Packing up for a move? While you may be looking forward to the new destination, you may be fretting about the journey. Moving doesn’t have to be a hassle, provided you are prepared. Your first step should be to make a packing list, starting this list days or weeks ahead of your departure date, advises USA Today. Not only does this give you an outline of what you’ll need, you will have plenty of time to purchase any items you may be lacking. Packing smartly is the key for any local or long-distance move. Check out these essential packing rules and tips when faced with rooms full of stuff to organize for your residential move: 
Boxes are Your Friends
Get them at the grocery store, borrow from friends or buy them — whatever you have to do to get plenty of boxes in your possession. This is the best way to pack and keep everything organized. As you look around the room: anything that can fit into a box should be in a box. Boxes are easy to close, seal and label. Use a permanent marker or labels, your choice. Just be sure to write on all sides of the box and write BIG. You may even want to add the room in which they should go once they get to the new digs. If you want to get really fancy, you can color coordinate all boxes so that all kitchen items are written in red, all bathroom items are written in blue, all office items are written in purple, etc.Consolidate
To save on space, consolidate smaller boxes such as shoe boxes into larger boxes. This will keep small items contained in one place instead of having a big mess to carry into the moving truck.Protect
Breakables need special TLC when moving. You can’t expect to throw them in the truck and not get broken. Securely box and tape the following:- TVs
- Mirrors
- Glass
- Lamps/shades
- Computers and other electronics
- Collectibles