10 Top Tips for Mastering Packing when Moving Home

Over the last 20 years of being in the removals business, we’ve helped pack a lot of people’s homes. We’ve also seen some big mistakes when it comes to packing and on occasion, we’ve learned some things from our very clever customers who have come up with ingenious ideas when packing up for their removal day.

We’ve put together ten of our top tips for mastering your packing for removals success:

1. Packing takes longer than you think: Start as early as possible.

Moving home can be a stressful task, so the last thing you want to do is pile on extra pressure by running out of time when you are packing. This leads to mistakes, mislaid items and stress. Make sure you give it plenty of time.

2. Have a system and stick to it.

It may seem easier or quicker to just pack everything into boxes in any old order, but this will absolutely make the process longer. Everyone’s system will be a little different, but think about packing room by room, or collecting similar items together.

3. Label your boxes based on the room they will be in at your new home.

Not only will this help you unpack your boxes at your new home. This will help your removal team know where to put your boxes at your new place. This makes them happy and may even reduce the final cost you pay your removal company – as they can get the job done faster.

4. Pack a bag of ‘essentials’ before your move day.

If you have essential items like wallets, cash, medications or your car keys, the last thing you want to do is try and find these in a mountain of boxes on your removal day. So make sure you have these in your bag of essentials.

5. Pack items inside other items.

Many items contain a lot of empty space. Think of items such as large saucepans, bedside tables, empty flower pots and appliances packed in their original boxes. All of this is extra space that can be used to efficiently pack boxes – it also means things are tightly packed and at less risk of damage.

6. Balance your boxes by mixing heavy and lightweight items.

It’s unwise to have some boxes that are light as a feather and others that are back-breakingly heavy. Balance the weight of your boxes so they are easier to lift and ensure they stack without damaging lighter boxes around them. Be sure to pack your heavier items at the bottom of your boxes.

7. Pack liquids in their own boxes.

No one wants washing up liquid or cooking oil all over their work shirts or their wedding dress! Remember that liquids can have a tendency to escape if they are packed incorrectly or end up upside down during your move. Make sure you pack them tightly in their own boxes and label them so they are handled carefully.

8. Empty your houseplants of excess water well in advance.

Not only will it add extra weight to your pots, making them harder to move. Excess water in houseplants is actually one of the things that removal teams hate to find, as they can cause mess and they can end up getting otherwise dry boxes wet while they are in transit in the removal van.

9. Get yourself some ‘fragile tape’.

It’s really important to mark boxes as fragile, a removal company will place fragile items securely and away from anything that might damage them. But simply writing fragile on the box might not be enough, as it can be easy to miss. Buying some tape with fragile printed across it is a fool-proof way to ensure that your fragile boxes are very easy to identify. If you’re moving with us, we can provide this kind of thing for you.

10. Short on time? Hire a removal company that can do the packing for you.

If you are poor on time, or simply don’t want the stress of packing yourself. Then hire a reputable, professional removal company to pack for you. Ois Removals offer a packing service that is second to none.