Quick Packing Tips for Moving in a Hurry

Are you relocating on short notice or just falling behind your moving schedule? With a few quick packing tips for moving in a hurry, you can save time, reduce stress, and still enjoy an organized move. Create a simple moving checklist to help you focus on the essentials, use what you have at home instead of buying new supplies, and label boxes clearly to hit the ground running when you arrive.

At Stack Moves, we understand how overwhelming a last-minute move can be. Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of clients enjoy stress-free moves with our convenient moving bins for rent. Each rental is delivered to your door and picked up after your move. Packing becomes faster and easier. Contact us today to get started on your journey towards a hassle-free move!

In this post, we will be sharing proven last-minute moving tips that will help you accelerate your packing process and make your move as smooth as possible, even on short notice.

11 Packing Tips for Moving in a Hurry

After reading these tips, you’ll know exactly how to speed up your packing process and make your move as smooth as possible, even on short notice.

1. Make a Quick Packing Checklist

The key to having a successful last-minute move is to get organized first. I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t have time! Even just 10 minutes dedicated to making a checklist will make the move significantly easier. With that said, once you’ve made a list of everything you’ll need to move, it’s time to start thinking about what tools you’ll need.

2. Gather Packing Supplies

The next step is to gather packing supplies. Make sure you have enough basic supplies, which include your moving boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, packing paper, etc., on hand. To get an accurate estimate of how many boxes you’d need for your move, use a moving box calculator.

3. Pack by Priority

Usually we advise people to pack room by room, but in a case like this, it makes more sense to pack based on priority. Start with the items you use daily and pack them in an essentials box. Then move on to bulky or fragile items that need additional padding to stay safe. Pack your non-fragile items, such as clothes, last because they can be stuffed into boxes quickly.

4. Clear Big Items First

If time is of the essence, prioritize large items and furniture first. Once big items are out of the way, you can quickly fill boxes or trash bags with smaller belongings. This process also frees up space in each room so you can move faster.

5. Confirm Moving Logistics

If you intend to hire movers, contact them promptly to confirm your moving date, services, and costs. Remember, last-minute bookings typically have limited availability and are more costly. However, if you’re handling the move yourself, you should arrange a moving truck as soon as you can. For long-distance or cross-country moves, double-check travel plans and secure any storage space you may need.

6. Declutter on the Fly

Find a box or bag to toss items you know you won’t take into. If possible, hire a professional junk removal company to handle all your unwanted items in a single trip.

7. Set Realistic Goals

When dealing with a last-minute move, chances are not everything will go smoothly. Thus, set achievable goals and keep a flexible attitude about the moving process. 

8. Use Your Suitcases

Before you reach out for extra boxes, consider using your luggage at home. Fill your suitcases with clothes, shoes, and bulky items like pillows. They’re sturdy, easy to roll, and can comfortably handle heavier loads. If you have any duffel bags lying around, use these to save space in your moving truck. This way, you cut down on boxes and save money on packing supplies.

9. Vacuum-Seal Bulky Items

Large items like bedding, towels, and seasonal clothing take up a ton of space. Vacuum-seal bags can shrink them down to a fraction of their size, freeing up valuable room to pack other items. Using vacuum bags protects the fabric from dust, dirt, and moisture while in transit.

10. Wrap Breakables with Soft Items

If you run out of bubble wrap mid-move, don’t panic. Soft items like towels, socks, and t-shirts make excellent padding for dishes, glasses, and other breakables. Just wrap plates individually in shirts or towels and stack them vertically in smaller boxes to minimize the risk of breakage. This dual-purpose strategy lets you kill two birds with one stone by saving you money on packing materials and keeping more items together in one load. 

11. Leave Clothes on Hangers

Don’t waste energy folding closet clothes; instead, tie hangers together in small bundles and slip a trash bag over them for a makeshift garment bag. At your new place, you can simply rehang everything in minutes. This is one of the fastest wardrobe-packing tricks.

5 Minute Pre-Move Preparation

Are you looking for a quick way to pack and prepare in just 5 minutes? First, you should draft a quick checklist that prioritizes tasks based on urgency. This should include hiring movers, packing your belongings, finalizing your travel arrangements, and handling utilities. Since you’re short on time, your checklist must be concise and focused on critical tasks.

Next, sort items quickly and decide what to keep, donate, or toss. This step prevents you from wasting time packing items you don’t actually need. Keep essential items and things you use daily. For the items still in excellent condition but no longer useful, you can donate. However, you should dispose of broken items or those not suitable for donation. 

While doing your pre-move preparation, you should have essential packing supplies at the ready. They include moving boxes, plastic wrap, packing tape, tape scissors, packing paper and bubble wrap, trash bags, markers, and color-coded stickers. When packing, begin with the most critical items. Then, pack a bag with items you’ll need immediately upon arrival, like toiletries, chargers, important documents, etc. 

Lastly, get a quick moving estimate beforehand to understand your expenses, especially if you’re moving a long distance or if you require storage units. Getting such information can be helpful for budgeting. For example, you can get an estimate on the average moving costs for a 1-bedroom apartment in CA.

Time-Saving Packing Strategies

Two of the fastest ways to stay organized during a last-minute move are setting up a central packing station and using the one-room-at-a-time approach. Both strategies save time and make unpacking much easier.

With a central packing station, you keep all your packing supplies in a designated spot. The idea is to keep everything you’d need readily accessible for use. A central packing station not only speeds up the packing process but also keeps your efforts organized and prevents wasted time.

Using the one-room-at-a-time method helps you stay focused and guarantees you don’t overlook anything. As the name implies, you only focus on packing one room at a time. It makes unpacking more straightforward because everything from one room is packed together. For this approach to be even more effective, it’s important to choose the best boxes that match the items you’re packing.

