General Packing Guidelines - from Quotes At Home

Materials
We recommend purchasing new packing supplies from a company that specializes in moving boxes and supplies, or your moving company. Professional moving companies use only sturdy and reinforced cartons. Although the boxes you can obtain from your neighborhood supermarket may be free, they are not nearly as strong or padded. They are more susceptible to causing damage to your valuables in transit. Keep in mind that movers are not liable for items they didn't pack. Some items such as wardrobes and blankets may be rented and returned. Here is a basic list of supplies you may need. Moving supply companies will also provide you with moving kits or “bundles” based on the size of your move (number of rooms). Here is a basic list of supplies you’ll need:

Small/Medium/Large/Extra Large Moving Boxes
Wardrobe Boxes
Kitchen or Dish Boxes
Frame Boxes
Foam “peanuts” or “popcorn”
Tape & Dispenser
Bubble & Stretch Wrap
Packing Paper
Tissue paper for delicate items
Box Cutter
Mattress Covers
Labels/Markers
Corrugated paper rolls for fragile items

General Tips and Pointers

Pack a couple of cartons a day.
Pack one room at a time.
Mark all cartons with room and box number. Keep track of the number of boxes per room by keeping a notebook or log. This way, you can easily count your boxes when the movers unload them and see where they belong.
Be sure that the box size is appropriate for the weight of the items. The heavier the item, the smaller the box should be, (ie. books would go into a smaller box than sweaters).
Pack heavier items toward the bottom of a larger box, lighter items on top. Try not to exceed 40 pounds per box.
Use crumpled paper in between layers of breakable items.
Mark all boxes with breakable items as FRAGILE.