When you’re focused on a big household move, it’s easy to leave packing supplies until the very last week. You might just grab some standard boxes and tape and hope for the best! But to save yourself stress on moving day, a little planning goes a long way. Selecting the right materials up front means you won’t have to worry about a box bottom giving out or a fragile memory being damaged. By choosing wisely, you ensure your entire packing process is quicker, smoother, and, most importantly, keeps every single one of your belongings safe.
Get Box Sizes Right From the Start
Box size is one of the most common packing mistakes. The instinct is to use large boxes — they seem more efficient. But large boxes loaded with books or canned goods become dangerously heavy and nearly impossible to stack safely. A smarter approach: heavy items go in small boxes, light and bulky items go in large ones.
Small boxes, roughly 1.5 cubic feet, are ideal for books, canned food, tools, and other dense items. Medium boxes, at around 3 cubic feet, handle most household items — dishes, small appliances, shoes, toys, and most everyday items. Large boxes at 4.5 to 6 cubic feet work well for bedding, pillows, lampshades, and other lightweight but bulky items that don’t justify a small container.
Pro Tip: Dish pack boxes — sometimes called dish barrels — have double-thick walls built specifically for fragile kitchenware. They cost a bit more than standard boxes, but they earn it. Plates and glasses that would shift and crack in a regular box survive in a dish pack.
Tape: More Important Than You Think
The tape matters. Packing tape — not masking tape, not painter’s tape — is designed to hold the weight of a loaded box throughout an entire move without releasing. Apply two strips across the bottom of each box in an H pattern: one down the center seam and one across each end. Repeat on top. This reinforces the box at its weakest points.
Most people underestimate how much tape a move requires. A two-bedroom home typically uses two to three rolls of 2-inch packing tape. Buy extra rather than running out mid-pack on a Sunday evening.
Protective Materials for Everything Fragile
White packing paper — unprinted newsprint — is the most versatile wrapping material available and works for almost everything. It wraps dishes and glassware, fills space in boxes to prevent shifting, and cushions items without leaving ink residue. Avoid using actual newspaper for anything that might absorb ink, including most dishware and any clothing.
Bubble wrap is the right call for genuinely fragile or valuable items: wine glasses, ceramics, picture frames, and small electronics. It provides cushioning that packing paper alone can’t match for items that need impact protection during loading and transit.
Pro Tip: Towels, t-shirts, and socks make excellent packing material for dishes and glasses. Wrapping plates in clean laundry reduces the amount of paper you need, and you arrive at your new home with your linens already unpacked and ready to use.
Wardrobe Boxes Are Worth the Rental
If you have hanging clothes — suits, dresses, blazers, or anything that wrinkles with folding — renting wardrobe boxes is one of the most practical moving decisions you can make. Your clothes transfer directly into the box without folding, and they arrive exactly as they left. Spending an evening ironing work clothes after moving day is one of those problems that’s very easy to avoid.
Label Everything Before It Goes on the Truck
Markers. You’ll need more of them than you expect. Label every box on at least two sides with the destination room and a brief description of the contents. Color-coded tape by room is an optional step that speeds things up on both ends — your crew can place boxes in the right rooms without stopping to read every label, and you can find things faster during unpacking.
Let Us Handle the Heavy Lifting
Not sure you want to tackle packing yourself? AAA Moving offers full and partial packing services throughout northeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Contact us today for a free estimate and let our experienced team take that job off your list entirely.