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You’ve found your new place, you’ve chosen a moving day, you’ve booked your removals team, you’ve notified everyone of your new address – essentially you’ve done everything you can to put off packing for as long as possible! Eventually, however, this seemingly mammoth task will have to be tackled. With that in mind, here are some smart packing tips to help make packing as easy as possible.
Essential packing tips
- Start early – As tempting as it is to leave packing to the last minute, getting started as early as possible really is the best thing you can do to make moving as easy as possible. Start with things you don’t need or use very often, as well as any fragile or valuable decorative items like art or sculptures – this will stop you rushing to pack them nearer the time and failing to give them adequate protection.
- Get the right supplies – You can have the smartest packing plan going but the whole thing will fall to pieces if your boxes start, well, falling to pieces. Before you even contemplate packing a thing, make sure you’re fully stocked up with good quality packing materials that won’t let you down on the day. Think a variety of durable boxes in different sizes, strong packing tape, bubble wrap, cling film, labels and marker pens.
- Use soft things to pack fragile things – That being said, there are plenty of things lying around your home that can be used as packing materials too! Clean socks can be balled and popped into wine glasses to keep them from breaking, duvets and bedding can be used to wrap fragile or bulky furniture, and pillows can be used to fill pesky gaps in your car or removals van on moving day. Set these things aside if you need them.
- DIY your wardrobe boxes – If you don’t want to buy ready-made wardrobe boxes, any tall box can be made into a wardrobe box using cheap metal rails that you can order online.
- Clear out as you go – Packing up a home or office is a great opportunity to get rid of things you don’t need. Rather than spending time and money transporting a whole load of unwanted belongings to your new home, sell or donate everything as you pack.
- Get rid of hazardous materials – Removals companies will have a list of things they cannot move so always make sure to check it first and avoid being left with the offending items on the day. Usually, this list includes things like gas bottles, paint, aerosols or anything else that could be hazardous to move. To make things easier, get rid of all these items beforehand at a safe and eco-friendly local facility.
- Leave out your essentials – One of the worst mistakes you can make when packing is to get to moving day and realise you’ve packed your moving documents, new keys, kettle or anything else you might need on the day. Before you pack anything else, set aside one box for on-the-day essentials. You’re not going to want to unpack everything straightaway either, so you’ll also need an overnight bag and ‘first night’ box that includes everything you need to enjoy your first evening in your new home, such as pots and pans, toiletries, pyjamas, bedding, sheets and champagne. Obviously.
- Get organised – Once you’ve binned or set aside everything you don’t want to pack, organise the things you do. Labelling your boxes is a given, but even smarter packers use coloured labels, number their boxes, and keep an accompanying list so they know exactly where to find everything, or use a sorting app to keep a record of everything being packed.
- Get crockery smart – When packing plates, most people tend to place a stack in a box with protective layers between each plate. It’s actually much safer to pack plates vertically – like records or magazines in a rack. You’ll still need protective packing materials between each plate but this will prevent the risk of any crockery at the bottom breaking under the weight of the rest of it.
- Snap your electrics – No, we don’t mean break everything! Before you dismantle your TV, games consoles, digital boxes, or anything else that comes with complicated wiring setups, take pictures of how and where the cables connect so that you have a reference point when it comes to setting them up again later.
- Cling film everything – Not only is cling film a great protective material, it’s also really handy when it comes to saving time packing and unpacking. Instead of clearing out a chest of drawers or packaging the contents of a jewellery box separately, wrap cling film around everything as it is. This way, everything will stay put during the move and drawers can simply be unwrapped and put back in their place with no unpacking necessary.
- Avoid leaks – Cosmetics, cleaning products and foodstuffs can be pesky to pack due to the potential for annoying leaks. Luckily, cling film comes in handy here too. Simply remove the lid of the item you’re packing, pop a square of cling film over the top, and replace the lid to guard against any leaking. Powder cosmetics can also be protected from breaking and getting everywhere by placing a simple cotton wool pad inside to cushion the powder against any falls or bumps.
- Defrost early – One big mistake many people make when packing is leaving the fridge to defrost the night before a move. Instead, defrost your fridge at least a day in advance to make sure you’re not dealing with a drippy freezer on moving day.
- Watch your weight – Overpacking boxes can be such an easy mistake to make; for example, it’s often easy to underestimate how few books it takes to make a box unliftable. To avoid last-minute repacking on the day, make sure you keep an eye on how heavy your boxes are getting. One foolproof way to make sure everything can be carried is to only use small boxes for the heaviest items. This will guarantee no box becomes too heavy.
- Tape to bottom – Everyone knows the tops of boxes need to be sealed with packing tape but don’t forget to seal the bottoms of your boxes too. Before you start loading up any box, seal the bottom with strong packing tape to stop it collapsing when lifted.
How TFM can help
Still daunted by packing? Fortunately, you don’t actually have to do any of it if you don’t want to! Here at TFM, we offer an expert packing service alongside our removals. Our fully-trained packing crew will come to your home a day before your move to do all the hard work for you, including expertly packing fragile or valuable items and labelling everything for ease of unpacking afterwards.
For more info on our packing service, contact us for a quote now.
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