Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Moving Day Essentials
16
items Everything I bought for our last move — the kit I wish I'd had three moves ago. Real picks from a real mover, no filler.
Game-changer over cardboard boxes for clothes, linens, and soft things. Reinforced handles, holds 65+ lbs each, and packs flat for storage between moves. The single best buy on this list.
Heavy Duty Moving Bags (6-pack)
For the heavy stuff — books, dishes, kitchen. Sturdy enough that I stacked five high in the truck and nothing collapsed. Buy more than you think you need.
Cardboard Moving Boxes
The piece nobody thinks of until your mattress shows up covered in moving truck grime. Keeping your bed clean — easiest decision on this list.
Queen Mattress Bag
Way better than a newspaper because no ink rubs off on your dishes. I wrap glassware in two sheets each and have zero breakage in three moves.
Newsprint Packing Paper
For wrapping furniture corners, padding awkward gaps in boxes, and crumpling into voids. Six bucks for a 100-foot roll — cheap insurance.
Brown Kraft Paper Roll
Saved my couch, my dresser, and a framed mirror. Twelve blankets sounds like a lot until you start wrapping things. Reusable for storage afterward.
Padded Moving Blankets (12-pack)
Don't cheap out on tape. Off-brand stuff peels off in transit. This holds. Six rolls are the minimum for a one-bedroom move.
Scotch Heavy Duty Packing Tape (6 rolls)
The unsung hero. Wraps around dressers to keep drawers shut, bundles silverware drawers, and secures cords. I now use it for every move.
Stretch Wrap (1000ft)
If you're moving without help, this is non-negotiable. Stacks 4-5 boxes at a time, folds flat for storage, and saved my back twice over.
Folding Hand Truck (500lbs)
Slide a heavy dresser across hardwood with one hand. No scratches, no calling a friend, no regret. Should be illegal how cheap these are for what they do.
Felt Furniture Sliders (16-pack)
The space-saver I almost left off the list. Compresses bedding, comforters, and bulky winter clothes to a fraction of their size. Twelve jumbo bags will swallow your entire linen closet — and free up four boxes worth of truck space.
Vacuum Storage Bags (12 Jumbo)
For when the move is done and you've got off-season clothes, sleeping bags, or guest bedding to stash. Foldable so they collapse flat in summer; reinforced handles when you need to grab them quick. Six bins handle a small house's worth of long-term s...
Large Storage Bags (6-Pack)
When packing paper isn't enough — for picture frames, stemware, electronics, anything that needs real cushion. 700 feet is enough for a whole-house move, with rolls left over for shipping later. Perforated every 12 inches so you tear off exactly what...
Bubble Wrap (700ft, 4 Rolls)
The handheld version of the stretch wrap above — easier to maneuver around chair legs, drawer fronts, and awkward angles. Built-in handle means you can wrap with one hand while holding the item still with the other. Two rolls so you don't run out mid...
Stretch Wrap (2-Pack Handheld)
The non-negotiable. Every box needs a room name and a priority — KITCHEN OPEN FIRST or BEDROOM LATER. Chisel tip is wide enough to read across the truck. Buy four. You will lose two during the move and find one six months later in the new place. Don'...
Sharpie Permanent Markers (4-Pack, Chisel Tip)
Unpacking is the worst part of moving and a bad box cutter makes it worse. Folding so it's safe in your pocket; razor sharp so you don't crush boxes opening them; four-pack means one in every room of the new place. The 10 extra blades will outlast th...
Folding Box Cutters