Packing to Move House - Where to Start With Packing Your Home

The chaos of moving house can seem overwhelming at first. But with a little preparation and structure, it can become a very manageable mission.

Knowing where to start can often be the hardest step. With so much to do before moving day – what takes priority? We’ve created a handy guide to walk you through the process of packing to move house.

Start Now

This is the golden rule of moving house. Whatever you do – do not leave packing to the last minute. The earlier you start, the easier the task becomes - just start somewhere. 

Start in rooms you aren’t constantly using, or with items that are seasonal or in storage. That way you can begin chipping away at your possessions without having to worry about fishing them out again halfway through. As you edge closer and closer to moving day, you can begin to pack down more frequently used items.

The art of packing

What are you taking and what are you leaving?

Before you embark on cramming every possession into boxes, lay out some basic rules for what’s staying and what’s going. This will save time packing items that simply get thrown away once they arrive at the new place. Plus, having a set of rules to refer back to will spare you from deliberating over the merits of each individual item.

Stock up on boxes

You can find boxes in a whole range of places, so start stockpiling them as far in advance as possible. Check with your workplace, friends and family, or organisations that may discard excess boxes as recycling.

Pack your items securely

Things like towels, pillowcases and clothing items can make great padding for your boxes. Found yourself with a box full of loose knick-knacks? Try stuffing socks and rolled up towels into the crevices to prevent the items from bouncing around and getting damaged.

For fragile items like plates and glassware, newspaper and bubble wrap are about to become your best friend. And remember to mark these boxes as fragile so they are handled with care at all times.

Clearly label boxes

It can be easy to scrawl vague descriptions on boxes in the rush to get everything packed in time. But trust us, when it comes to the other end and you have 14 boxes labelled ‘homewares’, you’ll wish you’d been a little more precise.

It can also be helpful to label which room each box is intended for, and whether it’s fragile.

Create an essentials box

As moving day approaches, ensure you’ve got an essentials box ready. This is basically a suitcase, box or carry bag with all of those crucial items you’ll need for your last nights in the old house, and first nights in the new house.

Think – toiletries, clothes, phone charger.

Once the packing is all taken care of, then it’s time to arrange the switching of your services to your new home. Fortunately, the team at Compare and Connect can take care of sourcing the best deals and setting you up. So, you can put your feet up for a hard-earned break!