Moving home packing tips?

nuatha

From far too many house moves, I've found the following work:
If you can clear an area in your current house, then use this to store the boxes as you pack them.
The maximum size you want to pack books is a lettuce or banana box for paperbacks - pack in a single layer and these stack well.
I use the boxes photocopy paper comes in for hard backs (actually these are a useful size for lots of things)
Pack a box with kettle, mugs and tea/coffee/biscuits etc and put in the boot of your car - that way it doesn't get mixed in with all the other boxes and its easily available at the new house.
Pack the equivalent of a weekend bag for each family member, that way you have a change of clothes, toiletries etc to hand and don't need to sort all your boxes just to find necessities.

When you label boxes, add a note which says which room the box goes to in the new house. If possible designate two areas in the new place as box stores (one upstairs, one down) this means you have the less important stuff out of your way and to sort at your leisure.
The second job at the new house is to make the beds (the first being put the kettle on).

HTH

Declutter as you pack, don't moves things you don't want at the other end.

krlyr

We had a few of the clear plastic boxes so put the bits like loo/kitchen roll, tea bags, etc. in that one - we could see what was in it straight away so very easy to keep track of it amongst all the cardboard boxes.

Tiglath

I do a spreadsheet with the number of the box, contents and which room it's destined for. That way, I just stood by the van and ticked boxes off the list as the removal men took them to the relevant rooms. I made sure things like kettle and loo roll went into their own box, as has already been mentioned.

maman

When we last moved (fortunately a while ago) I cleaned shelves and cupboards in advance then put the contents back in but packed in trays/boxes. That way, on the day we moved I needed to only to do a quick flick round. This particularly applied to kitchen and bathroom cupboards/airing cupboard, garage, shed, storage cupboards etc. Our buyer even wrote thanking me for how clean I'd left the house. I still have the letter, probably the first (and last) time I've ever been complimented on housework!:rotfl:

Oh and take the opportunity to have a really good sort out while you're packing. Don't take a load of 'stuff' with you that you haven't used in ages and likely never will.

Hope your move goes well.:)

flubberyzing

When I moved, I started with books and DVDs first.
Everything else was pretty much packed with other things from that room. Then label the box "living room", "kitchen", "study" etc.

Have a box or 2 of "essentials". This would be a change of clothes, a few bits of cutlery for a takeaway, toiletries, loo roll, mugs. Things you are likely to want that first night.
First job when you arrive should be to assemble and make up the bed, particularly if you don't get into the place until later in the day. Then at least you know that bit is ready for you to fall into, even if the rest is chaos.

Things like clothes/bedding/towels can be put into bin bags. I buy those really thick ones designed for garden waste. Full bags of clothes etc make good dense, yet soft, nuggets for padding out the van and protecting more delicate furniture during the move.

If something holds something currently, it should hold things during the move. Eg: Small ottomans can hold blankets, tote bags can hold other bags, saucepans can hold cutlery.

If cleaning really isn't your thing, consider getting a company in to do a deep clean once your stuff is cleared out.

LondonDreamer

I am in the middle of packing now. Most of these points have already been mentioned, but this is my system...

As soon as I know I'm moving, I start using up my storecupboard and particularly the fridge and freezer contents. I never move fresh food unless the distance is short enough that it won't thaw on the journey.

We don't have much clutter, but I would always advise to declutter first or at least as you pack. Set aside a place for things to go to charity or the dump (I use under the stairs to keep it out of the way - as I said, we don't have a lot) and try not to pack anything you don't need to take with you.

Start by packing things you don't need to use immediately. How far in advance depends on how much stuff and notice you have. I'm moving in two weeks and don't have much stuff (everything fits in a single Luton van load) but have already packed away books, DVDs, ornaments, etc this weekend. If you have time in advance, try to pack little and often. I've packed about 10 boxes this weekend but spread out over both days rather than trying to pack an entire room at once.

