The Ultimate Moving Supplies Checklist for a Chicago Move

A move is always stressful, and most of the trouble is tied directly to preparation: you need to figure out what to buy ahead of time and what can wait until the last moment without risking damage. Mistakes at this stage are costly — you run out of boxes right in the thick of packing, or fragile items travel without protective wrap and arrive at your new place with cracks and chips. This checklist covers every material you actually need for a residential move in Chicago or anywhere across the Illinois cities we serve, from Aurora and Naperville to Rockford and Springfield.

Start Here: Sort Before You Shop

Before buying a single roll of tape, divide your belongings into three groups. This speeds up packing itself and makes unpacking at the new address far less chaotic.

Three Categories of Belongings

• Fragile. Dishes, glassware, mirrors, décor, lamps, artwork, small electronics.
• Bulky. Furniture, large appliances, sports equipment.
• Small items and documents. Clothing, books, papers, medicine cabinet contents, office supplies.

This breakdown tells you what kind of packaging each group actually requires — and lets you buy materials based on real volume rather than guesswork.

It also helps to set aside a separate "go bag" with first-day essentials: chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, apartment paperwork, and keys. You will want that bag in your own car, not buried inside box number thirty-seven.

The Full Moving Supplies Checklist

Once your belongings are sorted by category, the next question is what exactly to buy so that each group arrives at your new home undamaged. Below is every material you will need — whether you are handling the packing yourself or just want to know what the process involves.

1. Cardboard Boxes

The foundation of any move and the first thing to purchase when you start packing. For books, dishes, and other heavy but compact items, smaller boxes work better — heavy objects do not tear through the bottom, and the box is easier to carry by hand. For clothing, bedding, pillows, and other light but bulky things, larger boxes are more practical: you use fewer containers and close out that category faster.

Most universal corrugated boxes hold roughly 15 to 20 kg (about 33 to 44 lbs) of contents. If you do not know the rated weight of a box, it is safer not to use it for anything heavy — an overloaded box can simply rip apart during loading or unloading.

2. Bubble Wrap

Essential for fragile items: dishes, glass, mirrors, electronics, lamps with glass shades. The wrap cushions impacts during loading, transit, and unloading — those three stages are exactly when unprotected breakables get damaged most often. For smaller objects, pre-made bubble-wrap pouches save time compared to cutting a roll for each piece by hand.

3. Stretch Film

Stretch film is used for furniture and large appliances — washing machines, refrigerators, televisions — that are too big for bubble wrap and boxes. The film locks cabinet doors, secures drawers, and holds stacked items in place so nothing shifts or swings open during loading and transit. It also shields furniture surfaces from dust, moisture, and scratches when pieces contact each other inside the truck.

4. Packing Tape

Tape seals every seam on a box so the bottom holds up under weight. It also serves as a color-coding tool: assign each room a tape color, mark the boxes accordingly, and the crew knows where to carry each one without asking. Figure roughly one meter of tape per standard box, covering the bottom flaps and the top. Buy more than you think you need — running out mid-packing means a separate trip to the store, which is exactly the kind of interruption that slows the whole day down.

5. Markers and Labels

Write the destination room and a short contents note on every box. This matters not just for you — it matters for the people carrying them, since a clearly labeled "FRAGILE — KITCHEN" box will be handled differently from one that says "BOOKS." Use a permanent marker on a separate sheet of paper, tape that sheet to the box, and cover it with transparent tape. The label stays readable even if the box gets wet or scuffed.

6. Wardrobe Boxes

A separate note about clothing. Suits, coats, evening dresses, fur — anything that must not be folded or crumpled — goes into wardrobe boxes. These are self-assembling containers made of thick five-layer corrugated cardboard, tall enough (for example, 50 × 60 × 130 cm) to hang garments on an internal crossbar. They also double as a temporary closet at the new place until you finish setting up furniture.

How Many Boxes Do You Actually Need?

The answer depends on how densely your home is furnished and how many books, dishes, and small items you own. Here is a rough guide by apartment size — and it applies whether you are moving across Evanston or heading down to Bloomington.

On top of the box count, set aside a separate reserve of bubble wrap for fragile items and stretch film for furniture. You will almost certainly need more of both than you estimated during planning. A detailed inventory, sorted by the three categories above, is the most reliable way to avoid running short on materials at the worst possible moment.

For an office move, practical experience suggests that for every five workstations you need roughly ten small boxes (about 38 × 30 × 29 cm), ten medium ones (about 62 × 34 × 32 cm), a roll of tape, a roll of stretch film, and 15 to 20 meters of bubble wrap. When transporting a large volume of items, lean toward smaller universal boxes — a large box stuffed to capacity can become literally impossible to lift or may tear during loading.

Step-by-Step Packing Order

The materials list is only half the preparation. The other half is the sequence of actions, and getting it wrong can cost hours and broken belongings.

Wrap fragile items in two layers of bubble wrap. Fill every gap inside the box with crumpled paper or fabric so nothing moves during transit. A plate that can slide is a plate that will crack — it is that simple.

Label each box with a room destination and a brief contents note before it goes into the truck. Color-coded tape is even faster: agree with your household on which color matches which room and mark boxes during packing, not in a frantic rush before loading.

Where to Buy Moving Supplies in the Chicago Area

Moving supplies are easy to find across the metro. Home improvement stores, shipping supply retailers, and dedicated packing-material shops all carry standard boxes, tape, and wrap. Some movers also sell or provide boxes and packing materials directly — worth checking, since bundled pricing can save a trip and a few dollars.

If you are in the suburbs — Schaumburg, Joliet, Des Plaines, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Palatine, Skokie, Waukegan — the same stores carry the same stock. The supply itself is not the hard part. Buying it early enough is. That advice holds for anyone settling into Des Plaines too.

A Few Words About Specialty Items

Office equipment — monitors, printers, system units — should go into reinforced boxes made of five- or seven-layer corrugated cardboard, with bubble wrap or foam inserts inside. A single computer with monitor, tower, and peripherals fits into a sturdy 125-liter box (roughly 50 × 50 × 50 cm). For monitors shipped separately, a "lid-and-base" style box with full overlap provides extra rigidity.

Artwork, antiques, and anything with glass in its frame needs individual wrapping plus corner protectors. If you are moving these over a long distance — say from Chicago down to Peoria, Champaign, or Decatur — the risk of vibration damage is higher, and extra padding is not optional. Pack the same way when moving into a Champaign apartment.

Finally, for large or heavy belongings that do not fit standard boxes at all, professional packing crews build custom crating on site. This is common for marble tabletops, oversized mirrors, and unusually shaped furniture. If any of that describes your move, it is worth discussing with your movers before packing day, not during it.

Quick-Reference Checklist

Print this or screenshot it before your next supply run — whether you are shopping in Elgin, ordering supplies online, or picking them up on the way back from work in Bolingbrook.

• Cardboard boxes — small, medium, large, wardrobe
• Bubble wrap — rolls and pre-made pouches
• Stretch film — at least two rolls for a two-bedroom home
• Packing tape — clear for sealing, colored for room coding
• Tape dispenser
• Permanent markers
• Paper sheets or packing paper
• Corner protectors — foam or polyethylene
• Divider sleeves or netting for glassware
• Zip-lock bags for hardware, screws, and small parts
• Twine or cord for bundling odd-shaped items
• Box cutter or scissors

Check it off as you buy, and give yourself at least ten days of lead time. A move that starts with the right materials is already half finished.