A two-bedroom apartment holds more than it looks like it does. Packed well, it's about a week of evenings; packed badly, it's a frantic all-nighter and a truck full of loose stuff. Here's a room-by-room order that keeps daily life livable until the last day.
How Much You're Actually Packing
Most two-bedroom apartments need somewhere between 35 and 50 totes, depending on how much is in the closets and kitchen. If that number surprises you, our tote-count guide walks through it room by room. Order once with a little buffer rather than running short on the last night.
Days 1–2: The Rooms You Don't Live In
Start where nothing is urgent: the second bedroom or office, storage closets, the linen closet, bookshelves, and anything decorative. Books go in small quantities per tote — a full tote of books is close to the 50-pound limit fast. Label each tote with the room it's going to, not the room it came from.
Days 3–4: Living Room and Secondary Kitchen Items
Pack everything in the living room except the TV and one lamp: media, décor, extra blankets, console contents. In the kitchen, do the appliances and dishes you won't use before the move — the stand mixer, serving platters, the second set of glasses, most of the pantry. Wrap plates vertically like records; they survive better on edge than stacked flat.
Get totes delivered and sized to a two-bedroom move.
View Residential PricingDays 5–6: Primary Bedroom and Bathroom
Off-season clothes, extra shoes, and everything on the closet shelf go now. Leave out one week of clothes and a set of sheets. In the bathroom, pack everything but the day-to-day basics into one clearly marked tote, and bag anything that could leak.
Day 7: The Last Pass
The final day is the coffee maker, the last plates and pans, toiletries, chargers, and bedding. Pack a separate "first night" tote you keep with you: a change of clothes each, medications, phone chargers, toilet paper, hand soap, a box cutter, and whatever gets your coffee made in the morning. That one tote is the difference between a calm first night and digging through a stack at 11 p.m.
A Few Rules That Hold for Every Room
- Heavy things (books, canned goods, tools) go in the bottoms of totes; light things on top.
- Fill every tote to the top — half-empty totes collapse when stacked, overfull lids won't seal.
- Keep a marker on you and label as you close each one.
- Photograph the back of your TV and any electronics before unplugging so re-wiring later is obvious.
The Short Version
Work from the rooms you don't use toward the ones you do, over about a week. Plan on 35–50 totes for a two-bedroom, label by destination room, load heavy-low and light-high, and keep a first-night tote with you. Totes delivered and picked up means the supplies show up sized right and leave when you're done.
Questions about sizing for your place? See the FAQ or email info@nicetotesrental.com.