Packing in South Reno and Damonte Ranch

South Reno and Damonte Ranch is one of the newest parts of the Truckee Meadows. Census estimates for this ZIP show 16,848 households, 69 percent owner-occupied, and a median year built of 2007, which is a newer median than most Truckee Meadows neighborhoods. It is about 10 miles and 14 minutes from our yard in Sparks, almost all of it on I-580.

Three and four bedrooms dominate

Of the homes in this ZIP, about 7,600 have three bedrooms and about 4,800 have four, which together outnumber all the smaller homes by a wide margin. A four-bedroom house with a family room, a loft and a three-car garage is a full day of packing for a crew. We schedule it that way, with a start in the kitchen and a finish in the garage.

Why the 2007 median matters

Only 9 percent of homes in this ZIP pre-date 1980, so the houses tend to have large, open rooms and modern closets. The practical effect is volume. There is less to carefully dismantle and more to carry, and the number of cartons rises quickly. Heavy things such as books and tools go in small cartons, and lighter things such as linens and pillows in large ones.

Home offices and kids' rooms

Many South Reno households have a home office, and desks, monitors and files need their own plan. Electronics are packed in their own cartons with padding, and file boxes are labeled so papers come out in order. Children's rooms get packed last and unpacked first, so that bedtime is easy on the first night.

Keeping a pack organized

• Every carton marked with its room and a short list
• Items you need on the first night kept apart
• An itemized estimate that lists what the crew packs
• Large furniture wrapped and padded for the truck

Storage when the move dates do not line up

Many South Reno moves involve a sale and a purchase that close on different days. The cartons can go from the pack straight to a vault in our warehouse, from $40 per month, and come out when the new home is ready; see storage while you sell your home.