How to Pack Like a Pro: Packing & Labeling Tips from Professional Movers

After thousands of moves, our crews have seen every packing mistake in the book. Here are the tips that actually matter.

Start With the Right Supplies

You don't need to spend a fortune, but having the right materials makes a huge difference:

Sturdy boxes in multiple sizes (small for heavy items, large for light items)
Packing paper (not newspaper — the ink transfers)
Bubble wrap for fragile items
Packing tape — don't use masking tape or duct tape
Markers for labeling every single box

The Box Size Rule (Most People Get This Backwards)

Always pack heavy items (books, tools, canned goods) in small boxes, and light items (linens, pillows, clothes) in large boxes. A box should weigh no more than 30–40 pounds — small enough that one person can carry it safely. A large box full of books is a back injury waiting to happen, and it tends to break at the bottom when stacked.

Half-filled boxes collapse when something is stacked on top. Fill empty space with crumpled packing paper, towels, or linens so every box is firm when you press on the lid, and tape the bottom with two strips of packing tape.

Packing Dishes and Glasses

Wrap each piece individually in packing paper
Pack plates vertically (on their sides) like records — they're stronger this way
Nest glasses inside each other with paper between them
Fill all empty space in the box so nothing shifts
Mark the box "FRAGILE" on all sides

Packing Electronics

Take photos of cable setups before disconnecting
Use original boxes if you still have them
Wrap screens with soft blankets or bubble wrap
Put cables and remotes in labeled zip-lock bags
Never pack electronics in extreme heat or cold

Packing Clothes (and What Stays in Dresser Drawers)

The easiest method: leave hanging clothes on the hangers and use wardrobe boxes. For folded clothes, use your suitcases and dresser drawers — they're already packed. The drawer rule our crews use:

Clothing only — drawers can stay loaded. We stretch-wrap the whole dresser to keep drawers shut and move it as-is.
Anything other than clothing comes out. Jewelry, documents, electronics, and fragile items shift in transit and should be packed separately.
Upstairs dressers get emptied regardless — carrying a loaded dresser on stairs is where injuries happen.

The "Essentials" Box

Pack one clearly labeled box with everything you'll need the first night: toiletries, medications, phone chargers, a change of clothes, snacks, paper towels, and basic tools. Load it last so it comes off the truck first.

The Room Code Labeling System

Forget writing "Master Bedroom" in full on every box. Use two or three letter room codes in big Sharpie: LR (living room), K (kitchen), MB (master bedroom), BR2, BA (bathroom), G (garage), O (office). Write the code on the top and at least two sides — when a crew is unloading 80 boxes fast, they need to read the label from any angle.

On moving day, tape a matching code to each room's door at the new house. Movers see MB on the door, every MB box goes in without asking — no bottleneck, no wrong-room problems to fix later. Add a brief description too ("K — pots and pans") and a secondary OPEN FIRST label on the boxes you'll need on day one, loaded last so they come off the truck first.

Label Fragile Boxes on Every Side

A box marked "FRAGILE" only on top gets turned sideways in a fast-moving load. Mark all four sides and the top — the crew will stack it right-side-up and keep it out of the crush, but only if they can see the label from every angle.