How to pack for diy move. Boxes etc

NEH

Last year we got our boxes from Ebay, plus all our bubble wrap etc...

azkaban420

1) Send an email/message to all friends and family to ask if they can help with boxes etc. I mentioned moving house to several friends, and one works in a place that supplies cash-registers etc, so she's kept several boxes aside for me.

2) Don't go for too many large boxes (as someone's already mentioned) they can become too heavy to move.

3) Use a thick marker and write on ALL sides of the boxes. The last thing you want to do is to have to crawl round stacks of boxes to read what's on the other side (Yes, when loading and unloading, simple things like stacking the 'label' way up/round can go out of the window!)

4) Prioritise the important boxes that you'll need straight away

5) Pack things like remotes and the like somewhere where you'll find them quickly (if they're not packed with the items they operate)

6) If you have kids, pack a 'keep kids busy' box with games, toys, books and snacks! (This is a general point for all, I realise it probably won't apply to OP unless being helped by kids )

That's all I can think of for now!!

Az

not_loaded

MOVING AND PACKING
Well, for a start, pack your books in small boxes as they’re heavy.
Get a couple of tape guns (https://www.clp.co.uk) and a load of brown vinyl tape and always carefully seal and T tape the bottoms of the boxes (whether supermarket or not).
Double wall boxes will be better, but if you’re not moving far it will not be that important compared to the way you handle the boxes.
If you look at removals websites, they actually give a lot of free advice like this: http://www.euromover.net/faq.htm

BOXES ETC
So far I've bought twice from pandapack.co.uk. They aren't especially cheap, but their quality is top notch.
I bought tape and guns from clp as above, who have amazing prices on stationery type stuff. Very quick delivery too!

When loading the van (or estate car etc) always put the heavy boxes as low down and as far forward as you can. If you’re making several trips you can get just a couple of hanger boxes for clothes and empty out and refill several times as they are expensive compared to ordinary cartons.

Good luck!

Fire_Fox

kittie wrote: »

We are going to be able to start moving things prior to completing on this house and we have to go through a lowish archway to our new home, hence no large removal van. We will be employing a removers with a low van for our furniture, freezer etc. This house will be up for sale soon and we are now forward planning

It makes sense for us to take several loads in a smallish hire van. I say smallish as we are in our 60s and want to be able to cope with moving boxes etc without killing ourselves. We will cope fine with a bit at a time and we think we will be able to move over a few weeks

We have just about finished the massive sorting here and have got rid of lots of things, so we will be taking just about everything that remains.

I need some advice now and pointers re packing. Cardboard box suppliers, sizes that we could cope with etc

Surely it would be cheaper to get the removal company to move everything in two trips, rather than employ the professionals for the big stuff and a hire van for the rest?? If you are intending on moving over a couple of weeks, how much is the hire van going to cost?

bugbabe1970

Do you live anywhere near IKEA/

They sell these amazing blue bags that hold loads of stuff esp. good for clothes. They are pretty cheap too. Come in handy after the move too.

Dom3663

Get down to your local Greggs! I work there and we get through atleast 4/5 boxes a day. I'd happily save you a weeks worth of boxes if you came into my store
Crisp size boxes, and other size boxes that we get some of our deliveries in were the perfect size for me.
I've found having all my boxes the same size makes storing and ultimately moving them alot easier.

rlfan82

Am going through the same and my local Tesco Supserstore puts all boxes near checkouts and its just grab as many as you want.

Local Co-op do flatpack though, so no good.

PasturesNew

If it were me, I'd rent a self-storage unit for 2-3 weeks, then move stuff I don't need out to there 7-10 days before the move (e.g. Xmas tree, winter clothes, kitchen stuff at the back of the cupboard, clothes I'd kept 'in case' etc). That leaves you the bare minimum/stuff you DO use regularly to move on the day. Then, once you're in and sorted out with your bare minimum stuff, you've got 7-10 days to get your other stuff out of self-storage.

I don't know how much stuff you have, but a 4'x4' storage unit (about 8' high) will cost about £5/week. Maybe take on two of them if you have more stuff.

Yes, it costs money, but it will make the moving day smoother.

getmore4less

kittie wrote: »

We are going to be able to start moving things prior to completing on this house and we have to go through a lowish archway to our new home, hence no large removal van. We will be employing a removers with a low van for our furniture, freezer etc. This house will be up for sale soon and we are now forward planning

It makes sense for us to take several loads in a smallish hire van. I say smallish as we are in our 60s and want to be able to cope with moving boxes etc without killing ourselves. We will cope fine with a bit at a time and we think we will be able to move over a few weeks

We have just about finished the massive sorting here and have got rid of lots of things, so we will be taking just about everything that remains.

I need some advice now and pointers re packing. Cardboard box suppliers, sizes that we could cope with etc

Why not cost it out with you packing unpacking and let the movers do the move.