Packing

Whether it's fragile dishes or a full household, good packing makes for a good move. Browse our room-by-room guides, protective tips, and expert techniques to keep everything safe on the way to your new home.

Recent Articles

A person frantically packing boxes during a last-minute move with a calendar showing the urgent move date

Last Minute Moving: Our Checklist for Getting Out in a Hurry

Packing

Planning to move soon? Like, really soon? Last-minute moving can cause panic, no matter the reason. Maybe an emergency happened, and you have to relocate quickly, or you're offered an exciting job opportunity that... Read More

Kitchen drawer organizer filled with utensils being prepared for packing into a moving box

How Do I Pack Kitchen Utensils?

Packing

Unlike your couch or dresser with four tiers of drawers, kitchen utensils and silverware are small might seem like they're easy things to move to your new home. They're small, light, and typically not very... Read More

an image of a queen mattress on a wooden floor

Packing a Queen Mattress: The Plan vs. Reality

Packing

Every day, people search for advice on moving a mattress because they are bulky, awkward, and easy to damage. So if you’re searching for answers on how to get yours out the door, you’re not alone.

Knowing how to... Read More

A woman sets down an item into a box. The angle of the shot is from the bottom of the box pointing upwards, so it looks as through the woman is reaching towards the camera

What Should You Pack First When Moving?

Packing

The short answer to what you should start packing first is to pack things you don’t use daily. If it can sit in a box for a few weeks without disrupting your routine, it can be packed early. Items in garage... Read More

College student moving into a dorm

How to Pack for College: Complete Dorm Packing Guide

Packing

Getting ready for your first year is thrilling, but it is so easy to bring way too much stuff. To pack for college efficiently, double-check your dorm’s rules, coordinate with your roommate, and follow a... Read More

A woman holding multiple rolls of clear packing tape and a tape dispenser

The Best Type of Packing Tape to Use When Moving

Packing

If you browse office and craft store aisles, you'll find dozens and dozens of tape options. While they all serve a purpose, most aren't ideal for packing. The best packing tape to use when you move is a product... Read More

Movers packing

The Most Damaged Items During a Long Distance Move & How to Pack Them

Packing

You made the decision to move, and now you're getting ready to get everything you love safely to your new home (once you’ve decluttered, that is).

You're most likely not worried about random knick-knacks or a $2... Read More

a woman takes a photo of her living room

The Important Things to Take Pictures of While Moving (and Why)

Packing

Snapping photos when you're in the middle of a move might be the last thing on your mind when you're waist-deep in boxes. However, they can make a big difference later on. Documenting your move is a simple step... Read More

Cupped hands holding a colorful mix of AA, AAA, and button cell batteries

Safe & No Sound: How and Why to Pack Household Batteries Correctly

Packing

So you’re packing up someone’s kitchen and you reach for the wall clock. First thing you notice is how long the pack job is taking. (Time flies when you’re having fun, right?) But then as you take that clock off... Read More

A mover using stretch plastic wrap to secure furniture and protect drawers from opening during transport

How to Use Plastic Wrap for Moving (Step-by-Step Guide)

Packing

When I was a mover, we always made sure we had some plastic wrap on our truck. Like tape and furniture pads, plastic wrap is an essential part of the equipment list of every moving pro, even if we don’t always use... Read More

A close-up of hands carefully wrapping a fragile item in packing paper before placing it in a cardboard moving box

How to Pack a Moving Box Like a Pro: The Basics

Packing

Packing is arguably the biggest part of any move. And learning how to do it like a pro saves time, reduces stress, and lowers the risk of damage to your belongings.

For over a decade, HireAHelper has connected... Read More

A homeowner using plastic wrap to bundle books and shelf contents together before packing the entire shelf for a move

Lifehack: How to Pack Big Shelves So You Don't Go Crazy

Packing

Packing a shelf might sound simple until you’re surrounded by stacks of books, tangled cables, and too many mystery power cords to count. But with one brilliant moving hack up your sleeve, you can box everything up... Read More

A dish-pack box partially filled with paper-wrapped dishes carefully arranged on edge

How I Pack a Dishpack

Packing

If you’ve ever unpacked a moving box and discovered shards of broken dishes, you know the importance of using dish pack boxes for your fragile items. These specialty moving boxes (also called dish barrels) help you... Read More

an image of wine settled on top of packing material in a wooden wine crate

How to Pack Wine for a Move

Packing

Packing wine for a move may not be as enjoyable as sipping on a new pinot noir or chardonnay, but arriving with every bottle intact makes the effort worthwhile.

Wine bottles and glassware are inherently fragile. The... Read More

A woman packs mugs into.a boxes filled with bubble wrap

How To Pack Mugs and Teacups for Moving

Packing

HireAHelper has years of experience helping people find trustworthy movers, and from seeing those pros handle thousands of moves, we know a thing or two about moving fragile mugs and teacups. Whether you have a... Read More

Curtains being carefully folded and placed in a moving box with tissue paper to prevent wrinkles

How To Pack Curtains for Moving

Packing

Curtains might seem easy to move because they’re just fabric, right? But some are surprisingly bulky, delicate, or even sentimental. Whether they’re velvet drapes or custom sheers, it’s worth learning how to pack... Read More

A woman reaches up to place a box at the top of a large stack of them, all labeled with various rooms and categories

How to Pack for a Move

Packing

Packing your entire home might be the most time-consuming, mentally draining, and labor-intensive task on your moving to-do list. However, you don’t have to dread breaking out the cardboard boxes. You can... Read More

An arial shot of people packing clothing into various moving boxes

How to Pack Clothes for Moving: Expert Tips

Packing

You might think that clothing is the easiest thing to move. Thankfully, in many cases, you’d be right. Most clothing items are highly forgiving and are unlikely to be damaged, but some can be ruined by folding or... Read More

Couple with back and neck pain after lifting boxes during a move

How To Properly Take Care of Your Back While You Pack

Packing

It’s pretty inescapable that moving is physically demanding. It can involve hours of repetitive lifting and carrying, and can easily result in lower back pain if you don’t take the proper precautions. In fact,... Read More