The definitive packing guide for moving house. What order to pack, which boxes to use, how to label, and what never to put in a removal van.
Good packing is the difference between a smooth move and arriving at your new home to find broken furniture and missing belongings. Follow this room-by-room approach and you will pack faster, more safely, and arrive better organised.
The essentials are: double-walled boxes in small, medium and large sizes, plenty of packing tape, bubble wrap or packing paper for fragile items, wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes, and permanent markers for labelling. Avoid bin bags for anything other than bedding — they offer no protection and can split.
Always start with the rooms you use least and finish with the rooms you use most. That means starting with spare bedrooms, loft storage and garage, then working through dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms, and leaving the kitchen and bathrooms until the last 24–48 hours.
Wrap every piece of crockery individually in packing paper and stand plates on their edge in boxes — never flat. Glasses go top-side down in double-wrapped paper. Fill gaps with scrunched paper so nothing moves. Small appliances go in their original boxes if you have them, otherwise in boxes with padding. Pots and pans can be stacked inside each other. Label every kitchen box clearly — you'll need to find things fast when you arrive.
Wardrobe boxes let hanging clothes travel on their hangers without creasing. For everything else, roll clothes rather than folding — it saves space and reduces creases. Use your soft items (towels, bedding, cushions) to wrap fragile items in the bedroom rather than wasting bubble wrap.
Books go in small boxes only — large boxes become too heavy to lift. Pictures and mirrors need corner protectors and should travel vertically, never flat. TVs should go in their original box if possible. If not, wrap in moving blankets and mark as fragile.
One clearly marked box travels in the car with you, not in the van. It contains: kettle, mugs, tea bags, phone chargers, toilet paper, a change of clothes, basic toiletries, and any medications. This is what you open first when you arrive before you find anything else.
Every box needs two pieces of information: the room it came from and a rough list of contents. Mark anything fragile in red on all four sides and the top. Number your boxes and keep a simple list — if something goes missing, you can immediately see which box number to look for.
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