50 Nifty Packing Tips for Moving House

 You’re moving house? Yay! Congratulations!

They say that moving house is as stressful as a divorce….. Well that seems extreme, but moving can be particularly nerve-racking especially if you have pets and children.

The great thing about moving house is that you get to decide on what to bring and what not to bring to the new home. So you can have a bit of a purge of the crap that accumulates.  You have to decide if the new home has enough space for all your things, how to segregate each item, what tools do you need to start packing.

So, if your head is spinning over this whole moving house thing, don’t worry we’ve got you covered.

Here are 50 nifty packing tips for moving house, and tricks to make your moving hassle-free.

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Do You Book a Removalist or Do it Yourself?

If you have the finances to pay for a removalist when moving house or you have young children – it pays to get one to help you out.  But we know that isn’t always financially possible!  But if you choose this route – here are our tips:

• If the removalist doesn’t include a packing service, make sure you have packed everything up ready to go or they will charge you a lot more!
• Removalists are people too – frequently offer them cold beverages, cuppas during breaks and a helpful smile.  It goes a long way!
• Buy or borrow packing boxes.  You can quite often pick up used boxes on platforms such as Catch, Ebay or Gumtree. If you are looking for new ones, check Bunnings or your local removalist company usually has them too.
• Ensure your packing boxes are all of the similar sizing – it makes the removalists job a whole lot easier!

How to Save Money on Moving House

• Moving yourself is always going to be cheaper if you have a trailer and some muscles.
• Take into account the cost of hiring a trailer or truck.
• Get a few quotes for removalists – the price may just surprise you.
• Ask friends or family to help you move.  They will need to be very good friends!

If You Are Moving House Yourself:

• Book or borrow a trailer.  BUT if you know anyone with a horse float – these are simply AMAZING for moving houses – they can carry so much stuff!
• Look at buying or hiring a ‘dolly’ which will help you move the larger and heavier item such as fridges and freezer.  There are some dolly’s that will even ‘crawl downstairs’ which saves lots of backs!
• If you are renting your old home, book a bond cleaner to do the final clean before handing over the keys.

When Packing Boxes:

• Don’t make the boxes too heavy.  If you have lots of books, spread them out over quite a few boxes- a box full of books is way too heavy to move.
• Wrap glasses individually in newspaper and pack them between pillows in the packing box.  Make sure you mark the box as fragile.  You can also use pillowcases or tablecloths to do this.
• Use your suitcases to pack private items and valuables and put them in the boot of your car. Anything you don’t want others seeing you always go with you!

Before Moving House…

• Disassemble all of your flatpack furniture.  Yes, it’s a right pain, but this type of furniture doesn’t ‘move well’ and tends to get damaged very easily. Plus this is something you can do a week or two in advance.
• Cots should be disassembled too.  They are carrying precious cargo – they need to be solid and the best way to do that is to disassemble and then reassemble.
• If possible, clean your new place before you move in or have a cleaner make it spotless for you.
• If you have to hire movers, check out their rules and policies before hiring them. A great way to find and compare quality moving companies is by using Muval. You can find removalists in your area, read reviews, and book directly online.
• Pack as many boxes as you can in the weeks leading up to the move.  Make sure you tape both ends of the box so items don’t fall out – and mark on the side what room they need to go to (its easy to forget).
• Don’t go food shopping!  Instead focus on gobbling up everything you have, then do a big shop once you are in your new place!
• Change your address for your accounts, utilities and subscriptions at least two weeks before moving.
• Measure the spaces of your new home where you intend to put specific furniture or appliances, then measure your furniture and appliances as well. If some pieces don’t fit, donate or sell it.
• Fill the nail holes in your old home with a bar of soap.
• Sort out things you need or those you want to bring to your new home and things you would want to donate or sell.
• Order a skip bin so that you can throw out rubbish as you go. Skip Bins Sydney is a good one!
• If help is what you need then MoveMyStuff does it all! They know how to give you a hassle-free moving experience. Get in touch with the best removalists in Melbourne. Whether you want to relocate a full mansion or looking to hire a reliable furniture removalist, everything is easy with MoveMyStuff on your side.

