The most underestimated step in any move
On moving day everyone watches the truck. But the real work starts a week earlier, with packing. It is the most tedious part, the one that takes the most time, and where you decide if your belongings arrive intact or not. The question is: do you do it yourself or pay someone to do it for you?
DIY packing: time and materials
Packing a 2-bedroom apartment in Miami yourself takes 15 to 25 actual hours. It is not just putting things in boxes: you need to sort, decide what to toss, wrap fragile items, label and organize by room.
Materials for that same apartment:
- 30-40 medium boxes: 60-80 USD at Home Depot
- 15-20 large boxes: 50-70 USD
- Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes: 30-50 USD
- Packing tape (4-6 rolls): 20-30 USD
- Packing paper or newsprint: 25-40 USD
- Bubble wrap: 30-50 USD
- Furniture pads (1-2): 25-40 USD
- Markers and labels: 10 USD
Total materials: 250-370 USD. Plus a week of your time away from work and family.
Professional packing: what is included
A full professional packing service in South Florida includes:
- All materials (boxes, tape, paper, bubble wrap, pads)
- Labor from 2-3 trained packers
- Specialty kitchen packing (dishes, glassware, appliances)
- Picture, mirror and artwork packing
- Furniture disassembly and wrapping
- Room-by-room inventory and labeling
- Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes
Typical cost for a 2-bedroom apartment in Miami: 400-700 USD on top of the moving service, depending on volume and fragility.
Comparison table
DIY packing:
- Total cost: 250-370 USD (materials only)
- Time: 15-25 hours of your time
- Quality: varies with experience
- Damage risk: medium-high for dishes and fragile items
Professional packing:
- Cost: 400-700 USD
- Time: 4-8 hours with 2-3 people working
- Quality: high, with specific techniques
- Damage risk: low
Where professionals shine
Three areas where professional packing clearly beats DIY:
Kitchen: professionals wrap each glass in packing paper and place it in dish-pack boxes with specific dividers. A poorly built DIY box with glasses wrapped in newspaper can arrive with 4-5 broken pieces.
Pictures and mirrors: they use adjustable mirror-pack boxes and cardboard corner protectors. A large mirror without proper protection breaks on any turn the truck takes.
Appliances and electronics: they wrap each piece in plastic then in pads. If you kept the original TV or microwave boxes, even better; if not, professionals carry standard boxes for each common size.
When DIY makes sense
DIY packing is reasonable when:
- You have 1-2 weeks of lead time
- Your belongings are mostly clothes, books and non-fragile items
- You do not have expensive china, crystal or artwork
- Budget is very tight
- You enjoy the organizing and decluttering process
When professional packing wins
- Moves with little notice (less than 1 week)
- Kitchens with valuable dishes and crystal
- Homes with lots of artwork, sculptures or delicate decor
- Professionals without free time
- Families with small children where packing becomes chaotic
- Interstate moves where transit damage is more likely
The middle option: partial packing
Many companies, including Wadjet, offer partial packing. You pack clothes, books and non-fragile items. The professionals handle only kitchen, bathrooms, pictures and furniture. This usually costs 200-350 USD and solves 80% of damage risk at a reasonable price.
The unpacking factor
Few people consider this, but unpacking also matters. If you packed with clear labels and by room, unpacking will be fast. If you packed in a rush stuffing things without order, you will spend weeks looking for your charger, your favorite pan or the TV remote. Professionals label everything by room and contents, which speeds up settling into the new home.