If you invest an hour to organize your move, it will save you several hours when you load and unload, and it will likely spare you breakage of fragile items. You’ll need packing supplies (a tape gun or two, plus several rolls of tape, plus blank newsprint paper, stretch wrap, and many boxes, plus labels and marking pens).

Use small boxes for heavier items, such as books. There are special book boxes made just for this purpose. Use large boxes for fluffy large items such as comforters and pillows. Medium size boxes can be used for other things such as clothing.

In addition, there are special boxes for plates and such (“dish barrel boxes”), for glasses (come with individual cells with foam padding for glasses), guitar boxes, lamp boxes, and ski boxes. Also, there are wardrobe boxes, small and large, that have crossbars on which to hang your clothing while they’re being transported.

There are also very handy items such as mattress bags that can help to protect your mattresses during transport. The inexpensive ones (about $5-$7) are not designed for multiple use, so if know you’ll be doing a lot of do-it-yourself moving, it might be wise to purchase the more expensive heavy-duty mattress bags (about $14-$28) that also have built-in handles for easier loading and carrying. These can be re-used as they are made of thicker material.

Cargo nets, ratchet straps and load locks can stabilize your load to prevent damage and promote safety when unloading. They will keep your goods from toppling onto the cargo bay door, which can make it virtually impossible to open in some cases, and will often make it unsafe to do so, as once the door is opened, the contents will continue to topple onto anyone within 10 feet or more of the door.

Label all of your boxes with the contents and what room they’re going into at your new location. For highest visibility, it’s best to use white or light colored adhesive labels with dark marking pens. Affix them to the upper right corner of the longer side of each box. This small investment in time will pay great dividends in saving time as you load and unpack, especially if these boxes are going to be re-used.