Clothing and Soft Goods: The Bundle Technique

One of the quickest and most effective methods for packing clothes quickly is the bundling technique. Instead of folding clothes flat, roll and wrap them around a smaller core item like socks or underwear to create compact bundles. This technique saves space and also reduces wrinkling, making it an efficient method for packing soft goods.

Use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes because they allow you to transfer garments directly from your closet without folding. If you can’t get any wardrobe boxes last minute, garbage/trash bags make a good garment bag substitute. Simply slip the bag over a group of hangers and tie it at the bottom. This method keeps clothes together, clean, and ready to rehang at your new place.

Electronics and Appliances

When packing electronics and appliances like a coffee maker, protection matters more than speed. It’s best to pack electronics in their original boxes if you still have them. If the original packaging isn’t available, use sturdy moving boxes and secure the items with bubble wrap and packing paper. Additionally, ensure that fragile items are marked clearly and kept separate from heavier items to avoid damage.

Packing Essentials: What to Keep Handy

After a successful move, the last thing you’d want to do is dig through boxes to find your phone charger. That’s why it’s important to pack an essentials bag during a move. Your essentials bag should contain items you’ll need for the first night and the following few days after your move.

Examples of items to pack in an essentials bag include personal belongings such as toiletries, medications, glasses, bedding, towels, and a change of clothes. It should also have important documents, like an ID, medical records, lease or purchase documents for the new house, insurance policies, and other critical paperwork.

Also, allow your situation to guide what you include in your essentials bag. For example, if you have children or pets, include necessary items like diapers, baby food, pet food, and favorite toys to keep them comfortable. If you expect to arrive after dark, it makes sense to include a flashlight or small lamp so you’re not fumbling through boxes without light.

Without an essentials bag, you would have to endure the stress and chaos of searching through numerous boxes for your necessities on the first day after a tiring move. It should be the last thing you pack and the first thing you open when you arrive.

Moving Day: Execution and Flexibility

Typically, you should have a checklist when preparing for moving day. Before the movers arrive or you start loading the truck, do a final packing review to ensure that all boxes are properly sealed and labeled with items and their designated rooms. You should also go through each room, including closets, attic, basement, and garage, to make sure nothing is left behind. 

Keep in mind that moving day can come with its own set of unforeseen issues. Therefore, you should be flexible with timing. Additionally, stay in close contact with your movers. Ensure that they have your correct new address and a phone number to reach you at any time. It is also important to know what to do in case of an emergency, including having a first aid kit and the phone numbers for local emergency services. 

When and How to Ask for Help

Moving can be a daunting task, particularly when done at the last minute. However, packing goes more quickly and is somewhat more enjoyable when friends and family are present. Ideally, inform your friends and family as soon as you’ve scheduled your move. Even a day or two of notice is better than surprising them on the morning of your move.

To get your friends and family involved, reach out to them via phone or text and be clear about the kind of help you need and the time commitment involved. Then, pick a time that is likely to be convenient for most people. Evenings or weekends usually work best. 

It is important to prepare and have all your packing supplies ready before they arrive. Furthermore, you should offer incentives like snacks, drinks, or even promise to return the favor. Also, assign tasks based on strengths. Let some friends handle the heavy lifting while others can wrap delicate items or manage organizing the boxes.

If friends and family can’t cover it, hire professional packers or movers. Even though it’s last-minute, try to get at least three quotes to ensure you are getting a reasonable price. Before booking, ask important questions about their experience, insurance policies, and the services they offer. For example, many people often ask, ‘Do moving companies pack for you?’ Make sure you know exactly what the movers’ services will include. Also, confirm whether they can handle special items that require careful packing or heavy lifting.

Move Faster with Plastic Moving Bins for Rent

The first thing to do when navigating a last-minute move is to create a moving checklist. With it you’ll be able to stay on track, prioritize tasks, and avoid overlooking anything important. Combined with other helpful strategies like using materials already available at home, you can make the process manageable and far less stressful.

If necessary, hire professional movers to save time with packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking. Remember that moving in a hurry doesn’t have to be a chaotic experience. Preparation and organization are key, even when time is short.

If you want to get packed and on the road quickly, consider renting your moving boxes instead of purchasing them. Our delivery and pickup services are available in multiple locations across the U.S. Schedule your boxes to get started!

Frequently Asked Questions

Moving in a hurry is a stressful process, but with the right strategy, you can stay organized and save time. Here are answers to common questions about last-minute packing and moving.

How to Quickly Pack for Moving?

Consider downloading a checklist instead of creating one from scratch. Prioritize packing your essentials first and rent moving boxes instead of buying them to save time. Also wrap fragile items using what you already have at home, like towels, and label boxes by room to speed up offloading and packing.

What Should I Pack for Last-Minute Moving?

First discard anything you no longer need to lighten your load. Then focus on your essentials, which include clothes, toiletries, important documents, and anything you would use daily, before moving on to non-essentials.

How Do You Pack for a Move Without Getting Overwhelmed?

Break packing into small tasks. Tackle one room at a time, use labels to stay organized, and set aside an essentials bag for moving day.

How Long Before Moving Day Should I Start Packing?

Ideally, start 2–4 weeks ahead. For last-minute moves, begin immediately with essentials and work through non-fragile items before tackling breakables.

How Can I Pack Efficiently When Moving on Short Notice?

Use what you already have. You can replace bubble wrap with other cushioning items like towels or use garbage bags to pack bulky but non-fragile items like comforters. This is an opportunity to utilize available resources creatively.

Are There Professional Services Available for Last-Minute Moves?

Yes, they are. If you’re handling packing yourself, you can rent eco-friendly moving boxes and have them delivered to your location and picked up from your new address when you’re done. If you need full-service movers, keep in mind prices for last-minute services are usually higher.