Everything we've learned from years of watching people move in and out of our units and U-Haul trucks in the Puyallup Valley, boiled down to what actually helps.
1. Eight Weeks Out: Plan & Purge
Declutter first. Every box you don't move saves time and money. Donate to the Puyallup or Sumner Goodwill, sell on Facebook Marketplace, or run a garage sale.
Measure the new place. Know now whether the sectional fits, so you can decide what goes to storage.
Size your storage unit. Use our size guide. Remember that units are 8+ feet tall; stacking lets most people go one size down.
Reserve the truck.U-Haul equipment books up at month-end and on weekends. A week's notice is plenty most of the year.
2. Four Weeks Out: Gather Supplies
Small boxes for books and dishes, medium for kitchen and toys, large for bedding and lamps. Wardrobe boxes save ironing later.
Packing paper (not newspaper, the ink transfers), bubble wrap for fragile items, 2 rolls of tape per room, a marker, furniture blankets.
Plastic bins for anything going into storage long-term; they resist moisture better than cardboard in Western Washington.
A quality disc or shrouded padlock for your unit (available at our office).
3. Two Weeks Out: Pack Smart
Pack one room at a time. Label boxes on two sides with the room and a short contents list.
Heavy items in small boxes, light items in big ones. Keep every box under 50 lbs.
Fill gaps with paper or towels so nothing shifts. Stand plates on edge, wrap glasses individually.
Photograph the back of electronics before unplugging. Bag screws and hardware and tape them to the furniture they came from.
Pack an "open first" box: toilet paper, phone chargers, coffee, sheets, a shower curtain, basic tools.
4. Moving Day: Load the Truck
Load heaviest items first, against the cab wall: appliances, dressers, sofa. Use the truck's "Mom's Attic" over the cab for fragile boxes.
Build tiers from floor to ceiling, heavy on the bottom, and tie off each tier with the truck's rails and straps.
Mattresses and tabletops go along the walls on edge. Rugs roll, don't fold.
Fill the truck front to back, wall to wall; a tightly packed load doesn't shift.
5. Loading Your Storage Unit
Put down pallets or plastic sheeting on the floor for long-term storage.
Large, heavy items go in the back; leave a walkway down the middle so you can reach anything without unloading.
Utilities: Puget Sound Energy (electric/gas) serves most of the valley; Puyallup has its own water utility and Orting, Sumner and Bonney Lake run city water. Set start and stop dates two weeks ahead.
Address change: File with USPS online, then update the WA Department of Licensing within 10 days of moving.
Schools: Puyallup, Sumner-Bonney Lake, Orting and White River school districts all enroll online; bring proof of address and immunization records.
Garbage & recycling: Providers vary by city (Waste Connections, DM Disposal, Murrey's); check your city's website for pickup day.
Traffic: Avoid SR 410 and Meridian during weekday afternoon commute and during the Washington State Fair in September. SR 162 stays calmer.
