anyone have some expert ideas? specific items that are harder to pack- glass, plates, coats, cd's and games, electronics....

and any tips on the order. everything seems to be either we'll need it right away, or we won't need it for months.

hmmm, just off the top of my head, I like to pack my breakables in my bathtowels, hand towels, washcloth, bedding, etc. Saves boxes!

i agree- i do what chickybird does. i also label things so i know what to unpack first. I'll have things like Kitchen 1 - which would be anything i need right now- plates cups bowls silverware etc. Kitchen 2- things i need, but not immediately- tupperware, the toaster, etc. and kitchen 3- things i'll get to when i get to it- cookie cutters, christmas china, etc.
That way at a glance when i'm unloading the truck i can dump it off in the room it goes in, and in the order of necessity. all the ones in all the rooms get opened first, then i can go from there.

i have moved sooo many times it's ridiculous. some ideas- paper boxes are awesome. those boxes that hold like 12 reams of paper from office supply stores. you might even be able to contact your local stores and have them hold them for you. they have lids and are awesome for books & cd's.

We also use huge heavy duty black garbage bags. it's not pretty, but it works. all the odds and ends, all of our clothes- which we toss in there still on their hangers for easy unpacking, our gaming systems, etc they all go in bags and usually we know those things are all ONES - items we want right away.

label label label! get a sharpie and either some labels or boxes you can easily read and make sure you can see it at a glance. esp if you have movers or "helpers."

Also - I am a little obsessive compulsive about it all I suppose, but I know what my 3's are- and I pack them asap. like weeks in advance and just stack them all up ready to go. they'll be at the back of the moving van, where they can stay frankly til the end of time, or at least til i get to them. 2's go in the week of the move. and 1's go in the night before and day of.

We are packing right now to move this weekend. I found a lot of those xxl zip loc bags in a cabinet (do not remember buying these) and they are GREAT for packing things like towels, kid's soft toys, etc. You can actually see what's in there so it's easy to unpack, too.

I only bought "special" boxes and kits for glasses. Plates usually go in a box with a sheet of bubble wrap between, same for bowls.

The best advice I have is pick a place and get started. Throw away as you go. You can plan and plan and try to organize but mostly, you just have to start.

I agree to the "just start" advice. A friend got absolutely paralyzed by trying to first sort/organize 10 years of not clearing the clutter and then ended up with an even worse mess at the end because ran out of time.

My favorite way of packing closet closets is to push handful of hangers (10-12) together, tie them together then poke hole in bottom of a trash bag and slip it over the group as a garment bag for all. Then can lift down the whole group of clothes at once. No folding, or unhanging/rehanging required.

+1 to Labeling, you want some detail. "Kitchen stuff" doesn't work. "Measuring cups&spoons, pot holders, casseroles and towels" is good. When you go delving for a pot for mac&cheese that first night you'll be able to get it out quickly.

If you plan on reusing or donating the boxes, write on the tape so that when you rip it off to unpack, the labeling goes & it's less confusing when reused. If you're just pulling one item, relay the tape to reclose the box and the label stays.

Label the top and a couple of sides, so you don't have to dig through a stack of boxes to figure out it doesn't have what you need. "Kitchen" is enough of a label, here. Also helps get the boxes where they need to go when unloading.

The most common thing people have problems with is not being all packed with the extra folks show up to pack the truck, so they scramble hard to finish up. Start early with the closets/rooms you don't visit often, and if you haven't used it in the last year or two donate/recycle/pitch it. Try to be 100% done by the day or two before (ie give yourself more time than you think you need).

Keep a box out with cleaning stuff, pack it last.

+1 to towels, bedding, etc, to use between breakables. Newsprint can rub off on plastics/rubber items but should be ok for glasses & ceramics.

Try to to a little at a time so you don't get burnt out. Go after the "won't need it for months" type of stuff first.

Good luck!