ByThe sooner you start planning for your move, the easier it will be. Make sure you’re ready for moving day by answering these essential packing and prep questions.
It can take a long time to pack up a house, especially if you’re doing it yourself. Whether you want to do everything yourself from start to finish or you’d prefer to let movers handle all—or at least part of—it, the packing process is one of the biggest and most stressful parts of moving. Fortunately, there are ways to make moving easier.
So, how long will it really take you to pack up your house? Here are some essential questions to ask yourself when you’re preparing to pack up a house and move on to bigger and better things.
How big is your house?
Size matters—at least when it comes to how long it will take to pack up your house. A one-bedroom apartment is going to go into boxes much faster than a four-bedroom, two-story Colonial house. But it’s not just the size of the home, the number of occupants and your lifestyle make a big difference as well. Some people have a lot of hobbies and, consequently, own a lot more stuff, while others have embraced the minimalist lifestyle.
As a basic rule, allocate a full day of packing per room—double it if you have a lot of things. So, if you have a studio apartment, assume it will take 1-2 days to pack; 2-3 days for a one-bedroom; and approximately 7-8 days for a five-bedroom. Be warned that these are full, intense, 12-hour days that are dedicated solely to packing. If you want to make the task more manageable, spread each day of packing over two to three days instead. Start early and box up items you don’t need as soon as possible—a month or more in advance if you can—and designate a day or half day every weekend to work your way through every room in your house.
Have you organized the things you don’t plan to keep?
As you prepare to move, you will come across things that you don’t need anymore. If you’re unsure about something, you can probably get rid of it.
Once you’ve taken stock of the items you don’t want, you have a few options:
- Hold a yard sale
- Sell them to a consignment shop or pawn shop
- Sell them online
- Donate them
- Throw them away
Be honest with yourself as you’re packing and sorting. If you forgot you owned something or you haven’t used a tool or item in over a year, it’s probably safe to get rid of it. Purging stuff you don’t need will make moving much easier. You don’t want to take any junk to your next house just so you can stick it in a drawer or closet and not use it there either.
Tip: Hold on to old sheets, towels, and comforters. They will be useful when you’re wrapping electronics and furniture to move.
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