Create a plan before you start loading. Do a walk-through of your apartment or house. Make an inventory list of all the items you have. Group your furniture into categories such as larger items, items that can be boxed and fragile items.
Based on your inventory, rent the proper sized truck. In the "Insiders' Guide to Relocation," Beverly Roman and John Howells outline truck sizes as follows: "A 10-foot van can hold furniture from one to two rooms. A 14- to 15-foot van can handle two or three rooms. An 18- to 20-foot van is big enough for four to five rooms, and a 22- to 24-foot van can hold furniture from six to eight rooms."
Rent dollies for larger items. Dollies come in various sizes for oblong, wider or narrow items. Rent or buy straps to make sure heavy items are secure and won't roll off the dolly.
Cover wood furniture in padding. You can use old quilts or comforters or rent padding from the truck rental company.
Remove drawers, shelves and cabinets from furniture so they don't slide around or pop open while moving. Tape dresser drawers shut so they won't pop open if you don't want to take them out. Defrost refrigerators and freezers a few days in advance.
Start moving the heaviest and biggest items first. Refrigerators, washing machines and dressers should go in the truck first. Load them in the back against the far wall and away from the door. Load them in an upright position to leave room for other large items. Disassemble appliances. Store the hoses and cords on the inside of the corresponding appliance.
Move in mattresses and box springs and use them as padding between the heavy items and the other items you will be packaging. Take down bed frames and wrap them together with sturdy string or duct tape. Roll up rugs and put them on top of the tallest appliances.
Move the rest of the oblong items such as headboards and sofas. Cover your sofas with mattress covers to avoid staining and smudges. Load mirrors in between mattresses for protection.
Load the heaviest boxes. These boxes can rest on top of the sofas and appliances. Pack tightly.
Fill in any empty spaces under tables, on top of appliances, and between furniture to maximize your use of space. In an article for the CBS The Early Show, Marianne Goldstein writes "The fridge and vacuum bags are also great places to stash things. If you have a house, use your big trash cans, and pack up stuff from the garden (hose) or garage (paint cans, tools, cleaning solvents) that could leak through a box."
Put in the lighter boxes. Stack them on top of the heaviest boxes. Load the fragile pieces last. Pack them with newspaper, old sheets, or bubble wrap inside and out to make sure they are protected.
Take a test drive around the neighborhood. Afterward, open the loading door to check how tightly everything is packed and make sure items are not moving around too much. Rearrange boxes if necessary.
