What You Need to Pack in an Essentials Box

The last thing you want to do after moving all day is spend your evening frantically digging through boxes trying to find a can opener or your toddler’s favorite blanket. Some items are essential, and you want to be able to locate them quickly on your first night. That’s why an essentials box—sometimes referred to as an open-first box—is indispensable. Inside, it should contain everything you need for at least the first night in your new home.

You can take two approaches to the essentials box. The first is to create an essentials box for everyone in the family, including pets. The second is to create an essentials box for each major room in the house. Regardless which approach you take, you’ll want to have the items necessary to make a meal or two, take a shower and get a good night’s rest in your new home. It also helps to have some basic tools, cleaners and entertainment options. Read below for a detailed list of what goes into an essentials box.

Essentials boxes for the family

Creating an essentials box for each member of the family ensures that personal items don’t get overlooked in the moving process and can be easily accessed when needed. In addition to essentials boxes for family members and pets, you’ll want to designate a general box for other necessities like toilet paper and all-purpose cleaner.

Make sure to clearly mark each box with its owner’s name, and bring the boxes with you. Don’t load them onto the moving truck. If the truck is delayed, you won’t have your necessities, and that defeats the whole purpose of your essentials boxes.

General

This box should contain shared household items and necessities, including food and drinks. Although you can order out while moving, you may get to a point where you want something other than fast food and soda. A simple, sit down meal can make your new house feel like home. Consider including:

All-purpose cleaner (unopened)
Paper towels and cleaning rags
Dish soap
Dish towel and dish cloth
Garbage bags
Toilet paper
Scissors or knife to open boxes
Flashlight (and extra batteries)
Extension cords and power strips
Basic tools like screw driver and hammer
Small first aid kit
Coffee maker and coffee
Coffee mug
Salt, pepper and sugar
Pasta and jar of pasta sauce
Small pot, bowl and utensils to prepare pasta
Snacks and beverages
Paper plates and plastic utensils
Plastic cups
Shower curtain
Soap, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner
Important records, such as birth certificates, that you don’t want to lose
Games or books for entertainment (until the TV is hooked up)

Personal

In addition to the general box, each person should have a box containing their personal items. Each box should include:

Prescription medications (in an easily accessible place)
Specialized medical items, such as a CPAP
Glasses or contact lens and lens solution
Several changes of clothes
Pajamas
Bedding
Towel
Toothbrush
Hair brush
Cosmetics and personal hygiene items
Personal devices including laptops, phones, tablets and chargers

Kids

Depending on your child’s age and needs, he may require extra items in his essentials box. Consider adding:

Diapers
Formula, bottles or baby food
Age-appropriate snacks and beverages
Extra clothes
Favorite boos, toys, games and craft supplies
Night light

Pets

Your furry friends need at least one shared box containing their items.

Pet food
Food and water bowls
Pet carrier
Leash
Treats and chews
Bedding
Clean-up bags
Favorite toys

Essentials boxes for important rooms

Packing essentials boxes for the most commonly used rooms is another effective approach. You’ll end up packing many of the same items; you’ll just pack them in the box for the room they’re associated with. For example, your son’s personal items would be included in his bedroom’s essentials box.

General

This box focuses on the items you’ll need to unpack, set up and tidy as you move. Items to pack include:

All-purpose cleaner (unopened)
Paper towels and cleaning rags
Garbage bags
Scissors or knife to open boxes
Flashlight (and extra batteries)
Extension cords and power strips
Basic tools like screw driver and hammer
Small first aid kit
Radio (in case you can’t immediately stream music)
Games or books for entertainment (until the TV is hooked up)

Kitchen

Even if you plan on going out or getting fast food for your meals the first few days, it’s nice to have a few items on hand in case you change your mind.

Dish soap
Dish towel and dish cloth
Toilet paper
Coffee maker and coffee
Coffee mug
Salt, pepper and sugar
Pasta and jar of pasta sauce
Small pot, bowl and utensils to prepare pasta
Snacks and beverages
Paper plates and plastic utensils
Plastic cups
Age-appropriate snacks for younger children

If you want to minimize fast food, consider adding a toaster, toaster oven, skillet, can opener and cooking utensils to your kitchen essentials box. Basic food items like bread, canned goods and unopened peanut butter and jelly can help add variety for those first few days.

Bedrooms

For each bedroom, pack what is needed for the first few nights plus the essentials for the person who occupies it.

Bedding
Curtains
Prescription medications (in an easily accessible place)
Specialized medical items, such as a CPAP
Several changes of clothes
Pajamas
Personal devices including laptops, phones, tablets and chargers

Bathroom

You don’t need an essentials box for every bathroom in the new house, but you will want some basics in at least one bathroom when you first move in. You’ll want to pack:

Toilet paper
Shower curtain
Soap, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner
Towels for each family member
Toothbrush
Hair brush (and maybe a hair dryer)
Cosmetics and personal hygiene items
Shower gel, shampoo, conditioner
Glasses or contact lens and lens solution

Additional essentials boxes

If you’re creating an essentials box for each room, you’ll still need a separate box for your pets. You may also consider packing a separate box for valuables, such as heirlooms, collections and jewelry. This would be a good place to include important records, such as birth certificates or documents pertaining to your new home or lease.

Tips for packing essentials boxes

Without a plan, it can be easy to forget essential items. Long before your move, begin jotting down the items you know you’ll need the first few days in your new home. (This may help you determine whether packing essentials boxes for each person or for each room works best for you.)

Pack liquids in sealed containers. For additional protection, put that sealed container in a plastic bag, so if it leaks, the liquid stays in the bag. In some cases, it may be easier to toss nearly empty containers of all-purpose cleaner, for example, and purchase a new on for the move.

Don’t seal your essentials boxes until you’re ready to leave so you can add any last-minute items you forgot to include. When you do seal the boxes, clearly label them and move them to your vehicle. Remember, you want these boxes to travel with you, not in the moving truck, so they’re ready to open when you get to your new home.