I pack all our clothes in suitcases, and use our carry on sized ones to pack at least two or three days of clothes. Means you don't have to unpack everything just to find something to wear over the weekend.

I always try to keep things from the same room together but don't bother grouping by type. It's more important to get a good fit and weight in each box, so that's what I focus on. So as an example, a kitchen box might have heavy pots and pans in the bottom, and plastic tubs in the top. When I'm down to the last few things in each room, it may start getting a bit random but as long as it's clearly labelled (I label on the top, plus a long and short side) it should be fine.

For weight, I try to only go as heavy as I'm comfortable lifting. Then I know the movers will have no issues, since they're much stronger than I am. And if anything ends up in the wrong room at the other end, I can move it around myself without having to unpack it.

Save up plastic carrier bags, they're good for tucking around items to keep them from moving or for wrapping around anything that is a bit sharp/awkward but doesn't really need bubble wrapping, such as utensils. You can then use them for rubbish bags afterwards.

Designate an easy to spot box or bag for essentials. I use my shopping trolley for this. Make sure it's last to be loaded, so it'll be first off. In this, I pack things like toilet paper, hand and dish soap, hand towels, the kettle and some mugs, etc. I unpack this as the rest of the boxes are being unloaded. If I have access to the property before the rest of the move, I'll often take these things over separately. Or at the very least, pop some fresh milk into the fridge so I don't have to run out mid-move to get some.

I pack bedding and towels in those stripey bags you can get from discount stores. You can get ones big enough to easily hold even my super king duvet. Again, these are easy to spot so remaking the beds is quick.

Something the movers found helpful last time was that I stacked the boxes grouped roughly by size. They could then grab the right sized one quickly to fit into gaps between furniture, made loading the van really efficient for them.

camelot1001

Great thread, thanks.
I am moving in just over 2 weeks and have packed loads already, all the stuff we won't need. Still a long way to go but some rooms feel really empty already. Can't believe how many pictures are on the walls!

Particularly good advice regarding de-cluttering, such a good time to get rid of all that carp.

Good luck, I'll be thinking of you.

unimaginative_user_name

OH and moved seven times between 1993 and 2004 so got quite good at it! You've had lots of good advice but I would add a few things.

* If you are using a removal company make sure you don't pack your sugar! We did once and were very unpopular!

* Prepare labels for the doors to your rooms particularly bedrooms so that you can be sure stuff is going to the right room. Obviously the kitchen and bathroom are obvious! Have a list for each room of what should be in there and the number of boxes so you can check everything is in the right place.

* I put fresh linen on my duvets and pillow cases before I leave the old place as this saves time making up the beds in the new one.

* If you are travelling long distance you might want to check if you'll need to wait 24 hours before you switch your fridge on. If so borrow an electric cool box if you can.

* I pack fragile kitchen stuff in tea towels to save on bubble.

* When I get to the new place I make up the beds and unpack the kitchen stuff first. Most other things can wait!

floss2

Melon boxes from Tesco/Asda/Morrisons are perfect for CDs, DVDs and paperbacks - not too heavy and they stack in the corners when full.

If you have a dishwasher, wrap china/crocks etc in newspaper and then freshen it up when unpacked before putting it away.

Never underestimate how many boxes you will need - however many you can get from supermarkets, it will never be enough!

Don't forget the shed/garage/attic...

You can buy those hand-held tape guns & brown tape from Tesco/Staples etc or borrow one if you can as they are really handy to rebuild flat-pack boxes acquired from supermarkets.

Find the nearest chippy/takeaway/pizza delivery place to your old & new homes for your last supper/moving day lunch/first supper

If moving yourself, remember that when getting rid of your empty boxes, not all council tips will allow hire vans on site (our local one requires payment for "commercial use").

Good luck, and hope it goes well!

camelot1001

Re packing boxes - they are always being advertised on our local Freegle site for re-use.