Professional packing in Montreal
Packing is the part of a move that takes longest and breaks most. A three-bedroom home can take two people a full week of evenings to pack, and most of the damage we see on moves where customers packed themselves comes from a handful of mistakes: plates stacked flat, boxes half-full, heavy books in large boxes, glasses wrapped together.
Our packing crews do this every day. We bring every material, wrap each item for what it is, pack boxes so they stack solidly in a truck, and label every box with its room and contents. You can hand us the whole home, or only the rooms you would rather not do yourself.
What we pack, and how
The kitchen
The kitchen is the room we pack most often, and the one where technique matters most. Plates are wrapped individually and packed on their edge in dish packs with cell dividers. Glasses and stemware are wrapped one by one, cushioned and packed upright. Pots and pans nest together; small appliances go back in their original boxes when you still have them, or are wrapped and padded. Knives are wrapped and labelled. A typical kitchen takes two packers two to four hours.
Closets and clothing
Hanging clothes go straight from the closet into wardrobe boxes with a hanging bar, so they arrive ready to hang. Folded clothes, linens and shoes go into large and medium boxes. Drawers of light clothing can often stay in the dresser, which is wrapped for the move.
Books, files and heavy items
Books, records and files go into small boxes so each box stays light enough to carry safely. We fill every box to the top so it does not crush when stacked.
Fragile décor, lamps and pictures
Vases, ornaments and ceramics are wrapped in paper and bubble wrap and packed with padding. Lampshades travel separately from their bases. Framed pictures and mirrors go in mirror cartons or picture boxes with corner protection. Large or valuable pieces may need a crate — see fine art and antique moving.
Electronics
TVs travel in TV boxes, monitors and computers in padded cartons, and cables are bagged and labelled with the device they belong to. If you still have original boxes for electronics, keep them — they are the best protection there is.
Full packing, partial packing or unpacking
| Service | What we do | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full packing | Everything in the home, the day before the move | Busy schedules, families, long-distance moves |
| Partial packing | Kitchen, fragile items, pictures and electronics | People who pack clothes and books themselves |
| Unpacking | Boxes unpacked, items put away, materials removed | Anyone who wants to live in the new home on day one |
| Supplies only | Boxes and materials delivered | Confident DIY packers |
What packing costs
Packing is billed by the hour — $120 for two packers and $40 for each additional packer. Materials have no minimum: you pay only for the boxes and supplies you actually use. Two packers usually handle a one- or two-bedroom apartment in four to six hours. A three-bedroom home typically takes a full day with three or four packers. The quote tells you how many packers we will send and roughly how long it will take; if you pack part of the home yourself before we arrive, the time goes down accordingly.
Moving boxes and supplies
If you are packing yourself, the right supplies make a difference. We provide small, medium and large boxes, wardrobe boxes, dish packs, mattress bags, TV boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, stretch wrap, furniture blankets and tape. You can order them with your move or on their own, and we deliver them to your door before moving day.
Packing for long-distance and international moves
A box travelling from Montreal to Vancouver, or across the Atlantic in a container, is handled more times and for longer than a box going across town. For long-distance moves, we use stronger boxes and more padding. For international moves, packing follows export standards: double-walled cartons, sealed mattress covers, heavier furniture wrapping, custom crates in ISPM 15 heat-treated wood and a numbered inventory for customs. See international moving for how that works.
Office packing
For businesses, we pack shared areas, files, archives and kitchens, and supply crates and labels so staff can pack their own desks. Every box is labelled to the floor plan of the new office. See office moving for the full process.
What we do not pack
A few things should not go in a moving truck: jewellery, cash, passports and important documents, medication, and anything you need in the first days. Keep them with you. We also cannot pack hazardous materials — propane tanks, gasoline, paint, solvents, cleaning chemicals and ammunition — or perishable food. We will tell you before packing day what to set aside.
