How do we know these tips will make your move dead simple?

We asked expert movers, packers, and professional organizers to share their best tips. If you’re in need of storage, get in touch with MakeSpace who will handle all the heavy lifting for you.

So sit back, grab a snack, and dive in!

1. Get rid of everything before packing and movers start
Okay, maybe not everything, but the more unused and unnecessary items you eliminate from your home, the less stuff you’ll have to pack up, haul across town, unload, and organize.
Be ruthless with your stuff. That coat you think is cute but haven’t worn in four months? Donate it.

The very first coffee maker you ever bought that flavors your morning brew with little pieces of rust? Trash it.

Doing a massive preliminary purge will have the single biggest impact on the efficiency and ease of your entire packing process.

2. Sort things by category.
Instead of spending a day cleaning out your entire bedroom, spend an afternoon sorting through every article of clothing you own.

Scour every coat closet, dirty clothes hamper, and laundry room until you’ve got all your clothes in one place. Then sort.

Do the same thing for books, shoes, important papers, and the like.

3. Pack ahead.
Packing little by little is far less stressful than trying to tackle it all in one day. As early as a couple months out, start packing the stuff you know you won’t be using.

4. Pack decorative items a few weeks out.
Pack up all your art and decorative items several weeks before you move. These pieces can be some of the trickiest to store because they’re fragile and often oddly shaped, so having a bit of extra time to figure out how to properly cushion them is crucial.

5. Label moving boxes like a boss.

The key to finding your stuff easily is labeling all your packed boxes accurately and clearly. When you’re stacking boxes in a van or car you won’t be able to see their tops, so make sure you label the sides as well. But don’t stop there.

Label the boxes by category and by room (for example, Books, Library and Books, Bedroom) to speed up the unloading process.

6. Protect fragile items with packing paper, bubble wrap, or blankets.