The big day is finally approaching and you are probably wondering how long does it take to pack a house. Well, the answer to this question depends on various factors. The size of a home and the amount of things you have will determine the time you need the most.
How long does it take to pack up a house? On average you will need between one to six days to pack up the entire house depending on the size, amount of items you have, and how organized you are. Still, this is only an estimation – some people need more, some need less. Our guide will help you go through this whole process most efficiently.
Now that you know how long does it usually takes for people to pack up a house for a move, it is time to elaborate on this estimation. First of all, when we say one or six days, this implies that you actually sacrifice those days of your life and do nothing but package (with a couple of breaks for sleeping). Another thing this implies is that you have done all the relocation preparations in advance and that you have a good plan in place. However, on average, if you have time, this is how long it will take for different properties.
For a studio apartment or one-bedroom apartment, you will need a day or day and a half to box up all belongings. And this only refers to items like plates, shoes, or dishes. You will have to set aside a day or two for cleaning and tidying up things.
If we talk about a three-bedroom house you will need approximately three to five days to pack everything including the garage or storage if you have one.
For a four-bedroom house or even bigger homes, you will need around six days to one week to box up everything. But if you have a lot of clutter or you haven’t downsized for a move before packing, you could end up sacrificing more than one week to clear everything up.
As you can see, the best way to be efficient while relocating is to reduce the time you need to pack, and this can be done if you are well organized. Here are some practical tips that can help you stay on track and be a faster and more efficient packer.
If you have hired a relocation company for its moving services, you will probably be asked to make an inventory list of all the items you own and want to move, including the furniture, appliances, and other large items. This is a really good practice, as it will not only help movers to keep track of items but you will be much more organized and the unpacking as well as packing will be much easier.
So start by creating a color code system, go through your home, and mark with a colored dot (for instance, green) all the items you wish to bring. This way you will make a list of items much easier. You could do this gradually every day until the time for handing over the list to movers comes.
However, if you are last-minute moving, you will not have time to make an inventory gradually, but you will probably have a couple of days to hand over the list to the movers. Still, a good inventory will save you at least one day of packing, so don’t skip this part.
After you have done with color-coding things you wish to bring with you, there will remain items you don’t want. So now is the time to get rid of them. Do this at least two weeks before the relocation day, so you have time maybe to organize a garage sale or donate those unwanted items. Maybe friends and family want to take something, so you can organize a moving away party so they can see and take items they want right away.
The rule for good decluttering is to get rid of everything you don’t use. Think about this as a chance to finally part with items you don’t like anymore and as an opportunity to buy bright new stuff you always dreamed of. Not to mention that the more things you get rid of the easier the packing will be.
Relocation is chaotic but if you have the right tools and materials, the process will be much easier. Get the materials that will systematize items in the best way. Packing things like suits or coats in customized boxes will be much faster. Also, you can save so much time when dealing with fragile items if you use containers meant for them. Here is a list of materials you can use:
Another aspect you need to think about is the number of containers you will need. This way, you can plan the budget and have much less stress when the whole process begins. Here is a table for each home type (just keep in mind this is an estimation and that you might need more or less depending on the amount of things you have). If you have hired movers for the big day, ask them for advice about the number of boxes you will need to box everything up.
| Home Type | Number of Boxes | Estimated Packing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment | 30-40 | 20-30 minutes per box |
| Townhouse | 50-75 | 15-30 hours total |
| Single Family Home | 100-150 | 50-80 hours total |
No matter if you hire a company for packing services or just for moving, you need to ask them about the items they don’t relocate so you can plan for those items. Most companies will not transport plants, food, perishable goods, or dangerous materials.
Once no-gos are done with, you can go on to things that you shouldn’t pack because movers can do it for you. Some companies, such as USA Auto Transport, offer packing of large items and furniture free of charge. The movers will disassemble, wrap each piece of furniture in bubble wrap for protection, and load it on the truck. This means you will not have to worry about packing your furniture or large items like mirrors, chairs, and cabinets. So ask your company of choice whether they provide this type of service.
If you have a garage, and it is a space where all the things go to rot, you will probably need one or two days to set aside to deal with it. If your garage is tidy, great, but even then you will need a couple of hours to package those tools and stuff in boxes.
However, in most cases, the garage is a place that is always messy and cluttered, and now is the time to box up everything you need and get rid of items you don’t use. If you have an old project there, now is time to finish it up or abort it. Or you can bring it with you with some auto transport company and wonder how to restore an old car at your new place.
If you are relocating with family and you have more than one family car, you will probably hire a car shipping company to do door-to-door auto transport or terminal-to-terminal shipping, depending on your location and budget.
But if you have only one car and decide to drive it to a new location, you will be able to pack some items there as well. However, there are rules you need to follow – not overpacking the vehicle and leaving enough space so you can see everything while driving. Here are some tips on how to pack a car:
Now it is time to introduce you to the items that will take the most of your time and patience – all the fragile items like wine glasses, dishes, and so on. Each of these items demands careful attention and wrapping in bubble wrap or paper. It goes without saying that containers must have a lot of cushioning.
Aside from fragile items, there are other items most people lose their mind over, such as electronics. All those cables and components can take a lot of time to package and label. But if you do so, the unpacking and reassembling will be much easier.
Also, sorting through important documents and papers can be overwhelming so make sure you do this on time and don’t throw away something important. If you have a library, you are in for a treat because packing everything will be easy but putting everything back together can take weeks to happen. So figure some coding system for books and package them like that. For example, you can put each shelf in a single box and mark it as A1, A2, or A3.
If everything we talked about seems like too much, contact us, USA Auto Transport, and let professionals do all this hard work for you. With USA Auto Transport, you will get the whole package of car shipping, moving, and packing services. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and think about the new adventure you are embarking on.
Keep in mind that aside from packing everything up, which will take a couple of days, you will have to arrange a bunch of other things, so if you don’t want to waste valuable free days on packing, hire professionals to do all the hard lifting.
