Good packing protects your belongings, speeds up loading, and makes the first week in your new home far less chaotic. Here's how professional removers approach it, and how to do the same yourself.

Get the right materials

  • Small boxes for books, tins and anything heavy. A large box of books is too heavy to carry safely.
  • Medium boxes for kitchenware, toys and most household items.
  • Large boxes for light, bulky things: bedding, cushions, lampshades.
  • Wardrobe boxes to move hanging clothes straight from rail to rail.
  • Strong parcel tape, packing paper, a marker pen and a few rolls of bubble wrap.

Supermarket boxes are fine for lighter items, but for heavy loads double-walled removal boxes are worth the money.

Pack in the right order

Start with the rooms and items you use least, and work towards the things you need every day.

  1. Loft, garage, shed and spare room
  2. Books, ornaments, pictures and out-of-season clothes
  3. Dining room and living room, apart from everyday basics
  4. Bedrooms, leaving a few days of clothes out
  5. Kitchen and bathroom last

Protect fragile items

Wrap each item individually in packing paper. Plates travel best stood on their edge, like records, rather than stacked flat. Glasses go rim down with paper stuffed inside. Fill gaps in every box so nothing can shift, and put a layer of crumpled paper at the bottom and top.

Towels, tea towels, jumpers and bedding make excellent padding, and save on bubble wrap.

Label every box properly

Write the destination room and a short list of contents on at least two sides of every box, not the top, so it can still be read when boxes are stacked. Mark fragile boxes clearly. Some people colour-code rooms with stickers and put a matching sticker on each door at the new house, so the crew knows exactly where everything goes.

Furniture and electronics

  • Photograph the back of the TV and computer before unplugging, so you know what goes where.
  • Put screws and fixings from dismantled furniture in a labelled sandwich bag taped to the piece itself.
  • Empty drawers unless your removal company says otherwise; full drawers make furniture heavy and can damage runners.
  • Pack TVs in their original boxes if you still have them, or ask your removal company for a TV carton.

Never put these on the van

Keep passports, house documents, jewellery, cash, medication, laptops and car keys with you. Removal companies also won't carry hazardous items such as paint thinners, gas bottles and fuel.

Don't fancy packing yourself?

Most removal companies offer a full or partial packing service, typically £200 to £500 for a whole house. When you request removal quotes, ask for packing to be priced separately so you can decide whether it's worth it.