One of the most important aspects of packing valuable or fragile belongings is using the right sort of packing boxes; no amount of careful packing will protect your items if the boxes are too flimsy so make sure you use sturdy boxes. Also get plenty of bubble wrap, paper, packing tape and marker pens to label the boxes. Now you are set to follow our top tips on how to pack your stuff so that it arrives at your new home in good condition.

1. Seal the bottom of the packing box before your start.

2. Wrap breakable items like crockery and glassware individually with paper and place on a crumpled paper base, in the bottom of a box with a further layer of crumpled paper above them.

3. Stack plates and other flat breakable items on their side with plenty of card or crumpled paper around them to provide cushioning.

4. Do not stack cups, glasses or bowls inside each other as they are more likely to break.

5. Do not overfill boxes but leave room for plenty of padding on the top and around the sides.

6. Awkward shaped items such as lamps and small electrical equipment should be wrapped in plenty of bubble wrap and padding placed around it to fill the box – you can use towels or linen for this purpose.

7. Glass-framed pictures should be protected with card and bubble wrap and kept away from the sides of the packing box with additional padding such as bubble wrap or towels/linen.

8. Seal each box with packing tape and label it with which room it belongs in with a marker pen. Also write a brief description of the contents.

9. Books and magazines can be extremely heavy when packed in even quite small boxes so make sure boxes of books/magazines do not become too heavy to lift.