11 Easy Tips To Begin Packing For a House Move

1. Congratulations! You’re on the move. Moving home is a really exciting time… Right up until you suddenly start thinking just how much there is to do!! But don’t panic, at Armishaws we’ve been helping people move since 1973 and our teams have plenty of packing tricks to get prepared ahead of moving day.

Here’s our top 11 tips to help you begin packing for your big move.

Prepare A Safe Place

“Now where did I put that…?” The last thing you need is to be hunting for that document/passport/important address in a house rapidly filling with packed boxes. So before you do anything, set aside a safe place where you can place a box/document folder that won’t get moved when all the other boxes are being shifted from room to room. Then when you do need an important piece of paper, you won’t spend hours searching every box.

Declutter To Reduce Items

There’s no point taking things you don’t need/want at your new home (you’d be amazed how many people pack up and move things they no longer want!). Moving home is the perfect time to clear out unwanted items. Prepare to be a bit ruthless, but also be green. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, rather than let things go to landfill, there are lots of more environmentally friendly alternatives. You could make money on unwanted stuff or let someone else give it a second life by selling or giving them away on websites like; Freebay, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree.

Pack Early, Panic Less

Packing can seem a little daunting, also there is a thought that you don’t want to pack too early in case you need things. But the earlier you start the better. Have decluttered, you’ll now have an idea of what’s left and what rarely gets used (but you still need). The more you can get done early on the better, then once the move is finalised, you won’t find yourself running short of time and packing badly in a rush.

Least Used Items First

Start with the least used things. Loft spaces, outbuildings, winter/summer wardrobes, spare bedrooms… Make a quick shortlist of stuff that you can happily temporarily live without ahead of the move and get it packed.

Consider Shapes & Weight

Some items are really easy to pack because of their shape. Books, CDs, DVDs, boxed collectables, etc. You’re not going to read every book or play every album between now and moving day, so get them boxed. Not only are they easy to do, they tend to be heavier boxes so should be at the bottom of any pile.

Don’t Over Pack Boxes

Remember that every box will need to be moved. Possibly by you. Even if you have a removal team on the day, you will probably find yourself having to move boxes between rooms as you pack so don’t overdo the weight.

Don’t Under Pack Boxes

Don’t leave empty space at the top of boxes. When you come to stack them you could find that area crumples which can lead to items getting damaged as the boxes lose their structural integrity. Worse still you could find yourself under a box avalanche! Use blankets, sheets, towels or paper to fill boxes to the top.

Size Matters So Box Clever

Pack light items in large boxes and heavy items in small boxes and try not to cram too many items into a box, it’s safer and easier to have more light boxes, than less boxes that are incredibly heavy. By keeping your boxes within a reasonable weight range, you won’t injure yourself or find boxes splitting. Safer for you and your items.

Leave Fragile Items Until Last

This means there’s less time for those boxes to get knocked and that they’ll go at the top of any piles. It also means you’ll have practised your packing skills on less fragile items before you tackle delicate or breakable pieces.

Call In The Pros

If you’re worried about packing, simply don’t have the time (or inclination), call in the experts! Our teams are trained to pack fragile belongings with care, using recyclable cartons and materials. Our vehicles are fully equipped with purpose made protective covers for dining tables, soft furnishings and white goods. We can supply heavy duty bed and mattress protector bags. Packing services can range from entire contents to just your fragile items, so if there is one area you don’t want to tackle, let Armishaws do the hard work for you.

Plan Your Food Shopping

It’s so easy to overlook food. Plan ahead, rather than re-stocking, start using remaining food to avoid having to take it with you. Top Tip; do a grocery shop online arranging delivery at your new address the day after you move in, so you can at least have the basics at your new address, giving you one less thing to worry about or squeeze into an already busy week.

Environmental Packing Tips

Boxes and packing materials are easy to buy, some companies can deliver. Our teams only use recycled and recyclable materials, such as a non-plastic alternative to bubble wrap. We always urge people to use environmentally friendly materials, reuse old boxes, many companies pay for boxes to be disposed of and are happy to give away boxes to people moving home.
After your move you can recycle boxes by offering them to others or taking them to a recycling centre. Armishaws offer a free cardboard box recycling service to help reduce waste and give our movers one less thing to worry about, so they can concentrate on turning their new house into a home.