Packing and unpacking in Edmonton

Packing and Unpacking Services in Edmonton

Choose how much of the packing you hand off: the whole home, just the kitchen and breakables, or unpacking at the new place. Men In Trucks Moving Inc. offers packing services in Edmonton with local Edmonton crews, and your written quote sets out the level you choose before move day.

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• Local Edmonton crews
• Founded in Ottawa in 2010
• Written quote before move day
• Full, partial or kitchen-only packing

Wrapped furniture grouped by room, ready to be carried out.

Packing services in Edmonton: choose your level

Pick the level that fits your time and how many breakables you own, or combine them, such as a partial pack plus kitchen unpacking.

Ask about boxes and packing materials when you request your quote; we will confirm in writing what is supplied.

The packing part of a quote depends on the level you choose, how full each room is, the size of the kitchen, the number of breakables and the materials used. For the bigger picture, browse our Edmonton moving services.

Why book packers and movers together

You can hire packers and movers separately, but when the mover packs, the boxes are built for the truck. Professional packers follow a few rules that matter on moving day:

• Heavy items in small boxes. Books and tools go in cartons one person can lift; pillows and linens go in large ones.
• Plates on edge. Each plate is wrapped and stood on edge, with crumpled paper filling every gap.
• Full, square boxes. A box packed to the top stacks without crushing; a half-empty one caves in.
• One labelling system, so unloading goes straight to the right rooms.

One booking and one written quote cover both the packing and the move.

The packing order, room by room

If you are packing some or all of the home yourself, work from the rooms you use least to the ones you use every day. A suggested timeline:

1. Three to four weeks out: the basement shelves, spare room, off-season clothing, holiday decorations and most books.
2. Two weeks out: pictures, mirrors, ornaments and the dining room hutch.
3. One week out: most of the kitchen. Keep a starter set: a plate, bowl, mug and cutlery for each person, one pot, one pan and dish soap.
4. Two or three days out: bedrooms and bathrooms, except what you need this week.
5. The day before: the starter kitchen set, anything still on the walls and the open-first box.
6. Moving morning: strip the beds into one labelled box and put your travel bag in your car.

Professional packers often reverse this, starting with the kitchen and breakables because they take longest.

In a condo or apartment with a booked elevator window, finish packing before the window opens so the whole slot goes to loading; building rules are covered in our notes on condo moving in Edmonton.

A labelling system that speeds up unpacking

Good labels answer three questions at a glance: which room, what is inside and how to handle it.

• Give each room a short code: K for the kitchen, B1 and B2 for bedrooms, BA for bathrooms, G for the garage.
• Number every box and add the room code and a few words about the contents.
• Label two sides as well as the top, because stacked boxes hide their lids.
• Mark breakables FRAGILE with a this-side-up arrow, and essentials OPEN FIRST.
• Keep a numbered list on your phone. It lets you tick boxes off at unloading and doubles as an inventory on a long-distance move.

At the new home, tape the matching code on each room's door, such as B2 on the kids' room, so boxes go straight to the right place.

What to keep with you, not on the truck

Some things should never go in a numbered box. Keep them in a bag that rides with you, plus one marked box for the first night.

Propane, fuel, paint, other flammables, ammunition and firearms are a separate list, because most movers will not carry them, so move these yourself; see our notes on moving a family home.

If you pack some boxes yourself, the Government of Canada's moving advice notes that a mover's liability may not cover owner-packed boxes. Whoever packs, check your home or tenant policy and ask us which protection options your quote includes, both for boxes you pack and for boxes we pack.

Unpacking services in Edmonton: kitchen first

An unpacking service empties boxes room by room while you point to where things go. A suggested order:

1. Kitchen. Dishes, glasses, pots and small appliances onto the counters and into the cupboards.
2. Beds. Frames put back together, mattresses set in place and bedding unpacked, children's rooms first.
3. Bathrooms. Towels and toiletries.
4. Living areas and closets, then everything else.

Tell us which rooms and items you want unpacked or reassembled, even the kitchen only, and your written quote will list them. Decide the big placements first: which cupboard holds dishes, which holds glasses, where the pantry goes. You can rearrange later, but a quick plan saves handling everything twice. For beds and wardrobes that were taken apart, see furniture assembly and disassembly.

Local vs long-distance packing

A move across Edmonton and a move to another province need different packing: on a long haul, boxes spend days on the road and ride under a heavier load.

These are general practices for a long-distance pack; ask what boxes and materials your written quote includes.

Blanket-wrapped furniture loaded in rows inside a Men In Trucks truck (photographed in Ottawa).

For interprovincial planning and quotes, see long-distance moves from Edmonton. Heading west through the mountains? See what changes when moving from Edmonton to Vancouver, including the route choice and BC winter tire rules.

Packing and unpacking questions

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