Professional packers are more than just box shifters. They are skilled professionals and seem to have the ability to pack up a house in half the time of the average human being, and to load their boxes just right so they don’t collapse and the bottoms don’t fall out. Some people swear by the services of a packing company, claiming that they are worth every last penny, but if you are on a budget for your next house move maybe it is just out of the question. Still, you can use these tips from the professionals to pack like a pro, and get your move done easier this time.

 

Pro packing tip 1 – Have the right tools for the job

Buying brand new packing boxes is always preferable to using recycled, but as this can be expensive and not particularly environmentally friendly, good quality boxes that have been used a few times will be fine.

Be sure to have a mix of sizes, smaller ones for books and dense, heavy items, and larger ones for bigger, lighter objects. Strengthen the boxes with heavy duty packing tape, or duct tape, to ensure the bottom doesn’t fall out when being carried.

As well as boxes and tape, get your hands on some shredded paper to bulk out boxes and cushion objects, some acid free paper for china and a good marker pen for labelling boxes.

 

Pro packing tip 2 – Fill the boxes from the bottom up

It might seem obvious, but starting at the bottom with the heavier objects means your box will be well balanced, easier to carry and less likely to get overladen. Check the weight of your box as you are packing, and once it begins to feel heavy fill the rest of the space with light objects such as towels, cushions or soft toys.

Try not to leave big gaps in boxes, as they will have heavy boxes stacked on top and risk getting crushed.

 

Pro packing tip 3 – Label boxes properly

Scrawling on the side of your box ‘kitchen’ may, at least, tell the mover which room your box needs to end up in, but will not tell you whether it’s the box that contains the elusive kettle or the one with the unused food processor in. Here are some of the things you should try to include on your box labels:

  • Name (last name is fine)
  • Room
  • Contents (e.g. saucepans, spice rack and breadbin)
  • Important information – This includes ‘fragile’, ‘this way up’ and ‘heavy’ notifications, which will help to protect both you and those who are helping you to move.

This may be time limited if you are under pressure during the move, so try to think about the information you will need to unpack with less stress at the other end.