The Complete Room-by-Room Packing Guide
Don't pack the whole house at once. Pack one room, one category and one box at a time. This guide walks you through the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, office, garage, laundry room, closets and outdoor spaces — plus what to keep with you on moving day.
The Four Rules That Make Packing Easier
If you remember nothing else from this guide, remember these.
Track Your Packing Progress
Check items off as you work through the guide. Your progress stays visible while you're on this page.
Your House Packing Progress
Packing feels overwhelming when the job is “pack the whole house.” It gets easier when the job is simply “finish the next room.”
Get the Right Packing Supplies First
Running out of boxes, tape or packing paper halfway through a room is one of the easiest ways to turn a one-hour project into an all-day project.
Small Boxes
Best for books, canned goods, tools and other dense or heavy items.
Medium Boxes
The workhorse box for kitchen items, décor, toys and general household goods.
Large Boxes
Use for lighter bulky items such as bedding, pillows and lampshades.
Tape
Use real packing tape and completely seal the top and bottom of each box.
Packing Paper
Useful for dishes, glassware and filling empty space so contents do not shift.
Bubble Protection
Useful for fragile décor, glass and pieces needing additional cushioning.
Markers
Label the room, general contents and whether the box is fragile.
Small Zip Bags
Keep screws, remotes and small hardware together and clearly labeled.
Heavy things go in smaller boxes. Light bulky things can go in larger boxes. A giant box full of books is not helping you or the mover.
Label Boxes for the New House — Not the Old One
The most useful label answers three questions: where does it go, what is generally inside and does it need special attention?
Almost every box becomes miscellaneous eventually. “Guest Bedroom — Books & Décor” is much more useful at the destination.
The Kitchen
Usually one of the slowest rooms because it contains a high number of small, breakable and awkward items.
How to Pack the Kitchen
Start with the least-used items.
Pack serving dishes, specialty appliances, baking equipment, extra glasses and anything you will not need before moving day.
Dishes and glassware
- Use sturdy small or medium boxes.
- Cushion the bottom before adding dishes.
- Wrap fragile pieces individually.
- Keep empty space filled so contents cannot shift.
- Do not overload the box.
Pots and pans
Nest smaller pieces inside larger pieces when practical. Keep lids protected and avoid creating an excessively heavy box.
Pantry
Use smaller boxes for canned goods and dense food items. Separate anything leaking, opened or unsuitable for transport.
Small appliances
Remove loose accessories. Keep cords secured. Original boxes are excellent when they are still available and usable.
Leave only a very small working kitchen for the final few days: basic plates, cups, one pan, coffee supplies and whatever you truly use daily.
Kitchen Checklist
Bedrooms
Bedrooms are easiest when you separate clothing, bedding, furniture contents and personal items into different groups.
How to Pack Bedrooms
Clothing
Sort before packing. Moving is expensive enough without paying to move clothes you already know you will never wear again.
Bedding
Sheets, comforters and pillows are light and work well in larger boxes. Keep one set of bedding accessible for your first night.
Nightstands and dressers
Remove personal items, medicines, valuables and loose objects. Ask HHG about anything you are unsure should remain inside furniture.
Mattresses
HHG uses mattress bags for beds as part of protecting the mattress during the move.
Jewelry and valuables
Keep jewelry, cash, sentimental valuables and irreplaceable personal items with you.
Bedroom Checklist
Living Room & Family Room
Focus on electronics, décor, lamps, pictures, books and the small items surrounding the large furniture.
How to Pack Living Areas
Televisions
Factory boxes are excellent when available. HHG can also box or protect televisions with an appropriate TV-moving solution.
Electronics
Photograph connections before unplugging equipment. Bundle and label cables so setup at the new home is easier.
Pictures and wall décor
Smaller décor can be packed in boxes with appropriate protection. Ask HHG about large pictures, mirrors and pieces requiring additional handling.
Books
Books are deceptively heavy. Use small boxes and resist the urge to fill large boxes with an entire bookshelf.
Lamps
Remove shades and bulbs. Pack shades separately with lightweight items and avoid placing heavy objects on top of them.
Living Room Checklist
Bathrooms
Bathrooms pack quickly once you separate everyday personal items from liquids, medicines and things that should not simply disappear into a moving box.
How to Pack Bathrooms
Start by throwing away expired or empty products. Pack towels and linens separately from toiletries.
Medicines
Keep prescription medicines and important medical items with you. They should not be buried somewhere in the shipment.
Liquids
Separate cleaners, toiletries and other liquids. HHG asks customers to keep liquids and cleaners separate from ordinary packed household goods.
