There’s no doubt about it, moving home can be costly, in some cases extremely expensive but there are ways of No doubt you’re reading this because you’re about to embark on moving home and perhaps you’re considering doing your own packing or partial packing.  If you are planning on partial packing we recommend using a reputable removal company for the rest so you are properly insured.  Not only that, employing a home removal company will take away the heavy loading, reduce the stress of moving and save you valuable time.  However, some customers do prefer to entirely pack their things for removal and others like to pack some of their belongings themselves, leaving the rest to experts.  If this sounds like you then here are the very best packing tips you’ll need – they’re all tried and tested so you know you’ll do a great job!

Are You Insured?

If you’re thinking of part-packing make sure to check your level of insurance cover.  Your removal company will provide plenty of cover but won’t obviously provide insurance for items you pack yourself.  Speak to your insurance company to check what they can put in place for you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. 

De-Clutter

The first thing to do is go through every room in your house and assess your belongings.  De-clutter where necessary; get rid of the things you definitely don’t want.  If they’re in good condition consider selling them or donating to charity.  Be strict with yourself. If you have things you haven’t touched or used in years it’s time for them to go, so ask yourself what you really need to keep and what you can get rid of.

Get On With The Packing Job – Carefully!

There’s no time like the present when it comes to packing up your belongings, start early so you give yourself lots of time and never rush the job. Pack the things you least use first.   Remember, it takes time to pack things correctly, if you rush you’ll make mistakes and this is when things break.  While talking about packing things correctly don’t skimp on packing materials and get the right type of materials.  You’ll need sturdy double walled boxes, brown tape, tissue paper, bubble wrap and brown paper.  Speak to a house removal company about purchasing the right materials.

How To Pack

Aim for boxes to weigh approximately 15kg each and no more. Don’t leave any space in boxes; fill gaps with shredded paper or crumpled paper.  You can also use pillows and cushions to fill spaces – they provide good support for delicate belongings.  Don’t over fill your boxes because there’s a danger they might burst.  Similarly, unfilled boxes will get squashed.  Every time you finish packing a box, seal it properly and mark it with what’s inside and what room it belongs in.  If the contents are breakables such as china, glass or ornamental then mark the box as fragile with an arrow to show which way up the box should be positioned.  Leave the things you use most for last, pack them up on the day of your house move or day before if they aren’t your essentials.

Other Things You Can Do To Pack Up Your Home

The day before your move, remove all TV’s, shelves and brackets if you’re taking them with you.  Pictures and mirrors can be taken down well before and carefully wrapped with blankets or bubble wrap, secured tightly.  Take care to double pack the corners of pictures/mirrors. On the day of your move, strip all your beds and take them apart and wrap your mattresses with special packing material which your home removal company can provide for you.

Extra Packing Tips

• Books – Pack books flat rather than standing up and use tight containers to keep them solid.  Don’t pack huge boxes full of books as you risk a very heavy load.  Always pack china plates individually and pack them vertically rather than horizontally.  Pack cups separately and inside each-other with crumpled paper in between each.  Crystal and glass should be packed in special packing tissue or bubble wrap and use screwed up paper to fill the empty spaces in between each piece.
• Clothes – You can pack clothing in suitcases or bin liners.  Alternatively, see if you can get hold of hanging rails and plastic sheeting, lift out your clothes from your wardrobes and place on hanging rails.  Cover and secure with the sheeting.  Alternatively, request special wardrobe hanging boxes from your removal company too.
• Furniture – If you have self-assembly furniture, you need to dismantle it before moving day.  Assess all your furniture to make sure it is small enough to get through doors, if it isn’t you need to take it apart.
• Flammables & Liquids – Bear in mind other items such as flammables, garden equipment, garden liquids tools etc.  These need to be carefully wrapped and packed so they don’t leak because they will cause a health and safety hazard.  Tape down the nozzles and pack them in individual plastic bags before packing in boxes.
• Moving Day Essentials – Don’t forget to leave out a couple of boxes for the essentials you need on moving day and when you’ve finished with these items (toiletries, towels, bedding etc.) pack them away too.  It’s wise to employ a man with a van to help you transport all your boxes to your new home.

Of course, if this all sounds like too much work we’d recommend using a reputable house removal company instead – it saves time, it’s efficient and eases the pressure of moving plus you’ll feel confident that all your belongings are carefully packed and fully insured.