before the move
8. Essentials box — same day (travels with you, not the truck)

The labeling system professional packers use

Every box gets a label on at least three sides: the top and two opposite vertical sides. The label carries four data points: Room (bedroom 1, kitchen, etc.), Priority (1 = day one, 2 = week one, 3 = long-tail), Contents (two or three words), and Fragile flag (if any).

• Priority 1 = "open first" (bedding, coffee gear, a few dishes, toiletries, chargers)
• Priority 2 = "open this week" (kitchen, clothing, toys)
• Priority 3 = "open when you get to it" (books, off-season, decor)
• Use a different marker color or colored tape per room — crews can place boxes correctly from the doorway

Fragile packing — what actually prevents breakage

The physics of a broken dish is simple: sharp deceleration plus a hard surface. Cushioning absorbs the deceleration. The key is no empty space inside the box — when there's room to move, gravity finds it on the truck.

• Dishes — stand plates on edge in a dish pack with paper between each; cups on top, never under
• Glassware — wrap each piece, pack stems in separate rows with paper dividers
• Lamps — bases in their own box, shades nested together with paper between
• Electronics — original boxes if you kept them; otherwise double-box with foam fill
• TVs — flat-pack carton, never flat on its back
• Artwork under 24 in. — mirror cartons with corner protectors; larger art should be custom-crated
• Knives — wrap in a dish towel, tape it closed, label "knives" clearly

Room-by-room pro tips

Kitchen

Pack what you use weekly first, daily last. Drain and dry all small appliances 48 hours before packing — a wet coffee maker left in a box for five days grows mold. Knives go in a rolled dish towel (a lot of packing injuries happen at unpacking).

Bedroom

Use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes (cheapest per item, no ironing). Pack sheets around lamp bases, jewelry in a carry-on bag that travels with you, and label bedding boxes with the bedroom number.

Bathroom

Seal every liquid with tape over the opening then screw the cap back on. Put all liquids in a single medium box lined with a garbage bag. Keep shampoo and body wash for the morning of the move, then pack them last.

Garage & outdoor

Drain gas from mowers, blowers, trimmers. Coil garden hoses and wrap in trash bags. Ladders and long tools go loose on the truck — don't try to box them.

The essentials box — the most important box of the move

Load a single suitcase or large box with: 3 days of clothing, chargers, medications, toiletries, a towel, bed sheets, phone + laptop, important documents (see our interstate timeline), a roll of toilet paper, a first-night toolkit (box cutter, tape, markers, extension cord), and coffee-making supplies. This box rides with you in the car — never on the truck.