A Guide to How to Pack an Apartment For a Long Distance Move

To effectively pack an apartment for a long-distance move, start by creating a detailed packing plan and schedule to keep track of tasks. Declutter your space to minimize the items you’ll need to move, and then gather sufficient packing supplies like boxes, bubble wrap, and labeling material. Finally, sort your belongings by category and label each box to ensure an organized and stress-free moving experience.

How to Pack an Apartment – Create a Plan Before Anything Else

Even before you start going through your closet and pulling out clothes and other belongings, make a packing plan and schedule. By having a checklist for moving to a new state, you’ll be able to keep track of everything that needs to be done. It can also be useful for creating your own best way of packing. Not to mention it’s a great way to do a home inventory. 

Take into consideration the amount of time you will need to pack a specific room or declutter it. Knowing how much time you need will help you avoid rushing anything when the relocating date approaches. Having a plan and sticking to it might help lower your stress levels. And make sure you dispose of all unwanted appliances you have laying around. Or you can even donate your old appliances. The less stuff you have to carry out of state to your new apartment, the better. 

Assemble a Team of Friends Instead of Hiring a Moving Company

You decided to box-up without the assistance of a moving company. Now is the time to throw a packing party and recruit your friends and family to help you tackle this task. Try to call up some “big guns” to help you carry the heavy load. Items like an old grandfather clock or even a king-size mattress for your bed are difficult to move, so be careful when you’re lifting them. Hurting yourself would slow down the process of relocating to a new home.  

Declutter Your Space

Going through your apartment, have you noticed the significant number of items you hardly use? You happen to keep these things for some reason without actually needing them. To cut down the expenses of your relocation, you should declutter your flat. Start small, with old and new pieces you have never used, and go from there. The more you declutter, the easier the process of preparing your belongings for transport will be.

Earn Extra Money by Decluttering the Apartment Instead of Renting Storage Space

When you sort through your belongings, decide to throw away, donate or sell anything that you haven’t used in a very long time or never used at all. Making a garage sale for unnecessary and unwanted stuff is a good way to earn some money. And in the process of moving, every additional source of income is more than welcome. In the end, you will have extra money and fewer things to put in boxes. 

Find Boxes and Other Moving Supplies

The first things that come to mind when you start packing are the supplies and the amount needed for all your possessions. Depending on your decluttering abilities, now you surely have fewer items. Still, make sure that you get enough packing material. You wouldn’t want to run out of wrapping paper or labeling material in the middle of the process.

There are places where you can get boxes and other supplies. There are different ways to get cheap moving supplies, but you can also get all the supplies you need from companies that offer relocation services. Remember to get containers of different sizes for your small and big pieces of property.

Getting Free Boxes Will Save You a Bit of Money

If you want to save a bit of money, ask around for free boxes and other materials. Close friends and family members should be your first stop. If some of them moved recently, they might still have supplies. Visit local stores, especially the ones that sell alcohol, books, or clothes. They most likely have some containers to spare. You can also search the web. There are online groups of people donating supplies.

Choose the Right Way to Sort Your Items

Sorting things by category is an efficient packing strategy that can introduce a bit of order into the moving process. To get everything organized, all you have to do is create the following groups:

• Tools
• Paperwork
• Electrical appliances/other appliances
• Clothing/shoes

If you think that one category, like clothing, is too broad, you should split it into sub-categories. That’s how you will end up with summer and winter clothing, summer and winter shoes. Or even old and new ones. And don’t forget to organize all of your documents before you move out.

Use Wardrobe Containers for Clothes

Do you own some beautiful and expensive clothes that you don’t want getting damaged during the move? You should get wardrobe containers that are designed to hand and fit clothes. They come in different sizes. If you can’t spend the money on wardrobe containers, using drawstring trash bags is a handy solution. Put your clothes in and close them.

Protect Your Clothes 

Do you want to keep your clothes secure during the move? Putting an extra layer of padding over your hangers is a useful tip. Garment bags might be the right solution for you. They are meant for transporting clothes, and if you ask your dry cleaners, you might get them for free. 

Pack and Label Each Box

If you are dealing with delicate and easily breakable belongings such as china cabinets and delicate dishes, remember to write useful inscriptions such as “FRAGILE” on both sides of the container. It will let movers know to handle the package with special care. Not to mention, proper labeling will keep your breakables safe and make the unpacking process much easier. You can also label your boxes according to the rooms so that the movers know which items you packed for your kitchen and which for your living room. 

Use the Color-Code Technique

The color-code system can help with the unpacking process by letting you know what item belongs to which room. With the additional help of labels, color tape, markers, and stickers, you will know exactly where to put your stuff after you unpack it.

 Efficient Ways to Color Code When Switching Apartments

Assigning a color to a specific room will prove to be a life-saver once you arrive at your new home. But avoid similar colors or shades when applying this method. Stick to different colors like blue, green, and yellow. Apply the same colored marker and tape, so you don’t confuse yourself or your movers. Create a color key list so that you know what color means what.

Make Sure That Mirrors and Pictures Are Safe

Do you have many breakable belongings that you would like to protect during the move? Transporting objects like large mirrors and packing paintings for relocation can be cumbersome. Preparing them the right way can save them from damage during transport. Use bubble wrap, additional padding material like paper, and reinforced containers. Don’t forget to label them like any other fragile item.  

How to Packing Fragile Items Like Mirrors and Pictures

When preparing to pack mirrors, pots, and pans, pick the appropriate boxes to put them in. Packing fragile and delicate items such as these should be properly prepared for the move. If you are shipping a picture frame that is covered in glass, put some tape over it to prevent an additional mess in case it breaks. But if your artwork doesn’t have a glass cover, put extra padding over it.

When you put your breakable and valuable items in the box, make sure to seal that box. This is especially important when you’re packing glasses and securing your china cabinet. You would not want the container to open. This also means you should try to load containers in a way that minimizes movement.

Use Towels and Sheets

Towels and sheets take a lot of space. To avoid this, put them to good use. Wrapping delicate objects in your towels and linens will provide extra padding and protection. Using towels and sheets is also a great way to save some money since they can be a substitute for bubble wrap and paper. 

Loading Furniture – Do’s and Dont’s?  

If you have old or antique furniture, you should probably not keep items in or on it. Additional weight raises the risk of damage as well as transport costs. Here are some tips on how to deal with your furniture:

• Secure drawers and doors of your furniture so that the clothes inside don’t fall out during transport.  
• If your furniture is ready-to-assemble designed, don’t keep your belongings in it, because it is less sturdy.
• Don’t leave anything breakable inside the drawers.
• If you think your furniture doors or cabinets will open during the move, you should tape them.

Keep Your Dresser in One Piece

Do you own big dressers? If they are too big, heavy, and challenging to get through the door, you might want to consider keeping your belongings in. Before the move, put your dresser near the door, it will save you time getting it on the truck. You can always remove the drawers if the furniture is too heavy and then return them in when the item is safely stored in the hauler. Deciding to keep things in dressers can save precious space and provide additional protection to the stored pieces.

Find the Right Long Distance Moving Company

If you decide that relocating is something that you need assistance with, do your research and find a respectable moving company. The one with reliable long-distance moving services that can help you with the packing and unpacking and provide storage and excellent car shipping if necessary.

That’s where Long Distance USA Movers come into play. We provide top-notch cross-country moving services that will make your move a breeze. All you should do is give us a call. Book your relocation date and relax. Our long-distance movers will do the rest.