How to Pack for a Move: The Complete Guide

Reviewed by Joey Padgett · Last reviewed September 2026

Packing is the part of moving that everyone dreads most. Not because it's particularly hard, but because it's relentless. Every drawer you open reveals another pile of things you forgot you owned. Every closet is a small crisis. And somewhere around hour three of wrapping wine glasses in old T-shirts, you start wondering if it would just be easier to start fresh and leave everything behind.

You're not alone in that feeling. This guide covers everything: how long packing really takes, what supplies you actually need, which boxes work for which items, and how to decide whether hiring professional packers makes sense for your situation.

The First Big Question: Pack Yourself or Hire Help?

Before you buy a single box, figure out which path you're on.

Packing yourself is cheaper and gives you total control over how your things are handled. The tradeoff is time. A two-bedroom apartment commonly takes 24 to 35 hours to pack when you do it yourself, spread over several days or weekends. That's a real commitment, especially if you're working while moving.

Hiring professional packers runs between $280 and $2,200 depending on your home size, according to This Old House. A professional crew can pack a 3-bedroom home in 6 to 8 hours. If your move date is fixed, you have a lot of fragile items, or you're running short on time, it's worth a serious look.

The hybrid approach works well for most people: pack the easy stuff yourself (books, linens, clothes, pantry items) and bring in professionals for the kitchen, art, and anything fragile. You save money and time where it counts most.

The kitchen is the room that reliably takes longer than people expect, and it's also the room where professional help makes the biggest difference.

→ How Much Does It Cost to Hire Packers?

How Long Does Packing Actually Take?

Home Size	DIY Packing	Professional Crew (2 to 3 people)
Studio / 1 BR	12 to 20 hours	2 to 4 hours
2 Bedroom	24 to 35 hours	4 to 6 hours
3 Bedroom	30 to 40 hours	6 to 8 hours
4 Bedroom	40 to 50 hours	8 to 12 hours
5+ Bedroom	60+ hours	10 to 14+ hours

Source: Bekins Moving, MovingPlace

These are averages for a typical home. Two 3-bedroom houses can require very different amounts of time. A minimalist home with clear closets is not the same as a family home with a full basement, packed bookshelves, and kids' toys in every corner. Longer tenure in a home typically means more accumulated stuff, so lean toward the higher end of each range if you've been there several years.

A useful rule of thumb: for every 500 square feet of home, budget 5 to 10 hours of packing time.

→ Full guide: How Long Does It Take to Pack a House?

What Supplies Do You Actually Need?

Boxes: Get a mix of small, medium, and large. The biggest mistake is over-relying on large boxes. Fill one with books and you won't be able to lift it. Large boxes are for lightweight bulky items like pillows, comforters, and lampshades.

Packing tape: Buy more than you think you need. Two rolls per bedroom is a reasonable baseline. Get a tape gun.

Packing paper: Cheap, versatile, and what professional movers reach for on almost every item they pack. More on this below.

Bubble wrap: Save it for genuinely fragile items like stemware, ceramics, and electronics. Most professional movers rely primarily on packing paper and use bubble wrap selectively for the most breakable items.

Markers and labels: Label every box on the side, not the top. When boxes are stacked you'll never see the top. Include the destination room and a brief description of contents.

Specialty boxes: Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes, picture/mirror boxes for framed art, dish boxes for your kitchen. Worth it for the right items.

→ Full guide: Moving Supplies → Packing Paper: What to Buy and Where to Find It

Choosing the Right Boxes

Standard cardboard boxes (small, medium, large, XL) cover 90% of what you own. They stack well, they're cheap, and every moving company knows how to handle them. For a 3-bedroom home you'll typically need 60 to 80 of them.

Wardrobe boxes have a metal hanging bar inside so clothes go straight from closet to box, still on their hangers. They're bulky and more expensive, but for blazers, dresses, and anything you don't want to fold and re-press, they're worth it. Budget 2 to 3 per bedroom with a full closet.

Picture and mirror boxes are adjustable flat boxes designed to protect framed art and mirrors. One rule with no exceptions: always store and transport them upright, never flat.

Plastic bins are reusable and waterproof, but they cost more upfront and don't stack as cleanly on a truck as cardboard. Best for long-term storage items or short local moves.

→ Full guide: Moving Boxes

Room-by-Room: Where to Start and What to Watch For

Start with what you'll miss least. Off-season clothes, books, guest room items, decorations. These can be packed weeks out without affecting your daily life. Save the kitchen, bathrooms, and everyday items for the final 2 to 3 days.

The kitchen takes the longest of any room. More fragile items, more awkward shapes, more wrapping required per item than anywhere else in the house. Budget at least twice as much time as you think. If you're going to hire professionals for one room, make it this one.

Bedrooms are easier than they look, especially if you use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes. Don't mix rooms in a single box. It will slow you down significantly on the other end.

The living room is mostly oversized and awkward rather than fragile. Picture boxes for artwork, packing blankets for the TV, furniture pads for wood pieces.

Bathrooms pack quickly. Use small boxes, don't pack anything that's opened (liquids leak), and toss more than you think you should. Moving is a good time to audit what you actually use.

Kids' rooms: Pack with your kids present if possible and let them each pick a "special box" of favorites they're responsible for. It gives them ownership over the process and tends to reduce anxiety about the move.

Six Rules Professional Packers Follow

Heavy items go in small boxes. Books, tools, canned goods. Dense items go in small boxes. A small heavy box is manageable; a large heavy box is a problem for everyone.
Never leave empty space in a box. Voids cause things to shift and break. Fill gaps with crumpled packing paper, towels, or socks. The box should feel solid when you close it.
Never pack a box you can't lift. If you can't move it comfortably, something is more likely to go wrong.
Label the sides, not the top. Boxes get stacked. Write the room name and a brief description on at least two sides of every box.
Pack an "open first" box for each person. First night essentials: phone charger, change of clothes, toiletries, medications, coffee, snacks. Pack this last and move it in your car. You'll be very glad you did.
Photograph your electronics setup before unplugging anything. Thirty seconds of photos now saves an hour of frustration later.

Should You Hire Professional Packers?

If your move date is fixed, your home is large, or you have a lot of fragile or specialty items, professional packing is worth the cost. The time savings are real.

If you're on a tight budget, have plenty of lead time, and your home is smaller, you can absolutely do this yourself. It just takes a plan and an honest start date.

Professional packing runs $50 to $100 per hour per packer according to HomeGuide, with materials adding another $150 to $500 depending on home size. For a 2-bedroom home, full packing commonly runs $600 to $1,500 in labor. When your move date is non-negotiable, that number often looks different than it does at first glance.

→ Get quotes from vetted movers who offer packing services