Moving Season Tips: How to Pack an Entire Apartment Without Losing Your Mind
The summer months, particularly August, mark the peak moving season in Israel, with thousands of families concluding lease agreements and preparing for the academic year. Many find themselves overwhelmed by a full apartment of belongings with little time to spare, a situation often caused by starting the packing process too late and with inadequate materials.
Experts advise that packing a three-room apartment can take between eight to twelve hours of net work, while a four or five-room apartment with children could require twenty hours or more. Therefore, it is recommended to begin packing two weeks prior to the move, dedicating one to two hours daily to items not in regular use, such as books, formal dinnerware, off-season clothing, and archived documents.
The quantity of boxes needed varies by apartment size, with estimates ranging from thirty to forty boxes for a two-room unit, fifty to seventy for a three-room unit, and over eighty for larger apartments. Families with extensive book collections, large kitchens, or young children should anticipate needing an additional twenty percent. A common mistake is underestimating the number of boxes, leading to the use of flimsy plastic bags for overflow, which can easily tear during transit.
Proper box selection is crucial: smaller, forty-liter boxes are best for heavy items like books and tools, while larger boxes should be used for lighter, bulkier items such as bedding and clothing. Overfilling large boxes with heavy items can lead to structural failure. A good rule of thumb is that a packed box should not exceed twenty kilograms, a weight easily manageable by an average person without straining their back.
Essential packing supplies include wrapping paper or bubble wrap for fragile items, strong packing tape, a thick black marker for labeling, and colored stickers for room designation. Accurate labeling, indicating both the room and a brief description of contents on at least two sides of the box, can significantly reduce unpacking time. For convenience, services like Moving Station offer pre-packaged moving kits with various box sizes and packing materials delivered to the home.
Special care should be taken with certain items: glassware and plates should be packed vertically with protective paper between them, and electronics like TVs and computers are best placed in their original packaging or wrapped in blankets and transported upright. Valuables such as medications, important documents, jewelry, and keys should be kept in a personal bag that travels with the family. It is also advisable to pack a separate box with essentials for the first night, including toilet paper, soap, bedding, and basic kitchenware.
Finally, moving presents an opportunity to declutter. Asking whether an item has been used in the past year can streamline the packing process. Unneeded items can be donated to charities or disposed of through municipal services for furniture and garden waste removal, often requiring advance scheduling.
