Top Packing Tips for Moving House

10/03/24

Make a plan

Before any kind of packing can start, you need a plan. Getting organised is crucial when it comes to moving, so it’s important to make some lists and a plan of action.

Make a plan for each room of the home and what needs to be done in each space. This could include a checklist of item types in the room, how you want them packed, and how important they are. 

Decide what you’re going to pack first, be it items or entire rooms, and make sure that your most used items are packed last. Structuring your packing process will help you stay on top of things physically and mentally, avoiding the risk of getting overwhelmed by the size of the job.

Buy your supplies

A very important moving prep step is buying the supplies you’ll need to make the task easier. Good quality boxes of all sizes are a must, along with bubble wrap and either void-fill paper or newspaper to scrunch and pack gaps. A pack of markers and strong tape will be needed to secure and label boxes, while bin bags will be one of your best friends in the moving process, ready to be filled with rubbish and clutter.

Declutter

Moving house is a great opportunity to get a bit ruthless with yourself. It’s time to let go of all those things you’ve told yourself you’ll need eventually, along with the trinkets that never found a home and the broken items you keep promising to fix and sell. Grab those bin bags and throw away clutter you haven’t looked at in months and you’ll find packing and unpacking a lot easier. Your new home will thank you.

Arrange a house clearance

Not everything will come with you to your new home. Trends change, pieces break, and furniture gets old, and it’s normal to want to have a bit of a fresh start in a new place. There is an easy and efficient way to deal with this task, and that is hiring a house clearance company to do the job for you. A house clearance company like Anglia House Clearance will come to your home and take away the furniture and miscellaneous pieces you no longer want or need.

Along with managing the disposing or recycling of your items, a house clearance company can also help with selling. Simply tell us which pieces you’d like to be disposed of, and we will work out what can be recycled and what can be sold. The money from those sales will go towards the cost of the service, which, depending on the items, could end up covering the costs completely. 

Save yourself the hassle of skip hire or several trips to the dump, and hire a house clearance team to take away the things you’re ready to say goodbye to. This will free up time and space to pack the things you’re taking to your new home.

Start packing

Now that you’re left with the things you want to move with, it’s time to pack. Use your plan to start in the first room and pack up your belongings, taking into account the following tips:

Choose the right box sizes and leave no gaps

Make sure the box size is appropriate to what you’re packing. This means no overfilling or underfilling and no running out of certain box types because you’ve used them for the wrong thing.

Pack gaps with newspaper or void-fill paper to stop items from sliding around and getting damaged. This will also make boxes easier to carry, as a well-packed box is a sturdy box, and sliding items can throw off the balance when moved.

Heavy pieces at the bottom

Don’t let your lighter pieces get crushed by the heavier items. Make sure weighted stuff goes at the bottom of your boxes and top them with light things if there’s space and the box isn’t too heavy. Don’t let your console game cases get flattened by hardback books!

Don’t pack too heavily

Tying in neatly with the previous tip, it’s important not to overpack your boxes or fill them with items too heavy to carry. If you know the strength of those helping you move, don’t pack a box beyond their capabilities. A large box full to the brim of books will be a real struggle to carry, especially if stairs or uneven surfaces like gravel are involved. 

It can be tempting to pack everything into as few boxes as possible, but in the long run, it’s safer and easier to spread the weight evenly. This also has the benefit of potentially being able to keep the boxes afterwards if they’ve sustained no weight damage. Simply fold them flat again and tuck them away for the next move.

Protect fragile items

Use your bubble wrap and packing paper to wrap your delicate pieces. Wine glasses, photo frames and other glass items are especially fragile and need careful wrapping. Any items you don’t want to break or get damaged need the same treatment and should be packed carefully into boxes with enough void fill around them to reduce any shifting during transit.

Label boxes and contents

Get your markers and label as much as you can of your boxes – your future self will be grateful. Write the name of the room so you know where to unload your boxes, and add a list of what items are inside, such as ‘cutlery, plates, mugs’. This will make the unpacking process much more efficient and save you the time and stress of running around your new home with random items.

Hire movers or get your friends and family involved

The most important tip of all is to get help to move. Moving is not a one-person job, so reach out to friends or family to give you a hand with packing, transporting, and unpacking. If there’s no one to hand, a moving company will do the job quickly and professionally (some even do the packing for you!). 

For the removal of items, both small and large, contact Anglia House Clearance or your local clearance company to take away the hassle of disposal. We work every job with care and compassion, keeping your wishes at the very forefront of the job. Moving house isn’t always positive, and our team is ready to deal with any situation with the care it deserves. We will never be negative about the items we need to remove and will make the process as smooth and stress-free for you as possible.

Get in touch today to arrange a house clearance for when you move home by calling us on 01603 531775 or 07872 995 152, 24 hours a day. If you’d like to quickly arrange a free quotation, use the simple online form on our website, and a member of our friendly team will reach out to you.

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