Moving can be stressful, or it can be exciting. After all, it marks the beginning of a new chapter, a relocation to a new place that may be brimming with possibilities. With the right attitude and know-how, it doesn't have to be the big scary ordeal that people sometimes make it out to be. But if you've never moved before, you may ask yourself, "How long does it take to pack a house?"
There's no easy answer. Many factors affect how long it's going to take you to pack. But we're going to offer some general guidelines to think about, as well as clue you in to some things that will make the process take more or less time. Armed with that knowledge, you can consider your specific situation, then come up with a time estimate.
Here's one thing we can't stress enough: give yourself some extra time. Don't plan your move in such a way that you're struggling to finish packing at the last minute on a tight timeline. You'd rather finish packing earlier than later—and it usually takes people longer to pack a room than expected.
When we talk about a "day," we're talking about 8 hours. Everything here's a ballpark figure, and other factors affect how long it takes to pack a house. Keeping these factors in mind will let you adjust your estimates accordingly.
- How many people are helping you pack? Obviously, more people = quicker packing. You can more or less divide time estimates by the number of people working.
- What packing and moving services you're using. Professional movers and packers move way more quickly than your average civilian. They have specialized equipment, know how to work together on difficult items, and do this daily. They'll shave off enormous amounts of time.
- How efficiently you work. Of course, if you stay on task and don't take too many long breaks, you'll finish more quickly than if you work at a leisurely pace.
- How many things you're taking with you. This isn't just about how many things you own; it's about how many things you're moving. If you're planning on leaving some items behind and buying new things in your new location, you'll have less packing to do. Regardless, those who embrace a minimalist lifestyle will pack much more quickly than folks with attics full of decades' worth of stuff to haul.
- Whether your items are bulky or fragile. For example, if you have a lot of heavy or awkwardly-shaped furniture, you may find those items take much longer to move out of your home.
On average, how long does it take to pack a house for a single person?
According to Moving.Tips, if you're packing by yourself, you'll probably need about a day per room. Based on the size of the home, it generally takes about:
- 12-20 hours to pack a small one-bedroom apartment
- 16-24 hours to pack a two-bedroom apartment
- 24-35 hours to pack two-bedroom house
- 35-50 hours to pack a typical three-bedroom house
- 50-65 hours to pack a large four-bedroom house
As we pointed out above, professionals can pack a house much faster than non-professionals. Experience, equipment, and strategy ensure they can usually finish the job within a day. Moving.Tips suggests that for experienced professionals, estimates look more like this:
- 2-4 hours to pack a small apartment or studio (crew of two)
- 3-5 hours to pack a two-bedroom apartment (crew of two)
- 3-6 hours to pack a two-bedroom house (crew of two)
- 6-8 hours to pack a three-bedroom house (crew of three)
- 8-10 hours to pack a four-bedroom house (crew of three)
Using professional movers makes the packing process far less tiresome, but it does come at an increased cost.
How to reduce packing times
The single biggest thing you can do to improve your packing time is to have a plan in place and stick to it. Get your items organized beforehand, so they'll be easy to work with. If possible, don't empty drawers and cabinets—just tape them securely shut and move them as they are. Be careful, though! Make absolutely sure they're secure. An easy way to get hurt is to try to move a chest of drawers and have one come spilling out onto your foot!
You may benefit from having a schedule in mind with productivity checkpoints, like aiming to pack X number of rooms per day.
Pack one room at a time
You'll pack more quickly if you focus on one room at a time, eliminate it, and move on. Otherwise, the time spent scurrying from room to room and between different areas of your home will add up. This also helps you stay mentally focused and in the flow of things, increasing your overall productivity.
Have the right supplies on hand, including specialized boxes
Having enough boxes, packing tape, packing paper, scissors, and other specialized supplies will ensure that you can keep moving without unnecessary interruptions. Specialized boxes can also help save a lot of time. Dish boxes, for example, often include partitioned sections allowing you to safely stack several plates/bowls/glasses into one box.
Make packing easy on yourself by starting early!
So, in the end, "how long does it take to pack a house?" That depends on you and the house. But the single most substantial thing you can do to make packing easier on yourself is to start the process very early. If you have a moving date set months in advance, you can start preparing months in advance. You can begin whittling down your possessions, for example, by donating, selling, or disposing of items you know you won't be taking with you. (You might even consider hosting a yard sale.) You can start moving items into boxes casually over time or even "half moving them," i.e., moving a few boxes a day out of the attic and into the garage so that when it's time to pack in earnest, you can slide them right onto the truck.
Most importantly, extending the timeline makes the whole process less stressful and avoids you wearing your body out by trying to cram hours of heavy lifting into long days of last-minute work. Take care of yourself, mentally and physically, and congratulations on your move!
Visit us at your local BuxBear Storage location to secure a climate-controlled storage unit for all your storage needs! And give us a call with any storage-related questions. We’re happy to help!