4 Packing Mistakes to Avoid When Moving House

Posted on: 14 March 2017

When you're moving house, there is so much to consider that it can quickly become a huge headache. Packing your belongings can easily become one of the most stressful factors, but it absolutely doesn't have to be this way. Instead, you need to pack like a pro. Read on to find out what four things you shouldn't be doing when you move and what you should try instead.

1. Failing to plan your pack

If your packing style is to stuff things into boxes willy-nilly, you may want to consider a new approach before you start packing for your big move. Instead, keep it manageable and plan your pack, breaking it up into small, manageable parts that will help you maintain your sanity.

A great first step is to figure out what you don't want to bring with you and either sell or donate that first. Once that is done, in order to avoid overwhelm consider doing your packing room by room.

2. Overfilling your boxes

Remember that those boxes need to go in the moving van; if they are over-spilling with your stuff, they could easily topple over and end up all over the van floor, and you could potentially lose some of your belongings. To be safe, be conservative with how much you put in your boxes, and use your smaller boxes for heavy items and bigger boxes for belongings that don't weigh as much.

3. Cutting corners when packing breakables

If you don't want to end up with smashed vases and broken dishes when you unload your boxes, it's important that you take the time to pack them safely in the first place. The key here is to pack each breakable piece individually, wrapping them well with paper, preferably with another sheet of paper crumpled up inside. Items that are hollow, such as vases or jars, should be packed tight with paper. When placing dishes into your packing box, place them on their sides, as this way they are less likely to chip or break. Place any glassware at the top of your moving boxes, rim side down. 

4. Not bothering to label boxes

At the time, labelling boxes may seem like a waste of time, but you will be glad you did it once it comes time to unpack. Simply use a black marker and make a quick note of what is in each box and where its eventual destination is; you will be delighted you took the time once you're unpacking with ease.

Talk with removalist services if you need help packing more effectively.

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Storing my household

Last year I was offered a really awesome 12-month work secondment in New York, but of course I couldn't take all of my stuff over there as I have a 4 bedroom house here and I sure wasn't able to afford that in New York! I had to go through the process of packing everything up so that I was able to rent a furnished place over there then come back to all of my belongings. This blog is all about how to be an efficient packer and how to store your items properly if you are heading away for a period of time.