Your Packing Moving
Supply Needs

Easily Estimate Your Moving Suppy Needs Ahead
of Time and Don't be Caught Short Handed

Packing moving supply needs are simple to estimate, and taking time to figure out what those needs are now prior to the move will save time, hassle, and money later on during your move.

It just makes sense that a key part of organizing for a stress-free move involves figuring out what you're moving supply needs are. You'll save yourself the hassle of running out and buying moving supplies at the last minute. Or, worse yet, just dumping and throwing things together risking damaging your household items potentially costing you even more money.

Whether you're moving yourself, or hiring movers, it's a good idea to get an estimate of what your packing moving supply needs will be.

When you're obtaining quotes from moving companies, just ask them to include what type and how much of each moving supply you will need for your move. This will give you an idea of what and how much moving supplies you'll need. And, remember, no matter how many times you have moved, you are likely to end up short on supplies if you don't get some professional advice on your moving supply needs.

Below is a good place to start for estimating the quantity of supplies you'll need for your move based on the number of rooms you have to pack up. *Note - The measurements for medium boxes are 18x14x12 and large boxes are 20x20x15.

Rooms	Med Boxes	Lrg Boxes	Pkg Tape	Bubble Wrap
1 - 2	10	5	55 yards	40 ft
2 - 3	20	10	110 yards	80 feet
3 - 4	30	15	165 yards	120 feet
4 - 5	40	20	220 yards	160 feet
5 - 6	50	25	275 yards	200 feet
6 - 7	60	30	330 yards	240 feet
7 - 8	70	35	385 yards	280 feet
8 - 9	80	40	440 yards	320 feet
9 - 10	90	45	495 yards	360 feet
10 or more	100	50	550 yards	400 feet

If you're like some people, you may still have things boxed up from your last move. If the boxes are still in good condition, it is "okay" to move them as is. But, do you remember what you packed in there? Are they things that you need to keep, or is it time to donate? Right before a move is the perfect time to downsize, declutter, and re-organize.

When you look around the house, you might start to feel a little overwhelmed. Where should you start? Instead of looking at the whole house, look at one room at a time.

Start with the storage areas: attic, basement, garage, closets, etc. Storage areas, the bathroom, and the kitchen are typically the hardest areas of the home to pack up. After you're finished packing these areas, move onto the den, dinning room, bedrooms, etc. working in order of rooms with more stuff to less stuff.

Now, if time is on your side, then start packing up early. Pack up items you're not going to need until after you're moved and unpacked. Items such as out-of-season clothing, extra towels, sheets, etc. can all be packed up early.

For your clothes, you can order wardrobe boxes from a packing moving supply company for hanging clothes, or from the link to the right. Large walk-in closets will take anywhere between three or six boxes or more depending on the amount of clothes you have. After your move, the wardrobes can be used for storing winter clothes or other bulky items. They can also be folded flat and stored for future moves. Just remember not to pack too much in each box as clothes can get heavy and you don't want to wrinkle your clothes either.

Collectibles and knickknacks from all over the house should be packed in bubble wrap or packing paper. Small or medium sized boxes should be used, depending on the weight of the items. Stick with the medium size for books. Use the largest boxes for pillows, baskets and other lightweight items.

You can order boxes large and small from a packing moving supply company, but don't forget the tape. You will need tape for closing up the box and possibly for reinforcing the bottom. Remember to get a black marker or two for labeling the boxes. It makes unloading the truck a lot easier. On the label, include some of the items in the box or the room (kitchen, bath, etc) in which the items belong. This way either you or the movers can place marked boxes in the appropriate location. For instance, boxes marked kitchen go in the kitchen. And, believe me, it will save the movers from constantly having to ask you where something goes.

To give you an idea of the number of boxes you'll need for a typical move, to pack up six rooms, you will need approximately 60 medium-sized boxes, 30 large ones, 330 yards of packing tape and 240 feet of bubble wrap, as well as two or three black markers. Many packing moving supply companies have calculators that help you determine the number of boxes and other supplies that you will need. When you have the right supplies on hand, the move is so much easier, which means a lot less hassle and stress for you.

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