Unpacking at the new home
Unpacking is the service most people add after their first move without it. We unpack the kitchen and put everything in the cupboards, hang clothes, fill bookcases, make the beds and place décor, then take away every box and every sheet of paper. The home is usable the same evening.
How to prepare for packing day
- Set aside what travels with you. Documents, medication, jewellery, laptops and chargers go in a bag you keep.
- Mark what does not go. Put a sticker on furniture and items that stay behind or will be donated.
- Empty the fridge and freezer. We do not pack perishable food.
- Tell us about anything special. Collections, heirlooms, art or antiques that need extra care or a crate.
Packing can be combined with a local move, a long-distance move or storage on the same quote.
Packing materials we use
| Material | What it protects |
|---|---|
| Dish packs with cell dividers | Plates, bowls and glasses, packed on edge |
| Packing paper (unprinted) | Dishes and décor, without ink transfer |
| Bubble wrap | Fragile décor, glass, electronics |
| Wardrobe boxes | Hanging clothes, straight from the closet |
| Mirror and picture cartons | Framed art, mirrors, glass panels |
| Mattress bags | Mattresses and box springs |
| TV boxes | Flat-screen TVs and monitors |
| Stretch wrap and furniture blankets | Upholstery and finished wood |
| Foam corners and edge guards | Frames, tabletops, furniture corners |
Common packing mistakes we see
- Heavy items in large boxes. A large box of books can weigh more than 65 pounds and breaks open when lifted. Use small boxes for heavy things.
- Half-empty boxes. They collapse when stacked. Fill empty space with paper or towels.
- Plates packed flat. Flat stacks break under pressure; plates on edge survive.
- Newspaper on dishes. Ink transfers onto porcelain and fabric. Use unprinted packing paper.
- No labels, or labels on top. Stacked boxes hide their tops. Label two sides with the room and contents.
- Liquids in boxes. Cleaning products, oils and open bottles leak. Seal them in bags or leave them out.
- Starting too late. Most people underestimate packing by half. Start with the rooms you use least, weeks before the move.
Packing for seniors and families
Packing is hardest for people who cannot spend a week bending, lifting and taping: seniors, families with young children, anyone recovering from an injury or working long hours. For seniors downsizing to a smaller home or a retirement residence, we also help decide what fits in the new space, pack only what is going, and set up the new room so it feels familiar on the first night. The rest can go to family, charity or storage.
Packing for commercial moves
Offices, shops and clinics need packing that matches a floor plan rather than a room name. We supply crates or boxes and labels coded to the new layout, pack files and archives in numbered boxes with an index, and pack shared areas and kitchens ourselves. Staff pack only their personal desk contents.
How we pack a kitchen, step by step
- Everyday dishes are wrapped one by one in unprinted paper and packed on edge in dish packs with dividers, heaviest at the bottom.
- Glasses and stemware are wrapped individually, stems padded, and packed upright in cell boxes.
- Pots and pans nest together with paper between them; lids are wrapped separately.
- Small appliances go into their original boxes if you have them, otherwise wrapped and padded with cords tied up.
- Knives and sharp tools are wrapped, taped and labelled so nobody unpacks them by surprise.
- Pantry items that are sealed and non-perishable are packed in small boxes; open containers and liquids are left out.
- Every box is sealed, labelled “kitchen” with its contents on two sides, and marked “fragile” and “this side up” where it matters.
A typical kitchen takes two packers two to four hours. It is the room we most often recommend leaving to us, because it holds the most breakable items in the smallest space.
Unpacking the first night
If you unpack yourself, a little order goes a long way. Unpack the beds and bedding first, then the bathroom essentials, then the coffee maker and a few dishes. Leave the rest of the kitchen, the books and the décor for the following days. Boxes labelled by room with their contents, as we do, make this possible: you know where the sheets are without opening ten boxes. If you want to skip this step entirely, our unpacking service puts everything away and takes the materials with us.