Do Not Lose the Medicine Box
Medicines, daily medical equipment and anything you may need immediately belong with you — not at the bottom of a box marked “Bathroom.”
Bathroom Checklist
Home Office
The goal is not only to move the office safely. It is to make sure you can get back to work without opening fifteen unlabeled boxes.
How to Pack a Home Office
Documents
Separate important legal, financial, closing and identification documents. Keep irreplaceable documents with you.
Computers
Back up important information before moving. Label cords and accessories by device.
Desk contents
Small desk items should be boxed rather than left loose. Bag small components together and label them clearly.
Files
Use manageable boxes. A large carton full of paper gets heavy very quickly.
Office Checklist
Garage, Shed & Workshop
This is one of the most commonly underestimated parts of a household move. A garage may look like one room but contain hundreds of individual items.
How to Pack the Garage
Sort first.
Garages collect things nobody has intentionally decided to keep. Separate keep, donate and discard items before buying boxes for all of it.
Tools
Dense hand tools belong in smaller boxes. Protect sharp edges and keep tool sets together.
Power equipment
Equipment may need preparation before transportation. Fuel and other hazardous materials require special attention and should not simply be loaded into a household shipment.
Loose pieces
Extension cords, hoses, small garden tools and hardware should be bundled, boxed or secured rather than left loose.
Garages, sheds and outdoor areas are some of the easiest parts of a move to accidentally leave out of an estimate.
Garage Checklist
Laundry Room & Appliances
Pack the shelves, but remember that appliance preparation is different from ordinary box packing.
How to Prepare the Laundry Room
Pack baskets, shelves and ordinary household items. Keep cleaners and liquids separated.
Washer and refrigerator water lines
HHG customers are responsible for disconnecting water lines before the move.
Appliance contents
Empty appliances before moving. Do not use a washer, dryer, refrigerator or freezer as a moving box.
Don't Wait Until the Crew Arrives
Water connections and other utility-related disconnects should be handled before moving day so the crew can focus on moving.
Laundry Checklist
Closets, Attics & Storage Areas
The spaces nobody sees are often the spaces everyone forgets.
Pack Hidden Areas Early
These spaces usually contain things you are not using every day, which makes them excellent places to start weeks before the move.
- Seasonal decorations
- Extra linens
- Stored clothing
- Luggage
- Holiday items
- Collections
- Old files
- Stored toys
Open every closet, cabinet and storage door before leaving the old home. Empty rooms can still hide a surprising amount of forgotten property.
Storage Area Checklist
Patio, Porch & Outdoor Areas
Outdoor belongings are easy to forget because they are not inside the house.
Walk the Entire Property
Include the front porch, back porch, patio, yard, detached buildings and anything stored around the exterior.
- Patio furniture
- Planters
- Garden tools
- Grills
- Outdoor décor
- Children's outdoor items
- Garage-side storage
After recording the inside of the home, include the garage, front yard, backyard, shed and shop so the move inventory is complete.
Outdoor Checklist
Your First-Night Box
Imagine arriving at the new house tired, surrounded by boxes and unable to remember which box contains the shower curtain. Pack one clearly marked box or bag with what your household needs immediately.
Things You Should Keep With You
Some belongings should never disappear into the middle of a moving shipment.
Medicines
Prescription medications and essential medical supplies should remain with you.
Important Documents
Identification, closing papers, passports, financial documents and irreplaceable records.
Keys & Access Items
House keys, car keys, gate remotes, garage controls and access codes.
Valuables
Jewelry, cash, sentimental items and irreplaceable personal property.
Electronics You Need Immediately
Phones, chargers, laptops and devices needed during the transition.
Personal Essentials
Clothes, toiletries, children's essentials and pet necessities for moving day.
Cleaners, liquids and questionable items should be separated.
Do not bury chemicals, cleaners, fuels or leaking liquids inside ordinary moving boxes. Separate them and ask HHG if you are unsure whether something can be transported.
When Should You Start Packing?
The best packing schedule works backward from moving day.
WEEKS
Sort Before You Box
Start with closets, storage rooms, garages, attics and anything you rarely use. Donate or discard what does not need to make the move.
WEEKS
Pack the Non-Essentials
Seasonal décor, books, guest rooms, collections, specialty kitchen equipment and stored clothing can go now.
WEEKS
Most of the House Should Start Disappearing Into Boxes
Décor, extra dishes, most clothing, office files and less-used household goods should be packed.
WEEK
Finish Room by Room
Leave only what the household genuinely needs for the final few days. Confirm the garage, outdoor areas and hidden storage spaces are included.
