Start With What You Won't Miss
The easiest boxes to pack are the ones for things you're not using this week. Start there, weeks out if you can, and the rest of the move gets easier by comparison.
- Off-season clothing. Coats and heavier layers don't see much use in San Diego most of the year. Box them first.
- Books, art, and décor. None of it needs to stay out until moving day.
- Spare linens and towels. Keep one set out for the days leading up to the move and box the rest.
Then the Kitchen Items You Rarely Touch
Appliances that only come out a few times a year, the waffle iron, the good serving dishes, the fondue pot, can be packed well before moving week. Wrap anything fragile individually and label the box by both room and contents so it's obvious where it goes and how carefully to handle it.
Pack by Room, Not by Category
Boxing everything from one room together, rather than mixing kitchen items with garage items in the same box, makes unloading faster and keeps your movers from having to guess where things belong. Label every box with the destination room in the new place, not just the room it came from.
Leave These for Last
Medications, toiletries, chargers, important documents, and a few days of clothing should stay out until the truck is loaded. Pack a separate "first night" box or bag with all of it so you're not digging through sealed boxes the evening you arrive, whether that's a new place in La Jolla, Poway, or anywhere else in the county.
Declutter Before You Pack, Not During
Every box you don't have to pack is time and effort you don't spend twice, once packing it and once unpacking it. Sort and donate what you don't need before the boxes come out, not while you're mid-move and short on time.
If packing isn't how you want to spend your week, our packing services cover everything from a single room to the whole house.
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