I've had to live in eleven places within the past eight years...
A friend recently asked for useful advice for moving/packing/placing stuff in storage. I've had to move something like 11 times in the past 8 years, so here's some of the stuff I've learned...
Use Produce Boxes
Although there are a number of places where you can get free boxes, I prefer produce boxes from the grocery store for a number of reasons:
(1) They're generally about the same size (even if they come from different suppliers), which means you have less wasted space when you stack them up.
(2) They're a great size: big enough for most items, but too small to over-pack with heavy items (like books). Having to move a great big box can be really awkward - these things are ideal for one person to carry and lift, which is especially nice if you're not using professional movers.
(3) The boxes are REALLY REALLY sturdy with built-in handles that go through more than one layer of cardboard. This means the handle holes almost never rip out and the edges of the box are virtually crush-proof.
(4) You don't need tape or cardboard origami skills to open or close them. This makes looking through several boxes in storage much easier. (BTW, they're made with a bottom and a top that fit inside each other, which is also why they have extra stacking strength.)
(5) In a pinch, it is possible to take the top off of one box and use it as a box in it's own right - it's just that two of the boxes will have open tops.
The one disadvantage is that produce boxes aren't really made to collapse easily, so it requires some effort to crush them down when you're done with everything. Personally, I'd rather not have a box that's going to flatten during the move, so I'm willing to deal with the inconvenience later.
If you're going to have stuff in storage for a while
Put plastic or plywood down between the concrete floor and the bottom of your cardboard boxes if it will be in storage for more than a month or two, especially if it's humid.
If you must pack edibles, place them in chew-resistant containers - a bag of rice in a cardboard box will invite vermin, especially if the box is on the floor or easy to climb to.
Candles often melt in storage. I've successfully moved Yankee candles, but only because they've been packed so that the jars remain upright.
Loading up a storage area or moving truck
Load really big items in first & then fill in around it. Stack stuff so that the heaviest stuff/boxes are on the bottom - this is especially important for keeping stuff from getting damaged for a trip in the moving truck.
In addition to being mindful of which boxes are the heaviest, be mindful of how much weight you're putting in each box as you are packing it. There's nothing like packing a box full of books and then realizing it's too heavy to move easily. There's something to be said for filling the bottom half the box with books and then the top half with lighter items.
Plastic-wrap tape and other stuff worth buying
Wrap furniture with blankets and then secure with saran-wrap tape (available from a U-haul store) - it's plastic wrap on a thin roll and only sticks to itself. It's a LIFESAVER & well worth the money for a roll. You can wrap padding (furniture pads or blankets) around bulky items far more securely than you ever could with a ton of rope. Oh, and there's no sticky residue.
While you're at the U-haul store, pick up a mattress cover if you need to move a mattress and/or box spring. It's basically a big, clear mattress-sized envelope. It's a little cumbersome to get a mattress into one, but trust me, it is worth it. Not only does it protect the mattress from dirt, dust, water, wear, and possibly even adventuresome mice during moving/storage, it makes it easier to slide the mattress over carpet to and from the door by reducing friction. (Don't allow helping friends to get so used to sliding the mattress inside the house that they attempt it over a rough surface outside though - I learned that one the hard way.)
Other than the plastic-wrap tape and the mattress cover, everything else from the U-haul store is probably not worth getting (at least from them - U-haul makes a lot of its money from over-pricing boxes and tape in its stores). Oh, unless they have super-sliders - plastic and foam disks that you can place under furniture to help slide it along the floor. If you have heavy items, these things are a lifesaver/backsaver. They're great - invest in a set. Makes re-arranging furniture, even by an inch or two, much easier too.
General packing tips
If you go through all of your towels/sheets for fragile items - or you need to wrap things where towels would be too bulky - then you can use t-shirts. Or socks. Just don't use your favorite ones in case you don't get around to unpacking them for a while.
Keep a sharpie on you as you pack to facilitate keeping an accurate list of what is in each box. 'Kitchen stuff' is really generic and may drive you nuts when you have 7 boxes labeled 'kitchen' and you're looking for the silverware. Labeling a box with KITCHEN and then a little sub-list below it with specific kitchen items is far more productive. (Especially when you find a random fork & want to put it with the others.)
I've never regretted making a longer list of what is on a box, but I have regretted keeping it too short - particularly for frequently used items. (I once spent several weeks looking for all my silverware. It wasn't fun.)
Label the top of the box as well as at least two opposite sides. When the boxes are in a stack, you can't see the top & it's often difficult to check multiple sides. When friends are carrying it into your new place, or the boxes are scattered over the floor, the top is the easiest to see. You only need to have detailed lists of stuff on one side. For example, KITCHEN is listed on the top & sides, but only one end has KITCHEN: bowls, plates, vegetable peeler. Putting a detailed list on every side is time consuming and will make you high on marker fumes.
