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How to Pack to Move in a Hurry

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If your moving date is a week away and you need to learn how to pack efficiently for a move ASAP, you have come to the right place. At Sirelo we know how stressful the moving process can be when you have months to plan, but when it is a matter of days the pressure is on. To help make this process smoother, we will tell you everything you need to know about how to move in a week: checklist, tips and all. Read on!

How to Pack to Move in a Hurry

Moving out in a hurry? Many of us have been there before, and the reasons for moving in a week or less are endless.

Maybe you have just landed your dream job in a city across the country, and they expect you to start on the first of the month. (Congrats, by the way 😉)

Maybe you finally found that loft apartment you have always wanted but the idea of paying double-rent for a month has your wallet bracing for impact.

Maybe you have been waiting to move for months, but procrastination got the better of you and now moving day is next week. (We totally get it, life gets busy, you know?)

Whatever your reason for wanting a guide on how to move in a week, Sirelo has your back!

Disorderly stacks of boxes placed randomly in a small space

Moving in a Hurry: Checklist

First order of business, let us all take a deep breath. Before taking on all the things you need to do when moving in a hurry, remind yourself that you can do it (and we know you can too).

Now that we are all self-assured and ready for action, read on to master the following checklist points and ensure moving in a hurry will not be any more stressful than it needs to be.

Interested in a full moving checklist (without the added time pressure)? Then our domestic and international moving checklists might be useful as you prepare for this exciting, albeit expedited, adventure!

Develop a Gameplan

By creating an overview of what needs to be done and when, you will keep ahead of the ball. Create a list of the major items and break these down into subtasks. For example, packing everything in boxes can be broken down into sort possessions by type, label everything, and buy moving boxes.

Your gameplan will be your lifeline as you navigate through a few stressful dawn-to-dusk days of all kinds of logistical arrangements. It will also help you decide what you can prioritize later, like certain utilities or household services like television and internet connections.

Determine the Size of your Move

Moving in a week or less is much easier done when there is not much to move. If you are looking at a full-to-the-ceiling five-bedroom house, that is not so easily managed on a tight timeline.

Knowing the size of your move will help you make key decisions about what you can manage in a short time span, in addition to what you can expect to pay for moving services.

SireloTip! Wondering how to go about sizing your move? Luckily our handy moving space calculator has been developed just for this purpose. 😉

Should you rent storage space?

If your moving pressure is coming from needing to be out of your current home, but you do not yet have something solid lined up, consider renting storage space.

By renting a storage unit or pod, you can safely keep your belongings in check while you make other arrangements for your move. It might cost a bit of extra time and hassle, but when the clock is ticking it is useful to have the option.

Find Fast Moving Companies

Perhaps the most important checklist item of them all, you will need to find movers who can turn on a dime. Some moving companies can be booked up for months during the summer high season, so finding a mover who can take on jobs on short notice will be critical.

But how to know what you are getting into with so little time to research, whether this is for the costs of a local move, long-distance move, or international move?

At Sirelo we try our best to make this easy. By filling out the form below, you will receive up to five no-strings-attached moving quotes from trusted, reliable movers.

This not only saves you the time of shopping around, but also allows you to specify your moving date before having contact with a mover.

Moving Soon?
Choose the size of your move below to receive up to 5 free moving quotes!

Packing Tips for Moving in a Hurry

So you want to know how to pack efficiently? We get it! By following the tips below, you will quickly turn that mountain of scattered items into an efficiently packed molehill of a move.

By following these packing tips for moving in a hurry, you should be able to manage this moving sprint without breaking (too much) of a sweat.

Downsize, Downsize, Downsize

Moving in a hurry is easy if you do not actually have to move anything! By going over your home with a fine-toothed comb looking for opportunities to downsize, you will make your life much simpler (unless you are a committed hoarder, like I am of books, then life gets stressful).

Need help downsizing? Our downsizing guide walks you through everything you need to know to go minimalist in a few easy steps.

Label & Group Items Together

How to pack to move in a hurry? This one is among the ultimate packing tips for how to pack efficiently: labelling and grouping your stuff. Why is this? If you want to know how to pack efficiently, you need to set up an efficient system.

Everything getting packed together should stay together. In practice this will mean a chaotic, but temporary series of growing piles, but putting effort into organization now will save you time when it comes to boxing.

By preparing labels, you will know what items are in what boxes. This allows you to stack them with respect to weight and fragile contents. Hence you will need to put less thought into this on moving day and will ensure that everything makes it to your new home in one piece.

Buy More Moving Boxes Than You Really Need

Everyone knows that you will need moving boxes to move, but why more than you need? We thought we needed to know how to pack efficiently for a move?

Well, efficiency does not always mean compact. Think of it this way, instead of agonizing over the game of Tetris to fit everything in just a few boxes, simply throw everything in with a lot of protective padding.

The result? You make short work of those growing piles of clothes, kitchenware, decorative knick-knacks, and so on.

Ask for Help

Want to know how to move in a week, really? Well, get all hands-on deck. The more manpower, the more output. The key to learning how to pack efficiently is to not do it all yourself!

By recruiting friends and relatives to help out, you can turn a week’s worth into a hefty afternoon. This is especially useful if you have to move heavy furniture in preparation for the arrival of your movers.

family helping each other take a painting of the wall as they pack their house for moving

Last Things to Consider for Moving in a Hurry

Moving in a hurry is a bit like act now, think later. The important thing to remember is that when you are ‘in the zone,’ some details might be overlooked.

This can result in a few things getting damaged or broken, or that you forgot to complete some paperwork in the tedious process of transferring your utilities or changing your address.

While these things are important to watch out for, the real thing to consider is that you should go easy on yourself, moving in a week is quite a feat. Take credit where credit is due!

Moving in a Hurry Made Easy at Sirelo!

We hope that by now you have a thorough understanding of how to move in a week and everything that goes into it. Once you have your gameplan in place and a few helping hands ready to volunteer (perhaps at the price of some pizza), we know you will manage moving in a hurry with flying colors. Need further assistance with your move? Then check out the articles linked below for further reading. Good luck!