A move gets easier with a plan. Not a complicated one — rooms listed, boxes labelled, one first-night kit.
Pack with a plan
List rooms, then one job at a time: kitchen drawers, books, linen. Label the side and the top of each box. Future you will find the mug.
Declutter before you tape. Keep, donate, recycle, toss. Less stuff is less to clean and less to unload.
Heavy items in small boxes, light items in big ones. Wrap dishes in towels. Tape the bottoms. Pack a first-night box: toiletries, chargers, a change of clothes, basic cleaners.
Truck size
Studio or one-bedroom: about 10–12 feet. More rooms: 16 feet. A house: 20 feet or more if you want one trip. Bigger is not always cheaper once you park it.
U-Haul, Penske, and Budget are the usual names. Mid-week is often cheaper than month-end. Budget for mileage, insurance, and gas, and return it with fuel in the tank.
Drive it like a truck
Plan a route with height and tight turns in mind. Leave extra stopping room. Strap furniture to the walls, heavy first, essentials by the door.
If you would rather not drive it, ask someone who has. Or hire movers and spend the day on keys and utilities.