Don’t worry about fitting your belongings into weak moving boxes that may not hold up well. Moving totes make it easier to pack, stack and carry your items without any hassle. These strong, reusable containers are a great choice for anyone who wants to save space and keep their belongings safe during a move.
With a good plan and the right approach, rent plastic bins can help you make the most of the space in your moving truck. From making a packing checklist to protecting fragile items with packing tape, this guide gives you useful packing advice for moving. Get your totes ready and start packing with confidence!
Essential Packing Supplies for Moving
To make packing and unpacking easier, have these basic supplies ready before you begin:
- Moving Totes: These are useful for packing both fragile and heavy items.
- Packing Tape & Labels: Use tape to keep everything secure and labels to make unpacking easier. Color-coded labels can help you organize items by room.
- Bubble Wrap & Packing Paper: Use them to wrap fragile items such as glassware and kitchen items.
- Divider Inserts: These can help keep plates and fragile electronics protected.
- Sharpie or Marker: Clearly label each tote with what’s inside and which room it belongs in.
Keeping the right packing supplies ready can save time and help you avoid last-minute stress. Use a moving checklist to stay organized and follow simple moving tips and tricks to pack your things more easily.
Tip
Start packing early with items you don’t use often. For example, pack out-of-season clothes, things from your drawers and kitchen items like your coffee maker. This makes packing for a move easier and less stressful.
How to Pack Efficiently with Moving Totes
Packing moving totes doesn’t have to be difficult. With a few simple packing tips and smart methods, you can make the process easier and use your available space wisely.
Start with a Packing Checklist
A simple packing checklist can make your move much easier. Write down all the household items you need to pack, including everyday essentials like toilet paper and the coffee maker, along with clothes and fragile items.
Your checklist can also help you decide what to pack for the move and what to keep separate. For example, use a portable moving container for things you’ll need right away and a wardrobe box for clothes you can unpack later.
You can divide your list into categories, such as items for the moving truck, personal bags and things you want to unpack first. A clear moving and packing checklist helps you stay prepared and saves time while packing.
Sort and Declutter Before You Pack
Packing is much easier when you don’t have extra things you no longer need. Before you start packing, take some time to sort through your belongings and clear out unwanted items.
- Donate or Sell: Give unwanted items to local charities or sell them online to reduce what you need to move.
- Dispose: Safely throw away things you no longer need, such as expired pantry goods or broken appliances.
- Keep and Pack: Use moving totes for clothes, kitchen essentials and other household items you need.
Decluttering is especially helpful when moving out of state or across the country because it can reduce moving costs and stress. It also leaves more room for the things you want to take and gives your moving crew fewer items to handle.
Maximize Space
Simple packing and moving tricks can help you fit your belongings into moving totes more easily.
- Roll, Don’t Fold: Rolling clothes can save space and makes it easier to fit more clothing into totes.
- Stack Vertically: Place items like plates or books upright to make better use of the tote’s depth.
- Group Similar Items: Keep similar things together in smaller containers or divider inserts, such as packing toiletries in one place.
If you’re short on time, you’ll find helpful ideas in our guide, packing tips for moving in a hurry, to keep the packing process organized and manageable. Moving companies may also provide a moving crew, boxes, totes and other packing supplies to make the move less stressful.
Protect Fragile Items in Moving Totes
Fragile items need extra care when moving. Using the right packing supplies and simple packing methods can help protect your valuables and reduce the chance of damage. These packing tips can help keep fragile items safe whether you’re moving nearby or out of state.
Use Bubble Wrap and Padding
Fragile items like glassware, ceramics and electronics should be wrapped separately to keep them protected. Bubble wrap adds a soft layer around each item, while extra padding between layers helps stop things from moving inside the tote during the move.
For example:
- Wrap each plate separately and place them upright like records.
- Keep electronics together in small boxes inside the tote, with padding around each box.
- Add extra padding around the edges of larger items, such as monitors or framed pictures, to protect them from bumps.
Utilize Towels and Blankets
Towels and blankets can also be used as padding for fragile items. This helps you use fewer packing materials while making better use of the space in your totes.
Here are some simple packing tips:
- Wrap small appliances or delicate items in towels before putting them in the tote.
- Place a thick blanket at the bottom of the tote to protect items from bumps.
- Use washcloths between fragile items like glassware or ornaments to keep them separated.
This method can make the packing process easier while also helping you keep moving costs down.
Separate Items with Dividers
Dividers are useful for keeping plates, glasses and other breakable items protected. You can use totes with pre-made dividers or make your own with cardboard inserts. These dividers create separate sections inside the tote, helping prevent items from shifting or bumping into each other.
Key tips for packing fragile items with dividers:
- Plates: Stack them vertically with dividers between each one.
- Glasses: Place each glass in its own section with extra padding at the bottom.
- Small Breakables: Use dividers to keep similar items together, making unpacking easier.
Using dividers helps protect your belongings and makes the unpacking process simpler when you move into your new home.
Label Every Tote for Easy Unpacking
Clear labeling can make unpacking much easier, saving you time and stress when you reach your destination. It’s one of the most useful moving and packing tips for keeping everything organized, especially during a long-distance move.
Write Contents and Destination Room Clearly
A simple label showing what’s inside the box and which room it belongs in can make the unpacking process much easier. For example:
- Kitchen: Coffee Maker, Utensils, Towels
- Living Room: Books, Candles, Remotes
These packing tips make unpacking simpler and also help movers place each box in the correct room, reducing the chaos when you arrive.
Use Color-Coded Labels
Color-coded labels are a simple way to keep boxes organized during a busy move. Choose a different color for each room—green for the kitchen, blue for the bedroom and so on—and use the same color on every box for that room. This method is especially helpful when moving out of state with a large number of items.
These simple tips can help you stay organized:
- Use bright-colored tape or ready-made colored labels.
- Add a short description of what’s inside so you don’t have to search through every box.
Plan to Save Time
When preparing for a move, take some time to pack carefully. It may be tempting to skip labeling when you’re packing at the last minute but spending a few extra seconds on each box can save you hours of frustration later. Packing wisely can make the unpacking process much smoother.
Consider Long-Distance Moves and Special Items
If you’re moving out of state or relocating with pets, clear and detailed labels become even more important. Keep things you’ll need right after you arrive—such as pet supplies, toilet paper and snacks—in clearly marked “Open First” boxes.
Pack by Room for Maximum Efficiency
Staying organized can make packing for a move much easier. These simple strategies can help you save time and keep everything in order, making the moving and packing process smoother from start to finish.
Keeping each tote for one specific room makes packing and unpacking much easier. This helps avoid confusion and makes sure everything goes to the right place when you arrive at your new home.
- Label each tote clearly with the room name and a short list of what’s inside—for example, “Bedroom: Sheets, Pillows, Alarm Clock.”
- Keep your kitchen totes separate from your bathroom totes to make unpacking faster.
This approach is one of the most useful moving and packing tips, making it easier to stay organized while packing and unpacking.
Make Your Move Smooth and Stress-Free with Totes
Packing for a move can feel overwhelming but the right tools and simple strategies can make it much easier. Using moving totes and following these packing tips can help you save space, reduce stress and keep your belongings protected.
Remember to plan ahead, declutter and pack carefully. Ready for a less stressful move? Use these tips to pack smart and enjoy a smoother move into your new home.