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Moving is quite the process and can be draining, Knowing how to pack a bag of essentials for your NYC move could bring you a lot of relief. The thought has probably already crossed your mind and you have a few things you already know will be packed in this essential bag. But, could there be something you’re forgetting? Here at Teddy Moving and Storage NYC we believe in better safe than sorry. This is exactly why we decided to share our ultimate list of items you need in your essential bag. Let’s get into packing!

What is a bag of essentials?

An essentials bag is basically a bag or usually a suitcase of items you will need as soon as your long distance movers NYC leave you at your doorstep. A good way to conceptualize this bag is to think of it as if you’re packing for a small vacation. We recommend packing for the first 3-4 days so you won’t have to immediately unpack. During the move, you are bound to become pretty exhausted. Just imagine having to unpack your entire home as soon as you move so you can find the clothes you need. It’s a huge hassle and knowing how to pack a bag of essentials for your NYC move is key.

A woman packing her essentials bag
Pack a bag of essentials for your NYC move well in advance.

This bag needs to contain everything you need for the future 3 to 4 days. Think of clothes for work, sleep, going out, and hanging out at home. This is already a good number of outfits you need to prepare. But not only this, you will need your hygiene products as well as food. Obviously, we have to keep clean and eat. Now, let’s dive into the essentials of the essentials bag.

The most important items to pack in your essentials bag

Now, we’re all different. This means that we all have different items that are essential to us. But when it comes to everyday functioning, there are a few things none of us can do without. We’ll start with those and slowly continue to some more out-of-the-box picks.

Documents and papers

Although moving boxes and crates are pretty safe and durable during the moving process, they aren’t indestructible. And they aren’t the best option for fragile items such as papers. Documents and papers can get easily damaged, so you will need to take special care of them. A lot of documents are irreplaceable or you might need them as soon as you arrive. Seeing how papers don’t take up a lot of room, you should always keep them on your person. Find a nice folder or binder and keep all of the important papers in there! Not only will your papers be organized, but you’ll always know where to look for them.

Money

Money is one of the more essential items you need to think of. This doesn’t mean of course that you need to take thousands upon thousands of dollars. But a few hundred dollars to cover some unexpected fees when hiring last minute movers NYC is a must! You never know what’s waiting on the road, and many accidents that do happen aren’t the fault of the moving company. Most unfortunate events happen due to bad weather. So, if luck is on your side, you won’t even have to worry. But, it really is essential to always have some cash on your person.

A woman holding dollar bills
A few hundred or thousand dollars extra might come in handy. It’s better to be prepared!

Keys

The keys to your old home, new home, car, old and new garage, etc. A lot of us use a lot of keys during our daily life. These keys are more often than not extremely essential to our everyday functioning. You always need to know where your items are collected, so if you do not have a keychain yet, it’s time to get one. The best way to always keep your keys on hand and know where they are is to group them all together on a single keychain. This keychain doesn’t even have to be fashionable or anything, just a sturdy piece of metal to hold your keys in place.

Medicine and toiletries

When you pack a bag of essentials for your NYC move, you will almost always remember to take medicine. We can’t stress enough how important it is to have medicine at hand as well as any prescription drugs. Another good thing to think about is medicine for moving injuries, be it something antiinflammatory or bandages. Especially if you’re moving with kids, you know just how rambunctious they can get during serious situations such as moving.

Now, when it comes to toiletries, these might be the most important. Just imagine arriving at your location, waving your residential movers NYC goodbye, everything is going amazingly. Then you remember you can’t take a shower because your toiletries are in a box somewhere in the house. So that it doesn’t come to this terrifying situation, we have a list of essential toiletries you need to bring with you in your essentials bag:

  • soap
  • toilet paper
  • wet wipes
  • toothbrushes
  • toothpaste
  • shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, etc.
  • deodorant and perfume
A basket of toiletries
You can even transport your essential toiletries in their respective basket.

How many clothes to pack when you pack a bag of essentials for your NYC move?

There is no right answer. It all depends on you personally. Maybe you need to be undisturbed for the next 5 days due to some work-related issues. Maybe you just need to get through one night before you start unpacking. We urge you to really make a plan and not give yourself too much time. It’s very easy to leave unpacking for later, but you can also hire a packing service NYC to take care of everything instead of you. Good luck moving and remember to pack a bag of essentials for your NYC move! It will make your life easier.