I’ve done a LOT of moves.
– I personally prefer to pack myself. In my experience, *some* movers are excellent packers, some are terrible; it varies by employee, not company, so you really can’t tell in advance. Also, at least in the US, the moving company is not liable for poor packing unless you pay for additional insurance on the move. Otherwise it’s the same sixty cents per pound that’s included in the move price.
With that said, I’ve helped some friends pack for their moves, and watching them “pack” was horrifying. So only pack yourself if you are willing to buy sufficient packing supplies and use them properly. I’m sure there are enough videos on how to do it.
A compromise would be to only pack up your own books, linens, etc and let the movers do your fragile stuff.
– I think there are packing apps now that let you link photographs of your box contents to bar codes, or something, but I’ve never used them. I do keep a spreadsheet with box numbers, room the items were packed from, and contents at some level of specificity. This is invaluable if you are planning to put some boxes in storage, or if you think your unpacking might take a while. If you’re truly planning to empty all of your boxes in one weekend, it’s probably not necessary.
– Think through your first few days in the house and pack some boxes that address them. You’ll need immediate access to clean linens, a shower curtain and toiletries, coffee setup, simply cookware and utensils, etc.
– Boxes take up a huge amount of space compared to their contents. I always bring a box cutter with me and start unpacking the kitchen boxes as the movers bring them in. You can shove all the dishes and glassware into random cupboards to organize later, but you’ll be a lot happier than having all those boxes stacked up. If you are nice to the movers and give them a good tip, they’ll break down the boxes for you and take them away with all the packing material.
– Have the movers put your boxes into rooms partly by content, but partly by unpacking strategy. If you have a spare room or a large closet, have them put the boxes of books and tchotchkes and scuba gear in there, out of the way. The bedroom and living spaces, ideally, will only have the boxes of things that you will need soon and plan to unpack immediately.
– Make one room into a sanctuary. For me, it’s the bedroom. If I can get the bed set up, with bedside tables and proper lamps, and keep other boxes either out of the room or neatly stacked in the corner, then I have a place to retreat to when the chaos gets to be too much.