Use Produce Boxes
Although there are a number of places where you can get free boxes, I prefer produce boxes from the grocery store for a number of reasons:
(1) They're generally about the same size (even if they come from different suppliers), which means you have less wasted space when you stack them up.
(2) They're a great size: big enough for most items, but too small to over-pack with heavy items (like books). Having to move a great big box can be really awkward - these things are ideal for one person to carry and lift, which is especially nice if you're not using professional movers.
(3) The boxes are REALLY REALLY sturdy with built-in handles that go through more than one layer of cardboard. This means the handle holes almost never rip out and the edges of the box are virtually crush-proof.
(4) You don't need tape or cardboard origami skills to open or close them. This makes looking through several boxes in storage much easier. (BTW, they're made with a bottom and a top that fit inside each other, which is also why they have extra stacking strength.)
(5) In a pinch, it is possible to take the top off of one box and use it as a box in it's own right - it's just that two of the boxes will have open tops.
The one disadvantage is that produce boxes aren't really made to collapse easily, so it requires some effort to crush them down when you're done with everything. Personally, I'd rather not have a box that's going to flatten during the move, so I'm willing to deal with the inconvenience later.
If you're going to have stuff in storage for a while
Put plastic or plywood down between the concrete floor and the bottom of your cardboard boxes if it will be in storage for more than a month or two, especially if it's humid.
If you must pack edibles, place them in chew-resistant containers - a bag of rice in a cardboard box will invite vermin, especially if the box is on the floor or easy to climb to.
Candles often melt in storage. I've successfully moved Yankee candles, but only because they've been packed so that the jars remain upright.
Loading up a storage area or moving truck
Load really big items in first & then fill in around it. Stack stuff so that the heaviest stuff/boxes are on the bottom - this is especially important for keeping stuff from getting damaged for a trip in the moving truck.
In addition to being mindful of which boxes are the heaviest, be mindful of how much weight you're putting in each box as you are packing it. There's nothing like packing a box full of books and then realizing it's too heavy to move easily. There's something to be said for filling the bottom half the box with books and then the top half with lighter items.
Plastic-wrap tape and other stuff worth buying
Wrap furniture with blankets and then secure with saran-wrap tape (available from a U-haul store) - it's plastic wrap on a thin roll and only sticks to itself. It's a LIFESAVER & well worth the money for a roll. You can wrap padding (furniture pads or blankets) around bulky items far more securely than you ever could with a ton of rope. Oh, and there's no sticky residue.
While you're at the U-haul store, pick up a mattress cover if you need to move a mattress and/or box spring. It's basically a big, clear mattress-sized envelope. It's a little cumbersome to get a mattress into one, but trust me, it is worth it. Not only does it protect the mattress from dirt, dust, water, wear, and possibly even adventuresome mice during moving/storage, it makes it easier to slide the mattress over carpet to and from the door by reducing friction. (Don't allow helping friends to get so used to sliding the mattress inside the house that they attempt it over a rough surface outside though - I learned that one the hard way.)
Other than the plastic-wrap tape and the mattress cover, everything else from the U-haul store is probably not worth getting (at least from them - U-haul makes a lot of its money from over-pricing boxes and tape in its stores). Oh, unless they have super-sliders - plastic and foam disks that you can place under furniture to help slide it along the floor. If you have heavy items, these things are a lifesaver/backsaver. They're great - invest in a set. Makes re-arranging furniture, even by an inch or two, much easier too.
General packing tips
If you go through all of your towels/sheets for fragile items - or you need to wrap things where towels would be too bulky - then you can use t-shirts. Or socks. Just don't use your favorite ones in case you don't get around to unpacking them for a while.
Keep a sharpie on you as you pack to facilitate keeping an accurate list of what is in each box. 'Kitchen stuff' is really generic and may drive you nuts when you have 7 boxes labeled 'kitchen' and you're looking for the silverware. Labeling a box with KITCHEN and then a little sub-list below it with specific kitchen items is far more productive. (Especially when you find a random fork & want to put it with the others.)
I've never regretted making a longer list of what is on a box, but I have regretted keeping it too short - particularly for frequently used items. (I once spent several weeks looking for all my silverware. It wasn't fun.)
Label the top of the box as well as at least two opposite sides. When the boxes are in a stack, you can't see the top & it's often difficult to check multiple sides. When friends are carrying it into your new place, or the boxes are scattered over the floor, the top is the easiest to see. You only need to have detailed lists of stuff on one side. For example, KITCHEN is listed on the top & sides, but only one end has KITCHEN: bowls, plates, vegetable peeler. Putting a detailed list on every side is time consuming and will make you high on marker fumes.