A move is considered a household move when you are moving your home base completely from one place to another. It will typically include all of your furniture, decor, household goods, artwork, clothing, books, sporting and lawn equipment, and more. Small household moves typically weigh at least 500 lbs, but larger moves can be much higher in weight—sometimes up to 20,000 lbs. 

TSI specializes in small moves (less than 3,500 pounds). We can help organize and ship all kinds of items, including living room furniture, grand pianos, and large appliances. We can also ship antiques or art pieces, as well as large instruments.

There are many things to consider when packing small items, particularly how fragile they are. Use only high quality boxes and plenty of packing paper and/or bubble wrap, and take care that all space within the box is adequately filled to avoid crushing. For specific tips and tricks, check out TSI’s detailed room by room packing guides. You can also visit our Moving Supplies shop to order kits that meet the needs of your move.

Yes, you can pack your items yourself! Packing yourself helps to significantly reduce your moving costs. 

The easiest way to tackle packing your entire household is to stay organized and have a game plan. We recommend getting rid of any junk that you plan on not taking with you, and starting with the rooms you use the least. We also suggest you start packing decorative items several weeks before your moving day, including paintings, sculpture, and other small decor items. These items tend to be more difficult to pack because of how fragile and awkwardly shaped they can be.

For more detailed suggestions on how to safely pack up your art, check out our “How Do I Ship a Painting?”  guide. Take a look at our Room by Room Packing Guide for more general moving tips and tricks to get you moving down the road to packing success!

Prior to packing up your personal items, you will want to be sure you have: 

• Sturdy, strong boxes

• Packing paper

• Bubble wrap

• A high quality tape gun with refills

• Permanent markers and labels to clearly mark your boxes and keep things organized

• Scissors 

• Hand towels and bath towels to protect especially fragile pieces, as well as fill in boxes that have extra space. 

For artwork and other specialty pieces, you will need specific boxes and protection. Get our tips and tricks in our Room by Room Packing Guide. We also offer supplies through our website here.

Many factors go into actual pricing of household moves. As a very rough benchmark, here are some estimates for pricing. A move of about 1,000 pounds (a couple of rooms of items) going 1,000 miles would be in the range of $2500; 3,000 pounds (2 bedroom apt) going 1,000 miles would be in the range of $4800; and 5,000 pounds of stuff (full small house) would be about $6500.

"White Glove” shipping includes indoor pickup and delivery, packing, and crating if necessary. All furniture shipped with TSI is shipped using White Glove services to ensure the safest possible journey. Insurance is always available to cover the value of your items.

Typically, demand for moving services begins to increase at the end of May and continues through the summer. Because of this, we recommend that you start the moving process as early as the beginning of spring, which includes March and April. The weather is usually less harsh compared to the winter months and demand is typically lower.

The best packing method depends on the appliance you’re shipping. Generally, you’ll follow these steps:

1. Clean your appliance and disassemble it as much as possible.

2. Pack any disassembled items, such as hoses, separately in properly packed boxes. If you are shipping a dishwasher, make sure to completely empty it before shipping it.

3. For all appliances, unplug them and secure any cords to the back using packing tape.

4. Wrap the item in moving blankets, and secure the blankets in place with high-quality packing tape.

5. Make sure to tape all doors shut, and any extra screws or nuts are secured before moving.

For detailed instructions, check out our blog for laundry room packing guide, or read our comprehensive How Do I Ship That? guides.