Top tips for packing your home

You’ve found the perfect new home. You’ve got a buyer for your current home. Congratulations! Now you need to think about the next step: packing.

The cost of moving home has been creeping higher and higher. Which? recently revealed that the average cost of moving for someone who is selling and buying a property comes in at £10,414. That includes expenses such as stamp duty, conveyancing, estate agent fees, surveys and removal costs.

For first-time buyers, who don’t have to pay estate agent fees or stamp duty, it’s considerably cheaper at £1,613. But even so, we understand that moving home is an expensive business. Arranging a professional removal service in Bournemouth is advisable for moving day. But you might want to save a bit of money by packing your belongings yourself.

If that’s the case, take a look at our top tips for packing and generally preparing for moving day.

Choose the right packing materials

We’ll always visit your home before we provide a quote for your move. While we’re there, we can give you advice on the best packing materials to use. We’ll even provide you with boxes if you need them.

When it comes to packing materials, old newspaper can work wonders. It can be balled up to fill gaps and prevent items from sliding around, as well as being used to wrap fragile items (more on that in a minute). It’s also eco-friendly - great if you’re hoping to reduce your impact on the environment. Bubble wrap is another staple, particularly when you’re packing breakable things.

Don’t forget that blankets, bulky jumpers and other textiles can serve a dual purpose. Use them as extra padding in your boxes, or to wrap things that need a little extra protection.

Fragile items

It’s particularly important to pack fragile items carefully. Things like glass, china, mirrors and glass framed pictures can all get damaged during a move if they’re not properly packed.

Think layers. Real Simple recently offered some great tips. Among them is to start by putting layers of packing material in the bottom of the box and around the sides.

That might be bubble wrap, paper or a blanket. It will provide some extra protection for your fragile items. Wrap each item individually too. This applies whether you’re packing glasses, china, vases or mirrors.

When you’re putting them in the box, do so carefully and make sure you fill in any gaps with other packing material. The key is to stop items moving around when the boxes are being loaded and unloaded.

Think about weight

It might be tempting to pack all your books in a single large box, but how are you (or your removal team) going to lift it? We always recommend packing heavy items in small boxes to ensure they’re manageable on moving day.

Don’t forget about appliances

Taking your fridge/freezer with you to your new home? Don’t wait until moving day to empty them. This is especially important for the freezer. Make sure you allow time to empty and defrost the freezer a few days before your move.

Label everything!

Moving house is stressful enough without arriving in your new home and not being able to find the kettle! Label all of your boxes as you’re packing them.

Our top tip is to not only label the boxes with what’s in them, but also which room they should be going to. It will make it much easier for you to find things in your first day in your new home. It will also help us when we’re unloading the moving van or truck at the other end.

Call us today to start organising your house move. We’re always happy to share packing advice.

We also offer a full packing service so that we can lift even more stress off your shoulders!