How to Pack a Car for Moving to Another State

Long-distance moving is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. There will be a lot of things on your mind and a lot of arrangements you will have to do. But with a couple of relocation tips and tricks, you will be able to finish the whole process without any stress. And with these tricks, you can stop wondering how to pack a small car for moving. Because no matter the size, all you have to do is to have a good plan and organization.

Things to Consider Before You Start Packing belongings in Your Car

As you may know, driving a car under big weight is entirely different from driving a car without it. So the first thing you must consider is are you up to the task. Do you feel confident enough to drive a heavy vehicle all the way to your new destination? Do you know your car’s behavior under these circumstances?

You can make a trail drive and see how your vehicle will behave and then decide from that experience whether to drive or not. Also, you need to consider the roads you’ll take. Are you going to drive through some snowy, steep, and windy conditions? If so, you should know that controlling the vehicle under the weight will be much harder. So if you have a lot of things to relocate, seriously consider using professional long-distance moving services.

How Far Are You Going?

The next thing to think and carefully calculate is the distance. The gas consumption will not be the same, a lot more gas will be spent because of all the weight. So, plan carefully and thoroughly research where the location of every gas stop is along the way. This way you’ll avoid getting stuck on the road with an empty tank.

Is the Car in Good Condition?

And of course, you need to do a thorough check-up of your car condition. From the engine and tiers to buffers. And if you are relocating in winter or passing through a windy area, make sure to have all the necessary winter gear (such as tires).

How Many People Do You Plan to Drive?

Thinking about how much can you pack in a car? It will mostly depend on the number of people you are going to drive. Logically, the more people you drive, the less space you will have. So, you need to calculate that before deciding on transporting stuff in the four-wheeler. And even if you are relocating alone, you should know that one studio apartment household may fit your car, of course, without furniture. That, you should let professionals handle it.

Choose Carefully What Belongings Will You Transport and Which Will Long-Distance Moving Company

Let’s say you are relocating your entire home and family. The best option would be to split the number of belongings for transport with your long-distance movers. So first, start with the items movers won’t move and then add up the rest of the belongings. You can even hire movers to do a partial packing service so they can deal with the belongings they are putting on a truck.

Make an inventory list of belongings movers will take because this will make the whole process much easier. Here is a list of stuff movers won’t move, so start with this when organizing your move:

• Live plants
• Valuable items
• Documents
• Flammable materials
• Chemicals
• Pesticides and fertilizers
• Guns

Consider Buying or Renting an Overhead Carrier or Trailer

Suppose you have more than one four-wheeler like most Americans do, and you decided to ship one with a car shipping company that offers excellent auto transportation services. You are left with another one you can use to attach a trailer to (if you don’t own one, rent it) and fill it with stuff.

A lot of stuff can fit in a trailer. On the other hand, you should seriously consider driving a car with a trailer or at least try it before your relocation day. This way you’ll get the feeling of how your drive will be. For smaller items, you can use the trunk of your car and buy and install an overhead carrier on the car’s roof. Here you can put a lot of stuff, like your suitcases, bicycles, even chairs. The only thing you must think about is to fasten everything carefully with ropes and stripes.

You Will Need to Clear Everything From Your Car

If you wonder how to best pack a car for moving – the best way will be to remove as many things from your car. Let’s be honest, we all have a lot of stuff that occupies interior space in our cars. So, even if you are last-minute relocating, try to remove as many things or rearrange them in different ways so you can fit as many stuff. If you are not relocating with kids or family, you can knock down the back seats and get extra space.

