Moving can be a very stressful life event, but taking the time to plan and prepare in advance of the move is the best way to make the process go as smoothly as possible. Manhattan’s best movers suggest that customers start preparing as early as possible for the move. There are a lot of moving supplies that you’ll need to buy, and the most common ones are listed below. Besides these moving essentials, you might also want to pack an overnight bag like you would for going on vacation to get you through the first night or week in your new home.

Types Of Moving Supplies You Might Need

Cardboard Boxes

You’ll need an assortment of cardboard boxes – as many as 100 for a 3-bedroom house or apartment – for packing up all of your small- and medium-sized items. Heavy items like dishes, books, canned foods and ceramic decorations should all go in smaller boxes. This makes them easier to lift and makes them less likely to break open while being carried. Light items like clothes and knick-knacks can go in medium-sized boxes, and bulky items like lamps and pillows can go for the larger items.

Bubble Wrap/Packing Popcorn

To prevent fragile items from being damaged in transit, you’ll need to wrap them in bubble wrap and use Styrofoam popcorn to fill in the empty spaces in the boxes. You can also wrap glass items in newspapers to further reduce the chances of them cracking when being packed and moved. Bubble wrap comes in large sheets and can be cut down to size.

Clear Packing Tape

You don’t want to use the wrong kind of tape – like masking tape or duct tape – since those can come loose and lead to boxes falling apart. Instead, use clear packing tape to hold your moving boxes together. Seal boxes along the bottoms and tops. This not only keeps the boxes closed tightly, but it also keeps bugs and other small pests from crawling inside while the boxes are moved and stored before being unpacked.

Large Scissors And Box Cutters

Scissors always come in handy for cutting tape and sheets of bubble wrap. Box cutters will be used to open up the boxes when unpacking or when repacking boxes before the actual move. Try to buy box cutters that have spring-loaded, retractable blades, as these are much safer than standard box cutters.

Permanent Markers

You’ll want to mark all of your boxes on several sides to make it easy to find them in storage and for movers to know which rooms they should go in when you arrive at your new location. You can label the boxes according to the rooms they belong in, and you can also number them and keep a list in a notebook so that you know what items are inside each box. This takes a little more time when packing, but can save you a lot of time and frustration later on when you are looking for specific items or are trying to remember if they even got packed at all.

Retractable Tape Measure

Tape measures are invaluable when trying to determine shipping fees and deciding where furniture will go when looking for a new home or apartment. Get the heavy-duty tape measure, like the kind they sell at hardware stores and membership warehouses. Those that only cost an extra dollar or two and are more than worth the extra cost.

Hand Truck And Furniture Dolly

If you don’t have a hand truck and furniture dolly or can’t borrow one from a friend, most moving companies and public storage facilities will have them available for rent.

Where To Get Packing Supplies And Hand Truck Rentals

You can find most packing materials and supplies from public storage facilities, moving companies, and postal supply stores. Large department stores like Walmart, Kmart, and Target, will also have them, as will most membership warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. Some locations in or near the Manhattan area are listed below.

1. New York Box

34 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002

(212) 777-5278

www.newyorkbox.com

2. Keepers Packing & Shipping

444 East 10th St, New York, NY 10009

(212) 780-9600

www.facebook.com/pages/Keepers-Packing-Shipping/104248929640209

3. East Village Postal

151 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

(212) 460-8067

www.eastvillagepostal.com

4. The UPS Store

1732 1st Ave, New York, NY 10128

(212) 300-3942

https://newyork-ny-6367.theupsstorelocal.com

5. Walmart Supercenter

2100 88th St, North Bergen, NJ 07047

(201) 758-2810

www.walmart.com