Moving house: Packing tips

Whether you are packing up your belongings to move home for the first time or 100th time, the process will always be a notoriously stressful one for us all. Whilst we know that it will never be the easiest task in the world, there are some ways to reduce your workload into making your packing feel as smooth as can be…

Out with the old

First things first, as life goes on and we start to accumulate more and more belongings, before you begin packing you should go through what you own and be sure that you need or want it to come with you on the big move.

Try out these steps to help you get rid of the old before you start with the new…

Wardrobe purge- If you find an item of clothing which is out of style, doesn’t fit and is something that you haven’t worn in months, it’s got to go, but make sure it goes somewhere useful like a charity shop!

One hit wonder- Now we’re all guilty of impulse buying things that we don’t necessarily need or even like, but the problem with doing so is that these items take up space! If you do find something that you have to think about whether you truly want it… it’s probably not for you, get rid.

Donating- Upon clearing your home before packing, if you have furniture or other big items that you want to donate, make it easy for yourself and schedule in a date for all the items to be picked up by organisations which provide the clearance service, such as Sue Ryder, British Heart Foundation and Shelter.

The packing

Packing is the most time-consuming part of your move and essentially your goal is to be sure that your belongings are safe in the transfer to your new home. We have gathered some packing hacks which can help to save you time whilst also assuring that your items are looked after in your moving process…

Item wrapping- If you have a dresser which your clothes are neatly folded away in, save yourself some time and energy by wrapping up the individual drawers, or whole dresser, in bubble wrap to ensure easy transfer and the added bonus of not having to pack and unpack your clothes!

Wardrobe boxes- Get yourself some wardrobe boxes which will allow you to keep your clothes on hangers, likewise, casing in bin bags whilst still on hangers works just the same for protecting your clothes.

Towel wrap- For any of your breakable items such as plates, glasses and ornaments, use your thick towels or blankets to ensure that any fragile item is protected amongst the layers of homemade padding.

Pots and pans- Kitchen items tend to take up a lot of moving boxes due to the many individual items, a way around this issue is to use your pots and pans for storing any smaller items, such as cutlery or herbs and spices, and wrapping them up to be sure of nothing falling out.

Colour coding- A simple but effective tip, by ensuring that you have labelled and colour coded your boxes, you’ll know exactly what goes where when it comes to unpacking your belongings in your new home.

Take pictures- If you struggle with setting up electrical items like your TV or computer, take pictures before you take out the wires so you know exactly how to reconnect everything.

Finally, if you have young children and/or pets, it seems sensible to have them looked after by friends, family or professionals so that you can focus on the task at hand.

The main thing to remember is to plan and prepare for your packing, be sure to have everything done before the day of the move so that everything is done and ready for a smooth move!