Also, there is a lot of space under each seat, and on every door, here you can store books, documents, and bottles of water. Use even the space around your spare tire. Just make sure all your documents needed for driving are in the driver’s part of the car. On the other hand, if you are relocating with family or with pets, make sure to vacuum everything and add extra accessories you will need for a pleasant road trip. Put the iPad holder on the driver’s seat and some cup and bottle holders as well. Make sure to have a lot of treats for your pet and the ride will be smooth. Check this video for more tips:

Buy Right Packing Supplies

We primarily think about overhead carriers depending on what kind of extra equipment you will install on your car. You will have to purchase certain equipment so your belongings can stay safely on a carrier. You will require ropes and belts so you can tie everything up. Aside from that, every cross country moving requires all kinds of different boxing up  materials, and here are some of the packing supplies you must buy:

• Medium-size boxes
• Bubble wrap and plastic wrap
• Cushioning
• Duct tape and duct tape gun
• Labels
• Garbage bags
• Vacuum bags

How to Pack a Car for Moving in The Most Efficient Way

If you want to have an efficient move, you will have to make a good packing strategy. As we mentioned before, relocating an entire three or four-bedroom home is impossible to do by car. This way, you must carefully choose what items you are bringing with you. And in the spirit of efficiency, it would be good to start early with packaging and to do a trial run. So you can see if all the items you want to bring can fit.

Use Bags for Most Belongings

One of the common relocation mistakes people make is that they buy super large boxes and tend to put everything in them. These boxes are heavy, hard to maneuver, and they take a lot of space. Instead, take garbage bags or, even better, vacuum bags and pack your bedding, clothes, and jackets this way. This method also answers the question, “what is the easiest way to pack when moving?”

Downsize Your Home for a Move

The huge benefit of relocation is that you can get rid of a lot of belongings before the move without feeling remorse. And if you wish to know how to pack a car for moving to another state, you will first have to learn how to downsize for a move. Because only a portion of items you can keep, so choose wisely. Get rid of all the belongings you haven’t used in a while or things that are old and not worthy of keeping. You can donate unwanted items, or if you have enough time organize a garage sale and try to earn some extra money.

Use Your Clothes as Protective Materials

Kill two birds with one stone, and use your clothes as cushioning or protective material when packing glasses or other breakables. If you hire cross-country movers, they will deal with most of your fragile items. But even with their help, you will still have to make one box of relocation essentials on your road and once you set foot in the new home. So you will have to pack some plates, mugs, and other dishes you think you will need for the first couple of days.

Don’t Bring Dangerous Belongings

When thinking about how do you pack a car to move? The safety of you and everybody must be a top priority. It is not some whim all movers have when they deny bringing on a truck certain belongings. Even the most professional auto transport company that ships vehicles in an enclosed trailer or open ones will ask you to remove the gas from the car due to the dangers of explosion. The same thing should be on your mind. If you plan to transport propane tanks or scuba tanks, think again, you don’t want to fear every bump on the road.

Use Boxes for Some Items

Even if we have already answered the question “what is the best way to pack a car,” there are some belongings you will have to put in the boxes. This is why it is crucial to find the best size boxes to be precise medium-sized ones. We already mentioned that fragile belongings would have to go in the box, but there are some other items that will also have to be.

For example, your new electronics can not go in garbage bags. Or if you have expensive wine bottles, you could buy sectioned cardboard containers and store them there. Also, if you haven’t cleared out your pantry, you can bring your canned food, pasta, and other ingredients with you in the boxes as well.  On top of that, bathroom necessities and bottles should be placed in the boxes as well. This way, the danger of spilling everything on your car will be minimal.

Don’t Block Your View and Have a Safe Ride

Lastly, when you start filling the car, ensure you don’t block the windows. It will be tempting to fill the vehicle all the way to the top, but this can be quite dangerous. Driving across the country is not easy, and you will need all four eyes wide open, so don’t make this even more complicated. Also, your concentration will be in question, so ensure you have enough breaks and stops. Educate your co-driver and give them the important task of keeping you awake and alert. Your co-driver must be awake to have bottles of water, some snacks and keep an eye on the road as well. They should keep you focused, especially if you plan to drive during the night when concentration is way off.

As you can see, it is possible to place some of your belongings in a vehicle for a move-in. And you probably think a road trip will be fun, and it will be, but it can be dangerous as well. A lot of things can go south on the road. And you need to be prepared for every circumstance. Or to think good if this is something you pull out and endure. In the end, hiring cross-country movers will pay more off.Relocating to another state and wishing to know how to pack a car for moving? We’ll show you the most efficient way of transporting stuff in the vehicle.