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How to Pack for Moving – 9 Tips for Your Smoothest Move yet

family moving house

Getting ready for a house move?

If you are, then perhaps you’re feeling a little excited about living in a new neighbourhood and starting fresh. But if there’s one big part of moving that most people dread, it’s packing.

Packing is the single most time-consuming, stressful and exhausting task you need to finish before your move. It requires planning, patience and care, especially if you plan to DIY it.

So, to help you out, here are nine tips you can follow for a smooth, hassle-free move.

1. Plan ahead and start packing early.

With home relocation, nothing beats planning and working on the most urgent tasks (read: packing) as early as possible.

Planning entails making a packing schedule and abiding by it.

Packing can take a few days if you’ll be doing it full time. However, if you’ll only be packing a few hours in a day, be realistic and give yourself two to three weeks to get everything done. This means that if you’re moving within a month’s time, planning and the actual packing should ideally start now.

But if your move is scheduled to happen in a few months, you can start packing at a leisurely pace, beginning with those items you’ve no need for in the months leading to your house relocation. These include seasonal décor, things stored in the attic or basement, etc.

2. Get your packing supplies together.

Packing can only be done efficiently if you have all the materials you need ready for use. So source all the necessary packing supplies, including:

  • Sturdy moving boxes
  • Packing and cellophane tape
  • Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, etc.
  • Marker pens in different colours
  • Box cutter, scissors
  • Resealable bags
  • Packing paper or tissue

You can buy these from a general store or from removalists in Sydney, especially if you need specialised packing materials for fragile or big-ticket items.

3. Designate a packing area.

Whether you’ll pack your things in the garage or your empty guest room, let the other people in your home know that your chosen packing area is off-limits to non-packing-related activities.

By having a dedicated packing zone, you’ll know exactly where your packing supplies are — there’s no need to search high and low for ‘lost’ packing tape or other materials.

4. Declutter as you go.

There’s no better time than during a house move to declutter and get rid of unnecessary ‘stuff’ you may not even remember buying or having. Use three basic piles or labelled boxes for the things you’ll keep, give away or throw with the rubbish.

Do not let the items you plan to throw or give away linger inside your home. Delaying this process could lead you to reminisce about the past, so you might end up retrieving items that you could have donated to charity or thrown away.

5. Seal and label everything.

Make sure you reinforce all boxes by taping them inside and outside. When a box is full, you should tape the top, bottom and sides.

Never forget to label every single box. To get organised, you could use a system, such as assigning a number to every box you pack or using a specific permanent marker colour designated for a particular room. Don’t forget to label boxes that contain fragile or breakable items.

6. Practise the art of proper packing.

Before you start packing everything, especially fragile or breakable items, take note of the following best practices:

  • Always put heavier items first at the bottom of each box. Conversely, lighter items should go on top.
  • Avoid stacking china and other breakable dinnerware too high. Keep the number to 3-4 pieces per box, and wrap each plate or bowl with packing paper. Fill any gaps with packing peanuts, fabric, tea towels, paper, garments or bubble wrap to prevent the items from moving during transport.
  • Never overload boxes. Too heavy items or boxes have a high risk of collapsing, leading to damage to your possessions.
  • Put electronics back in their original packaging. If you still have the original boxes and packaging of your tablet, smartphone or computer, use these for packing your gadgets. Reinforce the box with tape and label it. If it’s just a small box, you can keep it with your valuables inside your car or overnight bag.
  • Get the help of removalists for packing fragile, rare or big-ticket items. No matter how hard you try to DIY everything, you might still need professional help. After all, removalists have the right equipment, training and experience to easily and efficiently tackle these things.
  • Keep small parts or items inside resealable bags. Make sure to label every bag, so you know which item should go inside each one. These include drawer keys, screws, nuts, etc.

7. Take photographs of electrical and electronic devices that need to be dismantled.

You don’t want to get any of the wires or cables wrong when you reassemble electrical appliances and electronic devices in your new home. So, as an extra precaution, take photos of the finished product before dismantling them. You can use those as references in your new home.

8. Get your furniture disassembled by professionals.

Professional removalists have the tools and knowhow to safely and correctly disassemble furniture. If you don’t want these dismantled, you can purchase moving blankets and use these to cover your furniture and protect it from nicks and scratches.

9. Prepare an overnight bag or suitcase.

Put a little bit of everything you need and can use for the next 2-3 days after your move. This way, you won’t have to search frantically through your boxes during or right after your move.

Ready to start packing?

Make sure you follow the above tips and get help from the experts for stress-free packing and relocation.

Ready to move with confidence? Choose Sydney's finest movers and storage.

Get a free quote online now, speak to a moving expert on 02 4607 2450, or drop in for a chat.

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