A New Yorker's guide to packing for a move in NYC

It’s surprising how long it can take to pack a small apartment, let alone a house where you have lived for many years. But packing is one of those dreaded chores that always takes much more time and effort than you would think.

Piece of Cake Moving & Storage, New York City’s highest-rated local moving company, has extensive experience with packing all types of furniture and household items. To make your next move easier and less time consuming, we’ve compiled some of our best advice.

The most important tip is to give yourself enough time. For example, if you are packing a large house by yourself, give yourself one month and aim to do a few boxes a day so you can pack a room each week. For smaller houses and apartments, allocate two weeks at a minimum.

If you work with a professional mover, they will pack large furniture such as your couch, mattress, dining table, beds and chairs. You will be responsible for packing small and miscellaneous items such as kitchenware, books, toiletries, clothes, towels and linens, unless you opt for a professional packing service, in which case your movers will also pack those items for you.

This is part two of a four-part series. Part one features a guide to hiring a reliable local mover in NYC , part three provides a New Yorker's guide to planning a long-distance, out-of-state move, and part four teaches you how to choose the right storage solution. 

Declutter and donate before you pack 

It’s a good idea to identify what you will donate, give away, or sell before you even get your moving quote, especially large pieces of furniture that you will not be taking with you. After all, you don't want to pay for moving items you don't need.

When it comes to disposing of large items in NYC, you can’t just leave them on the curb anytime. Bulk items (things that are too large to fit in a garbage can) will be picked up for free on your collection day. You can put out up to six bulk items per collection day. (The city no longer schedules appointments for bulk pick up.)

There are some exceptions. Mattresses, for example, must be enclosed in a plastic bag to prevent the spread of bed bugs. You can’t dispose of e-waste, like computers, printers and televisions; these should be donated or brought to a collection facility. You do need to make an appointment for removal of a refrigerator, air conditioner, or other appliance containing CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) gas.

Consider a storage facility

If you are moving into a smaller place or have a furniture piece or multiple items you don't need to bring to your new home, you should consider placing those items into storage. If you hire a professional moving and storage company like Piece of Cake Moving, we offer convenient on demand storage.

We pick up and store your items in our storage facility and then deliver them when you need them. On your moving day, these items will be taken to our storage facility after your move, and returned when you need them again. 

Gather your packing supplies 

You will need to get many packing materials for your move. If you are working with a professional mover, you can order your supplies to arrive before your moving day. Or you can buy your own moving boxes and packing materials online.

Need to know what to buy? Here’s a moving day supply checklist.

• Marker pens and sticky labels to put on boxes. Pro tip: Use colored stickers to color code boxes by room.
• Packing tape. Pro tip: Tape boxes first at the base and again when closing them in a cross shape along the seal and horizontally across the middle of the seal.
• Estimate how many boxes and what type of boxes you need per room. Piece of Cake Moving offers moving box bundles that include tape and packing paper.
• Packing paper and bubble wrap to protect breakables
• Specialty boxes 
• Consider renting Piece of Cake’s plastic moving bins, an environmentally friendly way to pack. We offer a range of bundles to fit your possessions.

Discuss items that need special handling 

You may have items that require special packing and handling such as a piano, an antique armoire, or a large marble table.

When working with a professional mover, make sure to let them know about these items when you are booking your move. A good professional mover will ask you many questions about your inventory to make sure they are equipped to correctly pack and wrap those special items on your moving day. 

Go room by room 

It’s time to start packing! Write down the inventory for each room, to help you identify what will be grouped together. Where possible, you should bring together similar items from different rooms that would be better packed together, for example all your linens.

Pack the least vital to most used items. Start packing rooms like the dining room and study ahead of the kitchen and bedroom. Pack items that you don’t actively use on a day-to-day basis, like decorative items and books. Tasks like defrosting the fridge and throwing out remaining food can wait until the final days before the move.

Tips for packing a kitchen 

The kitchen can be the most challenging room because there are so many fragile pieces like glassware. Use lots of packing paper to prevent items from knocking against each other. 

It’s best to cull your pantry items before it’s time to pack. You’ll want to empty and recycle containers that only have small amounts in them rather than pack them up.

It’s best to use packing paper instead of newspaper, which is thin and can leave ink on your possessions. Packing paper is thicker and sturdier to guard against breakage.

For large kitchens we recommended a mix of 15 to 20 large and medium boxes. For small kitchens we recommended a mix of 10 to 15 large and medium boxes. Or you can opt for sturdy preassembled moving bins that are strong and stable for your kitchen items.

You’ll also need packing tape, markers, and plastic cling wrap (the kind you use to cover food), and a minimum of two to three rolls of packing paper. You can buy inserts that protect your stemware but these are not absolutely essential.

