Pack to move, broken into 7 small steps
Moving is one of the biggest tasks most people face, and packing is the part that tends to get left until the last few days.
Pack a little every day, starting with the stuff you won't miss, and label every box with the room it goes to. Future you, surrounded by boxes, will be grateful.
Start here · under 2 minutes
Build one box and tape the bottom.
Under two minutes. Keep a marker with it.
The rest of the steps
- Step 2:
Fill it with things you won't need before the move.
Books, decorations, off-season clothes. Easy decisions first.
- Step 3:
Label it: room + what's inside.
"Living room: books". Write on two sides.
- Step 4:
Pack one box a day (or one room a weekend).
Count the days left and divide. A small daily target beats a panicked final weekend.
- Step 5:
Make an "open first" box.
Sheets, a towel, chargers, toilet paper, a mug, basic tools, medication.
- Step 6:
Book the truck or movers.
As early as you can; dates fill up, especially at the end of the month.
- Step 7:
Update your address.
Mail forwarding, bank, work, subscriptions. A short list on your phone helps.
Why this one stalls
It's huge and has a deadline, which makes it feel urgent and impossible at the same time.
If you get stuck
Pack the room you use least, first. Visible progress in one room makes it easier to keep going in the others.
What “done” looks like
Every room packed and labeled, the open-first box ready, and the move booked.
These steps follow the same rules as the method in our task breakdown guide: the first step is physical and takes under two minutes, and every step after it is something you can see yourself doing. Got a head full of other things too? Start with a brain dump.