The Ultimate Collection of Packing and Moving Tips

After 50 years of being Minnesota’s most trusted moving company, the AAA team knows a thing or two about how to make a move go smoothly. We regularly offer our pro moving tips to help people with the daunting task of packing and moving, and we’ve compiled them all here — plus 7 additional do’s and don’ts.

The Ultimate Collection of Packing and Moving Tips

AAA Moving Guides & Packing Tips

We have an entire resource library dedicated to helpful tips and advice about moving including articles covering:

• Moving With Children
• Moving With Pets
• Moving Your Computer
• Pack Like a Professional

Visit the guides and tips page of our resource library to get information on these topics and more in convenient, printable and downloadable pdfs.

Our moving resource library also includes the AAA Movers blog, which is full of even more helpful articles covering anything and everything moving related. There you can learn how to understand your moving paperwork, get answers to questions about moving (including what to ask a moving company), and more!

Here are three of our favorite blogs about packing and moving like the pros:

1. 8 Moving Hacks to Save You Time and Money
2. How to Organize and Pack for a Move
3. 8 Tips to Pack Like a Pro for Your Next Move

Bonus: 17 Ideas to Get Free Moving Boxes

NEW: 7 Packing Do’s & Don’ts

1. Do get more boxes than you think you’ll need
   It’s better to overestimate how many boxes you’ll need rather than underestimate because you don’t need or want the stress of scrambling to find extra boxes as your moving day creeps closer. For people who don’t move on a daily basis, estimating how many boxes you’ll need is pretty difficult to do. When you’re packing everything you own, your possessions seem to start expanding — so be prepared.

   Pro Mover Tip: We’ll deliver boxes right to your door for only $75!

2. Don’t forget the other moving supplies
   There are other moving supplies you’ll need in addition to boxes. You’ll of course need plenty of tape, but don’t forget packing paper, bubble wrap, markers, and maybe a tape gun for expediency. As with boxes, plan for more tape and packing paper than you think you’ll need to properly protect your items.

   It’s best to use actual packing paper rather than newspaper because the latter can leave ink smudges on your items. Being forced to clean all of your items after you unpack them is extra work you probably want to avoid, and discovering that some items are permanently marked is even worse.

3. Do pack by item weight and size
   The general rule is the heavier the item(s), the smaller the box, and the lighter the item(s), the bigger the box. This prevents boxes from getting too heavy — but don’t go overboard on huge boxes just because it’s all sheets and clothing. These will be awkward to move, so avoid oversized boxes unless the item actually requires a box that size. 

4. Don’t mix items from different rooms or zones
   Don’t just throw a bunch of random items in a box and call it good. This includes grabbing a random item or two to “top off” a box that isn’t quite full. You’ll be a lot happier when you’re unpacking if all the items in each box go together and therefore can be quickly unpacked and put away. Usually that means boxing items by zone (basement, for example) or by room (office). Sometimes you can group by room and also by zone within that room (room: office; zone: desk).

5. Do keep your most important items with you
   Valuables such as securities, jewelry, money, and legal papers should not go on the moving van. These items should either be taken with you or shipped by a traceable, insurable carrier, such as UPS or FedEx. Irreplaceable items with little or no insurable value, such as family photographs, should travel with you as well.

   Also bring medications any family members are taking as well as items that you’ll need right away in the first couple days. This is called a “first night bag,” and it includes essentials like toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper and tissues, a first aid kit, a change of clothes, and more.
   
   

6. Don’t try to finish packing on moving day
   Yes, packing isn’t most people’s idea of fun, but if you make a plan, start early, and tackle one thing at a time, you should easily be able to finish everything before moving day. Don’t make things harder on yourself by pushing it off and then frantically cramming things in boxes and bags as the movers begin loading the truck.

   This includes taking care of final moving day housekeeping — cleaning up your space, sweeping and vacuuming, wiping up counters, etc.

7. Do make sure you have all the details worked out
   Much like a wedding, moving is a major life event that requires a lot of planning and sequential steps leading up to one day, and those final days require more and more detail management. Details to have worked out include:

   • Knowing where the movers can park (and securing any permission or permits needed) and how they can best access your space
   • Getting permission from your building or HOA if you need to use the elevator (including the timeframe/hours you can have access)
   • Do a final walkthrough of your space, check your moving day checklist, and double check your moving paperwork

   A final don’t: If you’d like help from real professionals with any of your moving tasks, don’t be afraid to call the experts at AAA Movers, your full service storage and moving company in Minneapolis.