How to pack safely and easily when moving house.
18th Jan 2021Posted by Laura Rich on 18th Jan 2021
How to pack safely and easily when moving house and when to bring in the experts! If you're planning a move this year, it's never too early to start thinking about how you will pack up your worldly belongings safely and easily. We've rounded up a checklist to help you get prepared.
Moving house is exciting, but packing up your entire life can quickly feel overwhelming. From fragile furniture to boxes that never seem big enough, it’s easy to underestimate just how much planning goes into a smooth move. The good news? With a bit of forward thinking and a few smart packing techniques, you can protect your belongings, save time, and take a lot of the stress out of moving day.
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1. Allow Time To Pack Safely & Easily
As mentioned in our blog ‘9 things you should do to prepare your home for sale’ – start your packing early! It’s very easy to underestimate how long it will take to pack everything up. And unless you are super organised (Marie Kondo style) you’ll need to declutter first!
2. Declutter For Easy Packing
Hopefully you will have tackled this before putting your house on the market. There is no point in packing anything you don’t want or need to take to your new place. So before you crack open the packing boxes, recycle or donate anything you can. It will make your packing more efficient when you do come to actually putting things in boxes.
3. Order Your Packing By Room
Start with the rooms and/or items you don’t use often. Better still, start at the top and work your way down. Loft first - because once you’ve got that out of the way, the rest will be a breeze!
Pack one room at a time – completely. You’ll then find that you free up space in the packed up rooms for storing the boxes from the other rooms.
4. Label The Boxes!
Even if you just write ‘bedroom’ or ‘bathroom’ on it will make all the difference when you unload in the new house. If you’re REALLY organised, you can keep an inventory of each box and number them as well as label the rooms they need to go to.
5. Protect Your Furniture
You’ve probably invested hard-earned money in your larger furniture items such as a sofa or dining table and chairs. Since these items don’t typically get packed into boxes, there are things you can do to protect them during the move.
Invest in a cling wrap handheld device. Use it to quickly protect chairs by covering them with sheets or bubble wrap which can be secured easily using the cling wrap. Turn one chair upside down and secure to another chair to give added protection.
Top tip: a quick search for ‘environmentally friendly cling wrap’ will offer a plethora of products including compostable and recyclable options.
Wrap Corners To Protext Sharp Edges
If you own a glass dining table it is a priority to protect the glass. How about approaching local companies to offer to recycle their large cardboard boxes or polystyrene sheets? Businesses often pay to dispose of their waste so it’ll be a win-win situation for them and you. Shops that display large items such as white goods are a good place to start. Cover the glass first with the clingwrap (so that if it does break, it’ll contain the pieces). Then add a layer of polystyrene sheeting or bubble wrap. Finally, cut cardboard to size so that it fits snugly to the glass and secure with packing tape or clingwrap.
Wrap the corners of larger items with cardboard and secure with packing tape or clingwrap. This will help to protect the furniture but also the walls as you move it through the house. Using wide strips of cardboard, corners can be protected like this:
6. Pack a Box of Essentials
The kettle plus tea/coffee making ingredients – don't forget the mugs and a spoon! Keep this box back to go out last and in first!
It’s also worth keeping your valuables and important documents in a box that you keep with you.
7. Hire Professionals To Help You Pack Safely & Move House
If you don’t have the time or are still not confident how to pack safely and easily for moving house, then consider investing in hiring a removals firm. Choices vary from a company coming in and actually packing the boxes for you (pricey end) to just filling their vehicles with your already packed up items and moving them into the new place (more affordable).
It’s also worth getting quotes from a couple of different companies and always check out reviews or ask for personal recommendations from friends. Moving your worldly belongings, usually in one day, is physically and mentally exhausting so get help if you can!
FAQs For How To Pack Safely To Move Home
When should I start packing for moving house?
Ideally, start packing as early as you can. <ost people underestimate how long it takes. Begin with rooms and items you don’t use often (think loft/storage first), and declutter before you pack so you’re not boxing up things you don’t actually want to move.
What should I pack in an essentials box for moving house?
An essentials box (or “first night box”) is a lifesaver. Pack it last and keep it easy to reach. Include things you’ll need straight away, like tea/coffee bits, mugs, kettle basics, loo roll, toiletries, chargers, important documents and any medication (plus a few handy tools like scissors and tape).
How do I protect furniture when moving house?
For larger items (sofas, chairs, tables), the goal is to prevent scratches, scuffs and knocks during transport. Cover pieces with sheets or bubble wrap, then secure everything with cling wrap/stretch wrap so it doesn’t slide around. For dining chairs, you can even wrap two chairs together for extra stability, and prioritise protecting fragile surfaces like glass tabletops with strong padding.
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