When it’s time to make a move to a new home, properly packing everything can seem like a daunting task. You might start out taking your time and packing everything as securely as possible, but when the move day deadline starts approaching, it’s easy to start getting sloppy.

Do you want to make sure you packed all of your items like a pro before the deadline hits? Here are six tips that’ll help avoid damaging your items during the move.

1. Start by decluttering.

It’s easy to accumulate a lot of stuff. But how much of that stuff you haven’t touched in years needs to be in your next home? Throw unneeded items out, or donate them. Give them to friends or put them on the curb. The less stuff you need to pack, the more time you can spend on properly packing the essential items you don’t want to be damaged.

2. Loosely wrap fragile items individually.

If you’re tempted to use a newspaper to do this, don’t. Instead, individually wrap items in bubble wrap, bunched-up paper, or foam wrap. Carefully place the loosely wrapped items individually in a box marked “fragile.” To make sure you don’t pack the box with too many things, try to carry it to your car trunk yourself.

3. Avoid interlocking your box flaps together.

Always take time to securely tape the tops and bottoms of every box you’re packing items in, even things that aren’t fragile. When handling boxes you didn’t tape, it’s easy for the flaps to become loose and dump your items all over the moving truck or on the ground.

4. Tape your boxes both ways.

For additional strength, use three strips of packing tape and run them across the box halfway down both sides of it. The extra tape will also improve how waterproof the boxes are during the move.

5. Put heavy items in the bottom of the pile.

To avoid crushing smaller, fragile items, make sure to pay close attention to putting heavy items on the bottom of each box. Then top them off with the smaller ones. It just takes one wrong move for your small items to be crushed by even a slightly heavier object.

6. Hire a professional packing and moving company.

The easiest and fastest way to avoid damage to your items during a move is to hire a professional. But don’t just settle for the cheapest quote you can find. You may regret this when you start unpacking your items after they’ve left. 

Spend some time interviewing the packing and moving companies you’re considering. Ask them about what insurance they carry, how much experience they bring to the table, and how they can work with the deadlines you require.

Arrive at Your New Home with Everything in Perfect Shape

Now that you know how to pack like a pro, your move shouldn’t be so daunting. Enjoy your new home!