How Long Does It Take to Pack for a Move?

Packing your home takes time—a lot of time. But it isn’t always easy to figure out just how much time you’ll actually need to pack for a move. While most people try to estimate based on the size of their home, other factors come into play, including how much stuff you have and how many people you have helping you.

No one can give you a definitive answer on how much time you’ll need to get ready for moving day, but the information below should give you a rough idea. You may want to add an extra day or two to your estimate just to be on the safe side, and start planning early. The more time you spend planning and preparing for your move ahead of time, the less stressed you’ll be when it’s actually time to pack your home.

Your home’s size

As a starting point, plan on spending one day packing for every room of your home. For example, if you live in a studio apartment, it should take you one day to pack your belongings. If you live in a two-bedroom home, assume it will take you at least three days, depending on the size of the rooms. Add an extra day or two if you’re packing for the first time, and don’t forget to dedicate at least a day to the packing the garage.

When calculating the number of days, treat each day as an eight-hour chunk. In other words, if you estimate it will take you three days to pack for your move but only spend four hours a day packing, you’ll obviously need to set aside six calendar days.

Take into account the actual size of your rooms, too. A three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot home will usually require less time to pack than a three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home. Even though basic layout may be similar, the larger home likely has larger bedrooms with larger closets and much more stuff.

Your home’s contents

The more stuff you have, the more time it is going to take to pack it. As you count the number of rooms, consider what’s in each room. You may only need an hour or two to pack a nearly empty guest room, but the garage—with its cabinets, drawers and shelves—could alone take several days. It just depends on how much you have to pack.

Your lifestyle and interests also factor into determining how much time you need to pack for a move. For example, a minimalist who owns less stuff will have less to move than an avid sports memorabilia collector. The collector will not have only more items to move but those items will require extra attention during the packing process.

Also, consider the number of people living in your house. It may not look like it, but if you have two children sharing a room, they probably have more stuff in that room than one child would. This idea applies throughout the house. For example, if you live alone, you probably own far fewer plates and glasses than a family of four.

Finally, plan on moving taking extra time if you are downsizing since you’ll need to sell, donate, trash or find new homes for the items that won’t fit into your smaller space. This will take time. How much? That depends on how much stuff you’ve accumulated over the years and how drastically you’re downsizing.

How organized you are

Your move will take less time if you are organized. For example, a craft room with neatly packed totes of supplies will require much less effort to pack than one brimming with scraps and unfinished projects. Take stock of what’s in each room and estimate how long it will take to sort through its contents.

You’ll want to add a day for each unorganized room. Have a bedroom with a mountain of toys and clothes blocking the door? Plan on spending a day going through it and discarding what’s broken or doesn’t fit. What about that “junk” room you always close off whenever anyone visits? Add a day to organize it. You’ll also want to an extra day to hold a garage sale or take items to Goodwill once you’ve organized.

Whether you have help

With help, you can shave hours or even days off your move time. If you estimate it will take four, eight-hour days to pack your home, divide that in half if a spouse or friend lends a hand. Even if that person only helps for one day, that one day still reduces the amount of time you need to devote yourself to the task.

Depending on your kids’ ages, they can contribute, too. Older kids can almost entirely pack their rooms themselves. Subtract a day off your estimate of how many days you need. You may even be able to enlist them to help with packing other parts of the home and subtract more time. Younger kids can help, too, by sorting through toys or clothes. Whatever they don’t want, you don’t have to pack.

Tips for spending less time packing

Whether you’re short on time or just want to have a few extra hours with friends before you move, these tips can reduce how long it takes you to pack your home.

Stock up on moving supplies

You’ll waste time and lose momentum if you have to stop packing because you run out of tape or bubble wrap. Before you start, make sure you have all the supplies you’ll need to get the job done. In addition to tape and bubble wrap, you’ll need packing paper, moving blankets, plastic wrap, boxes, scissors and at least one good marker.

Use specialty boxes

Wardrobe, glass pack and other specialty boxes make packing quicker and easier because they are designed specifically for certain items. For example, you can pull drinking glasses from your cabinets, wrap in paper and slip them directly into a glass pack box. Or, you can take clothes still on their hangers and hang them in a wardrobe box.

Pack one room at a time

It takes extra time to bounce from room to room. Instead, start with the least used room in the house, and pack it entirely before moving on. After completing the first room, you can use it as a staging area for packing the rest of your belongings.

Handle items once

To speed up the packing process, make three piles: donate, sell and trash. Assemble two or three boxes, and have your packing supplies at hand. Then, touch items just once, putting them in the appropriate pile or packing them in a box before moving to the next item.

Don’t empty desk and dresser drawers

You double your work when you empty drawers. Instead, remove them from the desk or dresser and wrap them in plastic wrap so the contents don’t spill out. You can do the same with chests or even small file cabinets that aren’t too heavy to lift. Just wrap plastic wrap around the exterior of those so they stay shut during the move.

Ask for help

Enlisting family and friends to help you can drastically cut the amount of time you spend packing. With enough people, you can pack an entire house in a day. Feel uncomfortable asking your friends for help? Hire professional movers instead. Moving.com has an extensive network of reputable and reliable movers who can pack and move your entire home in no time.