Time to start packing your kitchen

Now you’re ready to get started. Have your marker handy to label your boxes and your inventory list to number your boxes. Start with infrequently used items such as baking supplies, vases, and holiday serving pieces. Avoid overloading your boxes. Even though movers are strong people, very heavy boxes are more susceptible to damage during transit. Below are some more tips for packing your kitchen. 

• Line the inside edges of each box with scrunched-up packing paper. This will cushion and protect your items during your move.
• Working on a flat surface, place a plate in the middle of your packing paper, fold a couple of sheets of paper over it and then place another plate over the top. Continue this process until you have a stack of four plates and then wrap another layer of paper around them or secure the stack with cling wrap.
• When stacking bundles of plates in your boxes, place them horizontally to help reduce the risk of damage.
• Do the process with bowls, grouping them in stacks of two and placing them horizontally. 
• Once you have filled the base of the box with these heavier items, use a buffer layer of packing paper before adding a second layer of items if the box is not too heavy.
• Glasses should be wrapped individually and placed standing up with no weight on top of them. 
• When wrapping mugs, don’t forget to use enough paper to protect the handles.
• Utensils can be wrapped in small groups and laid across the top of your boxes.
• Cutlery or flatware items should also be bundled together tightly with cling wrap. Place knives on their side.
• Pack very sharp knives in a large Tupperware container or wrap a kitchen towel around them and secure it with rubber bands. 
• Use a separate box for pot and pans, other containers and larger utensils.
• Wrap each pot and lid separately and nest smaller items within larger items.
• Place rolled up tea towels or packing paper around your pots and pans
• Use a small box for pantry items and canned goods. Glass jars should be wrapped in plastic bags to help prevent leaks with packing paper around the jars.
• When packing small- and medium-sized appliances, you want to limit how much they move during transportation. Tape down any moving parts, remove accessories, and add packing paper for padding once inside the box. 

How to pack a living room and dining room 

Your professional movers will pack the larger items in your living and dining rooms such as your sofa, coffee table, dining table, chairs, lamps, credenza, and TV.

If you are disassembling anything yourself, place any screws into a zip lock back and label it so you can easily find when you need to reassemble it at your next location.

You will need to pack all of your decorative items, such as pillows, books, art, and knickknacks. Book boxes are notorious for being too heavy. To prevent injury for DIY movers, be sure not to overload your boxes of books.

How to pack a bedroom

Your professional movers will back the larger items in your bedroom such as your mattress, bed, and bedside table. Your clothes, shoes, and linens will need to be packed by you prior to your moving day. If you are DIY moving, make sure to place your mattress into a mattress bag to keep it clean and protected in transit.

How to pack clothes for a moving day 

Be sure to downsize your wardrobe in advance and discard or donate clothes you haven’t worn in years so you are only spending time packing the items you love. Below is more advice for packing your clothes.

• Wardrobe boxes make packing a closet much easier. Piece of Cake provides these free on moving day and places your hanging clothes into the wardrobe boxes for you. DIY movers can buy these online.
• Pack other clothing in suitcases or moving boxes. Pro tip: Have a lot of clothing? Vacuum packing will save you lots of space. 
• Have several bins/boxes open and prepped at the same time so you can group and place items in the appropriate box as you go, such as workwear, casual wear, and sweaters.
• Avoiding loading all your clothes into very large boxes which can make them harder to move and harder to manage at your destination.

How to pack a bathroom 

Packing up the bathroom can be a daunting task, so be sure to get rid of things you don’t use in advance, like that two-year-old bottle of empty shampoo you keep forgetting to recycle.

Group small items in Ziploc bags and then place the bag in moving boxes instead of filling boxes with loose items. Tape lids closed to prevent spills. Don’t place electronics in boxes with your liquids. 

How to unpack in your new home 

Your movers will need your direction on where to place your furniture. It’s best to have some ideas in mind, or even better, a labeled sketch showing the placement for each large item. Indicate which rooms your color-coded boxes go, and your movers will use the sketch to place them as well.

Next focus on getting the kitchen ready by plugging in appliances, cleaning surfaces for basic food prep, and cleaning the inside of the fridge and the stove before putting food away or cooking. Next, make the beds so everyone can get a good night’s sleep. Towels and toiletries for the bathroom should be unpacked next. 

Clean and line closets so clothes and linen can be unpacked. Break down boxes, removing tape and flattening them to clear space as you go. 

Now you have an insider's guide to packing for your moving day like a professional. Ready to make a move? Get in touch with Piece of Cake Moving for an obligation-free, guaranteed flat-fee moving quote.