How long packing takes depends almost entirely on home size and whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring help. It’s one of the most common questions we hear from customers booking with one of the established moving companies in jacksonville fl for their move. A 3-bedroom home takes 10 to 20 hours to pack yourself, assuming you’re working through evenings and weekends rather than full-time. A professional packing crew can usually finish the same home in 7 to 8 hours, working at an average rate of $60–$80 per hour per packer — meaning a full-home pack often costs $420–$640 in labor before materials.
Room-by-Room Packing Order
Garage and Storage
Start in the garage, attic, or any storage area you rarely open. These rooms hold seasonal items, tools, and things you won’t need in the weeks before your move, so packing them first clears space without disrupting daily life.
Bedrooms and Closets
Closets are often the most time-consuming room to pack because clothing, shoes, and accessories need sorting before boxing. Pack off-season clothing first, and leave one week’s worth of outfits until moving day itself.
Kitchen
The kitchen should be one of the last rooms packed, since it’s used daily right up until moving day. Wrap plates individually and pack them vertically, like records, rather than stacked flat — it’s a small change that meaningfully cuts down on breakage.
Living Room
Living rooms tend to hold a mix of fragile decor, electronics, and bulky furniture. Wrap electronics in their original boxes if you kept them, and use furniture pads or moving blankets for anything with a finished wood or upholstered surface. This is usually the room where a local move benefits most from an extra set of hands, since large furniture is where DIY moves tend to slow down.
Packing Supplies You’ll Actually Need
- Sturdy boxes in multiple sizes — small for books, medium for kitchenware, large for linens and lightweight items
- Packing paper or bubble wrap for anything fragile
- Heavy-duty packing tape and a dispenser, not household tape
- Permanent markers for labeling boxes by room and contents
- Furniture blankets or pads for large or upholstered items
| Timeline | What to do |
|---|---|
| As soon as you get orders | Contact the Transportation Office, log into DPS, request pack-out dates |
| 6–8 weeks out | Research BAH rates for your new duty station, start decluttering to stay within weight limits |
| 4 weeks out | Confirm your HHG or PPM shipment dates, notify banks and schools of your move |
| 2 weeks out | Finish packing non-essentials, confirm pickup date with your chosen movers |
| Moving week | Complete final walkthrough, keep receipts for TLE and DLA reimbursement |
When to Hire a Professional Packing Service
If your move is happening during peak season, roughly May through September, professional packing rates run 20–30% higher, so booking early is worth it if you’re planning to hire help. For anyone short on time or moving fragile, high-value items, Premier Movers’ packing service handles everything from wrapping to labeling, so nothing shows up damaged on the other end.
If you need somewhere to keep your things between move-out and move-in, Premier Movers’ storage services can bridge that gap. Beyond your own packing, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration publishes consumer guidance on vetting movers and estimates before booking any move.
Let Us Handle the Packing
A little structure turns packing from the most dreaded part of moving into just another item on the checklist — but you don’t have to do it alone. See what it would cost to have our crew take the packing off your plate entirely.
