Seven steps to pack a home
- Gather supplies before you start. Boxes in three sizes, packing paper, bubble wrap, tape, markers and scissors. Boxes and supplies are sold at the Sparks office.
- Start with the rooms you use least. Begin with the attic, the guest room and the garage shelves. Leave the kitchen, the bathroom and your bedroom for last.
- Choose the box by the weight of the contents. Heavy items such as books go in small boxes, and light items go in large ones. If you cannot lift it, repack it.
- Build a firm base and fill the gaps. Tape the bottom of every box twice, put crushed paper on the floor of the box, and pack tight so nothing can shift.
- Close, tape and label. Seal the box with the lid flat, tape the seam, and write the room and a short list of contents on the side. Mark FRAGILE only on boxes that are.
- Keep a numbered list. Number each box and write what is in it. The list tells you where to look on delivery day.
- Set aside what you will carry. Documents, valuables, medicine and a first-night box ride with you.
Good packing is repetitive: the same few habits, applied to every box. This guide is the master version. The pages on dishes, pictures, lamps and other items go deeper on the things that need more care.
Why room order matters
Rooms you use least can be packed without disrupting daily life. The kitchen goes last because it is the room you cannot do without for long. A bedroom is packed in the final week, apart from the bed and a few days of clothing.
Padding and protection
Wrap each fragile item separately in paper, and use bubble wrap for the most fragile ones. Add a layer of crushed paper between layers and a layer on top. The contents should not move when you shake the closed box gently. Items with their own pages: dishes, glasses, a TV, mirrors and pictures and lamps.
Where a crew helps
You can hand off all of the packing or part of it. Full packing, partial packing and box-packing-only are the choices; see packing services. Many households pack the books and clothes and leave the kitchen and the fragile items to the crew.
What not to pack
Some items cannot ride on a truck: flammables, aerosols, propane, ammunition and perishable food are examples. The guide on what movers will not move has the full list and the reasons, and your estimator will go over it at the visit.