DAY
Moving-Eve Check
Close and label remaining boxes, separate everything that should not be loaded, prepare appliances and assemble your first-night items.
DAY
The House Should Be Ready to Move
The crew should be able to focus on protecting furniture, loading and moving — not waiting while ordinary household goods are still being boxed.
HHG Can Pack As Much — Or As Little — As You Need.
Professional packing does not have to mean handing us the entire house. Some customers want everything packed. Others only want help with the parts they dislike or do not feel comfortable packing.
Whole-House Packing
HHG handles the packing work across the household according to the agreed scope.
Kitchen Packing
Let the crew handle one of the most time-consuming and fragile rooms.
Fragile Items
Keep the easy packing and let HHG handle selected breakable or difficult belongings.
TVs
HHG can box or appropriately protect televisions for the move.
Mattresses
HHG uses mattress bags to protect beds during the moving process.
Large Pictures & Specialty Packing
Ask us about larger pictures, mirrors and other pieces that need more than an ordinary moving box.
9 Packing Mistakes That Make Moving Day Harder
1. Starting Too Late
Packing the night before usually creates loose items, mystery boxes and an exhausted customer.
2. Using Giant Boxes for Heavy Items
Books, canned goods and tools belong in small boxes.
3. Leaving Boxes Open
Moving boxes should be completely closed and taped before the crew arrives.
4. Poor Labels
“Stuff” and “misc.” do not help anybody determine where the box belongs.
5. Forgetting the Garage
Garages, sheds and patios can contain more work than an entire bedroom.
6. Packing Important Medicine
Keep medication and essential medical items with you.
7. Mixing Liquids Into Ordinary Boxes
Separate liquids, cleaners and anything with leak potential.
8. Packing Things You Don't Want
Moving is the worst possible time to pay for transportation of things you already planned to throw away.
9. Forgetting the First Night
Do not make yourself unpack twenty boxes just to find a phone charger and clean sheets.
Questions People Ask Before Packing a House
How early should I start packing for a move?
Many households benefit from beginning six to eight weeks before moving day, starting with rarely used items, storage spaces and anything seasonal. Smaller households may need less time, while larger homes can need substantially more.
What room should I pack first?
Start with rooms and areas you use the least: guest rooms, attics, closets, storage spaces, seasonal décor and garages. The kitchen and everyday bedrooms should usually remain functional longer.
What room should I pack last?
Everyday bathrooms, frequently used kitchen items and essential bedroom belongings are normally packed toward the end.
Should movers pack my drawers?
Loose, fragile, personal and valuable items should be removed. Whether other lightweight contents may remain depends on the furniture and the moving plan, so ask HHG rather than assuming.
Should I pack my clothes in trash bags?
Boxes and appropriate garment-packing methods generally provide better structure and organization than loose trash bags.
How should I pack books?
Use small sturdy boxes. Books become extremely heavy when too many are placed into a large carton.
How should I pack dishes?
Use sturdy boxes, appropriate cushioning, individual protection for fragile pieces and enough packing material to prevent the contents from shifting.
How should I move a TV?
A suitable TV box or factory box provides strong protection. HHG can also prepare televisions using an appropriate TV-moving solution.
Should I pack medications in the moving truck?
No. Keep prescription medications and essential medical supplies with you.
Can HHG pack just my kitchen?
Packing does not have to be all or nothing. HHG can pack as much or as little as requested according to the agreed scope.
Can HHG pack my entire house?
Yes. Whole-house packing can be included when it is planned as part of the move.
What should I do with cleaning supplies and liquids?
Keep cleaners and liquids separate from ordinary packed household goods. If you are unsure about a particular item, ask HHG before moving day.
Should I disconnect my washer before the movers arrive?
Yes. HHG customers are responsible for disconnecting water lines, including washer and refrigerator water connections, before those appliances are moved.
Do I need to empty every cabinet and closet?
Everything being moved should be accounted for. Before leaving the old home, open closets, cabinets, attics, sheds and storage areas during the final walkthrough.
What should go in a first-night box?
Pack the items your household will need immediately: toiletries, towels, bedding, clothes, chargers, basic food, pet supplies and children's bedtime necessities.
What happens if I'm not finished packing when the movers arrive?
Tell HHG as early as possible. Unfinished packing can change the amount of work and time required, and it is much easier to solve before moving day than after the crew arrives.
From Packing the First Box to Moving the Last Piece
Pack What You Want. Let HHG Handle the Rest.
Some people enjoy packing. Some would rather never see another roll of tape. Most are somewhere in between. HHG Movers can handle the move, the packing or just the difficult pieces for households around Valdosta, Tifton and Albany and for moves leaving South Georgia.