More than 15.9 million people moved during the first six months of the coronavirus. As undoubtedly millions more move in the coming months, the question arises: How long does it take to pack a house?

Knowing the answer to that question makes moving much easier. To find out how long it takes – and why – just keep reading.

How Long Does It Take to Pack a House

There’s no straightforward answer to that question. The best answer is, “It depends.”

It depends on the house’s size. A three-bedroom house will take about three to five days to pack. That’s not one to two hours of packing a night.

You can expedite the packing process by wrapping dressers so you don’t have to pack your clothes. You can also move the clothing in your closet in a wardrobe box. You can buy one of those or rent one on moving day.

Simply take the hanging clothes from your closet and hang them in a wardrobe box.

It takes longer to pack breakable items such as vases, dishes, and porcelain or glass decorations. Each of these will take time to wrap and package properly. Save time by wrapping big breakables in blankets and towels.

A one-bedroom house will take one to two days to pack. A two-bedroom house will take two to three days to pack. A four-bedroom house will take four to six days, and a five-bedroom home will take a whole week.

None of those timelines includes time spent unpacking.

Packing for a Move

But wait, there’s more to a packing timeline.

No matter how long packing is expected to take you, you’ll need a gameplan to go about it as efficiently as possible.

Get a head start by reducing clutter in advance. Dispose of or donate damaged, unused, or useless items. Consume all items in your pantry and fridge in the weeks leading up to your move.

Pack certain items early, like those you won’t use before the move. Soft items are a good starting point. Pillows, bedding, blankets, and stuffed animals should go in garbage bags.

Use small boxes for fragile or heavy items; large boxes for light items; and medium boxes for in-between items. 

Multi-bedroom homes necessitate using different colored tape for different rooms. You’ll want to fully pack some boxes ahead of time to build momentum. Pack room by room, beginning with the least-used rooms and finishing with the most-used ones.

As the boxes mount, make your life easier by labeling each box on at least two sides to know which room to unload it into. That’s how to pack, folks. 

Don’t Be a Packrat

How long does it take to pack a house? As you can see, the answer depends on several factors, mainly the size of the house.

Moving’s stressful, but it can be less so if you carefully follow the steps above. Whatever you do, don’t turn into a hoarding packrat.

See the Advice for Home Sellers section of the site for more valuable, moving-related wisdom.