Packing, room by room.

Before you pack: gather the right materials

Good packing starts with the right supplies. Stock these before you tape a single box:

• Boxes in a mix of small, medium, large, plus dish-packs and wardrobe boxes
• Packing paper (unprinted newsprint) and bubble wrap for fragile items
• Quality packing tape and a tape gun
• Wide-tip permanent markers for labeling
• Furniture blankets, stretch wrap, and mattress bags for move day
• Foam pouches or dish-cell dividers for glassware

Label every box on the side (not the top) with the destination room and a short contents note. Mark fragile boxes clearly and note "THIS SIDE UP." Boxes stacked in a truck are read from the side, not the lid. If you'd rather skip the whole exercise, B2's professional packing service includes all materials — no separate materials invoice.

Kitchen

The kitchen is the most breakable, most time-consuming room in the house. Budget more time here than anywhere else and use dish-pack boxes for anything glass or ceramic.

Dishes

• Wrap each plate individually in packing paper, then stack them on edge (vertically) in a dish-pack box — plates survive far better on their side than flat
• Cushion the bottom and top of the box with crushed paper
• Nest bowls in groups of three with paper between each

Glassware and stemware

• Use cell dividers so glasses never touch
• Stuff each glass with paper, then wrap the outside
• Stemware goes in its own compartment, stems padded
• Never pack glassware flat-stacked without dividers

Pantry and small appliances

• Seal opened dry goods in zip bags; toss anything expired
• Pack canned goods in small boxes so the weight stays manageable
• Empty, dry, and tape down cords on coffee makers, blenders, and toasters
• Do not pack open liquids, oils, or anything perishable for a long move

Bedroom

Bedrooms pack fast if you use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes and leave dresser drawers loaded with soft items.

• Wardrobe boxes: transfer clothes straight from the closet onto the built-in bar — no folding, no wrinkling. B2 loans wardrobe boxes for the move.
• Folded clothes: leave them in dresser drawers; movers wrap the whole dresser
• Mattress bags: slip mattresses and box springs into plastic mattress bags on move day to keep them clean
• Bedding and pillows: large boxes; they're light and fill space
• Jewelry and valuables: pack these yourself and keep them with you, not on the truck

Living room

The living room holds your highest-value electronics and often your most irreplaceable art. Slow down here.

TV and electronics

• Photograph the back of every device before unplugging so you can re-wire it in seconds
• Bag and label each cable set with the device it belongs to
• Use the original box for the TV if you kept it; otherwise a flat/picture box with foam corners and a blanket
• Flat-screen TVs travel upright, never flat — laying them down can crack the panel

Art, mirrors, and frames

• Tape a large X across glass so a break stays contained (tape does not touch the artwork)
• Wrap in paper, then bubble wrap, then a flat/picture box
• Very valuable pieces should be custom-crated — ask B2 for a per-piece quote

Furniture and shelving

• Disassemble bookcases and bag the hardware taped to the piece
• Leave upholstered furniture for the movers to shrink-wrap on move day

Bathroom

Bathrooms are quick but leaky. The goal is preventing spills and keeping daily essentials handy.

• Tape down or transfer any bottle that can pop open; bag liquids separately
• Toss expired medications and near-empty toiletries
• Roll towels around anything fragile to double as padding
• Pack a small "open first" bathroom bag with toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, and meds

Home office

The office is cables, monitors, and documents — organize it so you're back online the first day in the new place.

Cables and monitors

• Coil each cable, secure with a twist tie, and bag by device
• Monitors travel upright in a padded box, screen protected with foam or a blanket
• Back up your computer before move day, then pack the tower in a padded box

Documents

• Keep passports, titles, tax records, and other essential documents with you
• Use file boxes with lids and label them clearly

Garage

The garage is where the items movers legally cannot load tend to hide. Sort it early.

• Wrap tool edges; pad hand tools in small, sturdy boxes (they get heavy fast)
• Coil and bag extension cords and hoses
• Drain fuel and oil from mowers and power tools
• Set aside all hazardous materials — see below

What movers won't pack: hazardous materials

Licensed movers are prohibited from transporting hazardous materials on the truck. Plan to use these up, give them away, or dispose of them at a Bay Area household hazardous waste facility before move day. Common non-allowables include:

• Propane tanks, gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, and motor oil
• Paint, thinners, aerosols, and solvents
• Fireworks, ammunition, and matches
• Pool chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, and cleaning acids
• Charcoal, propane camp stoves, and other flammables

Also keep with you (do not load): cash, jewelry, passports, prescriptions, and irreplaceable documents.

Fragile packing technique that actually works

Three rules cover almost every breakable:

1. Cushion top, bottom, and sides. Every fragile box gets a paper base and paper fill so nothing touches the cardboard.
2. Wrap individually, then group. Each glass, plate, or figurine gets its own paper before it goes near a neighbor.
3. Fill every gap. A box that rattles when you shake it will break. Add paper until it's snug, then tape and label "FRAGILE."

For the pieces you can't risk — antiques, fine art, marble tops, chandeliers — leave them to the pros. B2's W-2 crews custom-crate high-value and awkward items, and every move includes basic released-value protection (60 cents per pound per item) by law, with Full Value Protection available for a quote. See our Moving Cost Guide for how packing labor and materials factor into your total.

Hybrid packing to save money

You don't have to choose between fully DIY and full-service. A hybrid approach is the sweet spot for most Bay Area households: pack the easy, non-fragile rooms yourself — books, linens, clothes, garage — and let professional packers handle the kitchen, art, and electronics. It cuts packing labor meaningfully while keeping your most breakable items in expert hands. B2 offers full pack, partial pack, and destination unpacking through our packing services.