After Jacob Roam accepted a job offer in his wife Jessie’s hometown of St. Louis, they had three months to sell their home in Pennsylvania and relocate with their children. From there, the move had to happen quickly.
The search began for homes near St. Louis. “I had been looking at houses to see what was out there,” Jessie says. “I am familiar with the area, so it wasn’t like moving across the country to an unfamiliar place.”
The family found the perfect house, but there wasn’t time to buy and close on it before relocating. So they put their largest items in storage until it was time to move in in early November.
“We weren’t going to be able to move directly into a new house,” Jacob says. “We were going to have to stay with Jessie’s parents for a little bit.”
In the meantime, Jacob and Jessie packed up a small rental trailer with their most important items. Between the clothes they needed and their precious items, the trailer was filled with boxes meticulously stacked on top of each other. “Being good at Tetris was a big help,” Jessie says.
The key to Jessie and Jacob’s two-part move was the art of packing a truck. This skill can make a tough move easier.
- Heavy Boxes: Bulkier, sturdier boxes should be nearly full so the boxes on top don’t dent or damage the contents inside. They also provide a firm foundation for the entire truck and shouldn’t shift during travel.
- Medium Boxes: Pack miscellaneous items in the middle layer—think home office, assorted kitchen pieces or children’s toys. They won’t crush the boxes below but are still too heavy to go any higher.
- Light Boxes: Load these at the top of the truck with soft items like clothing. Their light weight means they shouldn’t damage anything below.