Grab a ‘Moving Box Pack’ from Catch

On the day you move…

• Buy breakfast items that you can readily eat the morning after you move. Sometimes, it would be a hassle to have to cook when everything around the home is still a mess.
• Keep a snack bin that has everything you need to snack in such as water, chips, food or just about anything you want to munch on during the process of moving.
• If you have kids, let them join in the fun (and mess) of moving by allowing them to pack their own things.
• Pack all essentials (everything that could run the risk of getting stolen such as cellphones or laptops) in one bag that you can carry.
• Keep all important documents in a safe spot so they don’t get lost while moving.
• Use clear storage boxes so you can see what’s inside the box.
• Use your baskets, laundry bins, hampers, suitcases or anything that can carry items to cut down on boxes.
• If you’re using carton boxes, cut some holes in your boxes so you can lift them easily.

Packing clothes and personal stuff…

• Use your shoes to store small items.
• When packing your clothes, instead of folding them, roll them up to save space.
• If you don’t want to empty your drawers of your clothes, cover your drawers with plastic wrap to prevent them from falling.
• Use trash bags to cover your hanging clothes and tie the coathanger handles together with rubber bands so that you can just hang them straight into your new wardrobe.  Hanging clothes are best taken in the back seat of your car if you can.
• Vacuum seal your out-of-season clothing so it’s easier to pack and would take up less space when you store it in your new home.

Packing your bathroom essentials…

• Items in your bathroom drawers should be poured (draw by draw) into individual plastic bags, and marked ‘draw 1 bathroom, draw 2 bathroom’ etc.  That way you can pour the bags straight into the new drawers.
• Take the tops off the containers of shampoos, lotions, gels, and other liquids that could leak and spill and place plastic wrap over the hole and re-seal.
• Place soaps and other toiletries in a plastic bag so that if they spill, they will not destroy other items.
• For your makeup and other compact powders, use cotton balls to pad them.
• Make accessible your bathroom essentials or anything that you will use immediately by putting them in clear boxes.

Packing your kitchen stuff…

• Place spices in pots and pans so you can save space.
• Use clothes to wrap your china to save on bubble wrap.
• You can also wrap your breakables with old newspapers for protection.
• Use socks for your stemware and glasses for extra padding.
• Place your plates vertically so they’ll less likely to break.
• You can use rubber bands to keep pots and lids together.
• Wrap your cutlery in plastic wrap to keep them in place before putting them inside a box.
• You can also put your knives in old oven mitts to prevent injuries.
• Defrost your refrigerator at least a day before you move and wipe up any liquid.
• You may wrap your refrigerator with plastic wrap to keep the doors from opening when moving.

Packing things in your living room and other rooms…

• Use pipe insulations to protect the sides of your frames and mirrors.
• Tape mirrors at the centre in the form of an X to avoid breakage.
• Take a picture of how your electronics are connected so you can see where all the wires go.
• Use sandwich bags to place small things of appliances, like mounted flat-screen TVs, etc, that you have to take apart.
• Use beer boxes for your books and other things you may need to carry. It’s easier to use beer boxes because of their handles on the sides.
• You may also use rolling suitcases for heavier things so you wouldn’t have to carry it.
• Place cords in toilet paper rolls and label them.

Arranging your Boxes when Moving House

• When moving house, label your boxes and indicate which room they’re intended for.
• Before sealing the box, take a photo of the contents so you’ll know its contents and where everything is.
• Make a list of the number of boxes, and if you can, list down the contents of each box.
• Use a colour coding system by sticking a coloured duct tape in each box, so boxes with the same colour can be grouped together in a specific room where they belong.

At the new home…

• To prevent yourself from getting locked in rooms, use a rubber band that you can string around doorknobs by crossing it over and wrapping it around the doorknob on the other side.
• When you start unpacking in your new home, do it by room to lessen back and forth trips around the house.
• If you have pets, make sure they’re as comfortable in the new home as in your old home by putting their food and water in the same area in your old home. Consistency is the key to keep them calm.
• Keep your cleaning materials handy for when you need them while and after transferring.
• When everything is done, have some “me time” and relax to let out all the stresses of moving. Treat yourself after a long day of hard work.

Moving House can be a pain – but think about how nice it will be at your new home!  We hope these tips have helped you on your way!

Do you have more packing tips for moving house? Share it with us!