How Long Does It Take to Pack a Home?
If you’re moving soon, you may be asking yourself, “What am I going to do with all my stuff?” Packing and moving is a daunting process, but with proper planning, you can make packing go more smoothly.
While it takes time to pack, you don’t want to pack up everything too soon, nor do you want to throw your fragile items into boxes moments before you need to hand over the keys. Naturally, you’re wondering how long it will take to pack up and move. However, the answer can vary from a couple of days up to a week.
Hiring local moving specialists can streamline the process and make packing, unpacking, and moving a breeze. Jackson Moving & Storage provides residential moving services that include
packing and unpacking services plus storage solutions to make the move to your new house a smooth one. In this article, we discuss how long it will take to pack and how to plan your upcoming move.
How Long Does It Take to Pack a House?
You’ve found a new place and now that it’s almost time to move, you need to know how long does it take to pack. That depends on a variety of factors that can mean speedy packing or packing that takes a long time.
The average time you can expect to spend packing will range from one day to one week. Before you begin packing, it’s ideal that you get organized with your packing supplies, moving boxes, and all the things you need to help you protect your belongings and keep them organized in the process.
Factors That Can Impact the Packing Process
Here are the factors you need to consider when packing:
The Size of Your Home
The size of your home is going to be a big factor when packing. If you have a large home with many rooms, it’s going to take longer to pack up the entire house than a small apartment.
How Much Stuff You Have
You shouldn’t solely estimate the packing time based on the number of rooms you have. Packing your things will likely require using bubble wrap for glass and other breakable items. You’ll also want to organize and label everything properly so that you don’t have to rummage through all the boxes to find what you need. For example, no one wants to find items meant for the bedroom in boxes for the dining room.
Taking Breaks
Packing and moving from house to house is an exhausting endeavor. You will need to allow time for rest to keep from burning out on this task.
Using Friends or Professional Movers
A friend or two helping out can make moving more fun. However, it may mean you do things more slowly than professional movers. Always allow for more time if you’re planning to do the packing by yourself.
Estimates of When to Start Packing Your Home
Packing time can depend on how many rooms you have and how many people are helping. A studio apartment or a one bedroom apartment generally takes one day to pack while a two bedroom apartment may take one or two days. A two bedroom home will take about two to three days.
If you have a big house, movers can pack one room within a couple hours. If you’re planning on packing yourself, you can estimate that each room will take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours before you are finished packing.
Here’s a look at how long it can take for large homes that need packing:
- Three-bedroom home: 3 to 5 days
- Four-bedroom home: 4 to 6 days
- Five-bedroom home: 7 days
It’s important to remember that this is merely an estimate for planning purposes if you are packing on your own. You should err on the side of caution to allow for extra time to properly pack and handle items with care.
Tips to Speed Up Your Packing Time
You’re likely excited to move into your new home, and the chore of packing for moving day can feel never-ending. Use these tips to help you master the art of packing your apartment or home with greater ease:
Pack One Room at a Time
Packing tends to get chaotic when you pack a little here and there. It may make you feel like you’re doing more, but you’re not getting much done. Make a plan to start in one room and get that done first before moving onto the next room.
Have All the Packing Supplies Ready
Before you even start with the first room, set up everything you’ll need for packing. Packing paper, plastic wrap, moving blankets, tape, and boxes should be readily available to prevent time wasted running to the store while in the middle of your move. Additionally, it helps to know how many boxes you’ll need before you begin.
Apartments may need anywhere from 30 to 40 boxes, depending on how much stuff you have. Smaller homes will require roughly 50 to 75 boxes while larger homes may need 100 to 150 boxes.
Pack Essential Items for Each Room in Boxes Labeled “Unpack First”
Make your life easier when you get to your new home by putting the most important items together. Label them to “unpack first” so you won’t waste time rifling through them to find specific items, such as your bathroom or kitchen essentials.
Keep a Caddy of Cleaning Supplies Handy
As you pack up the old place and move to the new place, take a cleaning caddy. You’re bound to find old dusty spots underneath your furniture. You’ll also want a fresh start once you get to your home or apartment. This way, you won’t have to rummage for your cleaning products.
Make Use of Specialty Boxes
It’s important to stay organized as you pack each room and each box. You may want to consider using a wardrobe box for your clothes rather than remove the hangers and stuff them into trash bags. A wardrobe box lets you hang your clothes inside it, and it makes unpacking fun and easy. If you hate having to put away clothes after a move, this box is perfect for you!
Don’t Just Throw Loose Items in a Box
When you pack, you’re bound to find all sorts of other things that need to be rounded up, especially when you take furniture apart. Unless you want to play a guessing game as to what screws and bolts go with what piece of furniture, pop them in plastic zippered bags. Then label those bags with the furniture piece and room. You’ll avoid wasting hours in your new space going through your boxes.
Store Similar Items Together
Your life will be much easier on the first day in your new place if you place similar things together. For example, in your kitchen, use a box that is only for pantry staples. Avoid mixing them with your cleaning products from under the kitchen sink.
Save these tips for when it’s time to pack to avoid wasting hours of your life. Whether you have a single room to pack, three rooms, or more, you’ll be able to maximize your productivity and time within each room.
Simplify Packing and Unpacking with a Moving Company
There is one more tip that can further simplify the pack and move process. Hiring movers is a smart idea because it takes all the stress out of the equation. You won’t have to worry that you have enough tape or boxes. The movers will have everything needed to pack up every room in your home.
Since movers work in teams to pack and move people every day, they can easily stay organized. They know the best ways to organize, protect, and pack all your items with complete care. Additionally, their experience in moving daily means they can take hours off the process.
Instead of stressing for hours and days as you pack before your move, you can put this task in the capable hands of professional movers. If you’re downsizing, they can also pack and move the things you don’t need into storage. There’s no more heavy lifting or hours spent sweating and stressing over the process when you let professionals pack up all your things and move them for you.
You can hire movers for a local move or to move across the country. Even if you’re simply moving right around the corner, using these professionals is the best way to avoid spending hours upon hours packing and moving. Whether you work, have young kids, or you’re approaching your golden years, professional packing and moving is the best way to pack and move quickly.
Jackson Moving & Storage is a top-rated moving company that can help you with this process, no matter how near or far you’re moving. Contact us today to get a free move quote regarding our pack and move services.