How to pack to move in a hurry

As if packing for a move wasn’t complicated enough, doing it last minute brings extra tension to your already hectic schedule. The less time you have, the more stressful it is. Still, it is usually completely doable, if you focus and devote yourself fully to the task. Your belongings need to be ready before your choice of a moving company comes to pick them up – and by ready we mean properly packed, not just thrown in the boxes. So, without further ado, here’s how to pack to move in a hurry.

Get help from friends or professionals

There is no easy way to pack to move in a hurry – either prepare for multitasking and running around the house all day or call a lot of helpers. You can hire professional help or find free help if you are moving from Florida on a budget.

Calling a professional moving company and asking them to help you with packing would be the most time-efficient solution. However, if you start searching for packers at the last minute, the best ones may not be available. Still, it’s worth a try. If you are lucky, professional packers will help you pack much faster than anyone else, thanks to their equipment and experience. Be careful here, do not hire any movers just because you’re in a hurry. Fraudulent movers are counting on clients like you. Therefore, take time to do some research. Get recommendations, read online reviews, inspect the movers’ websites and physical offices – that’s what shows legitimacy. In case you cannot find movers you can trust on such short notice, your friends and family will do just fine. That is, if they follow these simple packing tips.

This is how you pack to move in a hurry

You don’t have to pack everything

Once you get a few moving estimates and hire your movers (or just rent a moving truck), it is time to start packing. Assuming that you’re packing yourself, here’s what you need to do. Packing won’t be as hard as it seems if you reduce the amount of stuff you’re moving. That is a necessary first step in every move, not just an urgent one. Although you might think it is faster to pack everything in your way instead of sorting it out first, it’s not.

So, quickly decide what you are going to need in your new place. The rest can be donated, tossed or sold. If you can leave some of your belongings in your old place, even better. Otherwise, call a pickup company or a charitable organization to take your unwanted items. Contact them as early as possible. Since they may not always be available, you may have to drop off your items personally. If you’re not sure whether to keep something or not, get rid of it. Remember that you must be quick and rational. Once you’ve sorted everything out, move on to the next step.

Hunting for packing supplies

Packing supplies can be provided by your moving company, even if you opt for DIY packing. Asking your cross country movers Florida to deliver their packing supplies would make your job much easier and save you a lot of time.

However, if money is tight, you should decide how many boxes and other supplies you need and then try to get them for free. Again, your friends and family are your go-to source of moving help, so, they might be able to provide you with some packing supplies. Moreover, you can look for boxes at your local grocery stores. Renting containers for packing is another great option. You’ll need bags, suitcases, boxes or plastic bins, padding and wrapping materials. In addition, you’ll need scissors, some tape, and markers for labeling. When packing to move in a hurry, it is better to get more packing supplies than you think you’ll need.

How to pack different items for a last-minute move

• First, pack the essentials before you forget about them or misplace them amid all that mess. Put your important documents, medications, chargers, sheets, a blanket, a pillow, and a change of clothes in your essentials bag.
• Packing similar items together is not a priority now. You can sort them after unpacking. Do not hesitate to put dishes together with Christmas decorations, as long as they are tightly and safely packed.
• Even when you are moving in a hurry, some items need extra time and attention. For example, large appliances and some pieces of furniture need to be disassembled before relocation. Disassembling and later reassembling does take more time but it reduces the risk of damage.
• Pay special attention to packing fragile items, since these are likely to be damaged when you pack to move in a hurry. Even though you can skip labeling other items, boxes containing fragiles must be labeled, for safety reasons.
• Using old clothes, sheets and towels to wrap breakable items is a great idea. Thus, you pack and also save packing supplies.
• Another way to pack clothes is leaving them as they are. When you think of it, a lot of your stuff is already packed. Just leave everything inside dresser drawers and use those drawers instead of boxes. You can either remove the drawers or move the entire dresser as it is.
• Wrap garbage bags around the clothes hanging in your closet. Then, tie the bags’ strings around the hangers and they are ready to go.
• Packing to move in a hurry demands a clear space. So, once you’re done with one box, get it out of the way immediately and make room for the next one.