How to pack/organise stuff when moving into new home

[Anonymouse007]

Hi there,

Quick question as I just can’t get my head around moving out in an organised way. I’ve moved between houses before but this is the first time I’ll be doing it with 3 children in tow.

I was looking at cardboard moving/packing boxes on Amazon but can’t work out which ones would be best.

I’ll be moving everything this time (cookware, bedding, toys, books, clothing) but the only furniture item is one bunk bed.

What are your tips on moving out in an ORGANISED way? Any experience with these purpose-built boxes? Any neat tricks I can use to make the move easier?

I have about 3 weeks to pack.

Thank you!

Don’t pack clothes hung in the wardrobe. Keep them on the hangers, slip a black bin bag over them, and tie around the hangers at the top using the bin bag handles/drawstrings.

Then, just lay them on the back seat of the car, and put them straight into the wardrobe again in your new house. Should save lots of time on folding and hanging things up.

Great tip on hangars.

Start by now packing things you won't be using immediately or don't need immediately - summer clothes, Xmas decs, photos, pictures etc.

Start making a list of stuff you'll need to keep separate during the move - kettle, toaster, food etc, school uniform and work clothes.

Eat your freezer down now. Plan easy meals for 1st few days in new house and get a delivery to new house.

Proper labelling of boxes is key and try to group things into room they'll be going into in new house.

Declutter while packing.

Good luck!

If there is any way you can afford to pay for packing (it’s normally a fraction of the cost of the removal can), do it! It is like watching a plague of locusts go through your house and box everything up nicely - and will save you days.

Then you can focus on what they can’t do: declutter and clean as you go.

Oh and have all important documents close at hand - passports, bank account details, driving licence etc.

And save till last - cups/mugs/tea/coffee/sugar/kettle/squash/biscuits/teaspoons.

Mark box clearly and make it first one you open!

Pay for packing!

Pack for each room.
Eg. Main bedroom - Red sticker
Box 1 - items ( or take a photo)
Box 2 - items

Kitchen - Blue sticker
box 1 - pots and pans
Box 2 - etc.

This way each color coded box moves to it's right room in the new house. And because its labelled with knowing the contents inside then you open what's priority and unpack as you go along.

Pack overnight bags for you and the kids - pjs knickers, socks, books bedtime teddies etc

In another box tea cups kettle spoons mugs plates plus - scissors screwdrivers tape pen paper (for metre readings) loo roll phone chargers medicines

Make sure beds can be made up and kitchen is separate and can be unloaded first to make life easier

Look on Freecycle for free packing boxes, bubble wrap etc. There's usually lots of people wanting to get rid of theirs after just having moved.

Focus on decluttering as much as possible then pay for packing. It only added a few hundred onto our move cost. Everything gets boxed up and labelled with the room it comes from and then you direct which room each box goes to at the other end. It does lead to a few surprise items boxed together but saves immeasurably on packing stress.

Pack a suitcase with things in for you all for the first few days until you've settled a bit. Movers for us were so worth the money, we didn't have them pack we did that ourselves and unpacked gradually as we didn't have wardrobes for about 6 weeks.

Ooh this is a great thread! We have about 5 months before we move (new build so it might be longer!), but good to get tips so early on. We’ve loads of decluttering to do, but I know the time will fly by.

My moving boxes (I've kept them & they've done two moves, planning to flatten & keep) are Star Supplies from Amazon.
Label your boxes - mine have lists of contents on and start with stuff you don't use.
My clothes go into clothes bags still on hangers and then straight back in the wardrobe.
Pare down your fridge & freezer and eat through stuff. Make a good shopping list for after you move to replace it. The cost will balance against what you didn't spend at the time.
Bar the odd item, I also find it easier to do a purge the other end, once I'm unpacking again. Weird I know but I find it easier once I'm in the new space and have more time. Packing for me is about speed and not leaving things. Unpacking is less time pressured and I can see things in the new space and make better decisions.

When packing plates and cups, instead of bubble wrap or newspaper, use your towels and linen. I have done this in 4 moves and never had any breakages. You can’t pack too many plates/cups/glasses in each box but it is much quicker than wrapping each item and you get to pack your linen and towels at the same time!

Are you planning on using a removals company? If so a lot of them will supply you with boxes then collect them once you've unpacked them.

Another one saying pay for packing. I did and it was the best money I've ever spent! Two men rocked up at 9am and by 4pm everything was packed in boxes. I went out and left them to it. The removal company charged a £60 deposit for the boxes which I could have got back had I been bothered enough to arrange for them to collect them.

Don't unpack your drawers. Cling film round them and put them straight in car/van

Another vote for the professional packing. Made our last move an absolute doddle. Almost entirely stress free. If you can afford it I would urge you to go for it.

Just have the removal company pack and declutter first.

We are moving in 6 weeks with one toddler (plus I’m pregnant so not really lifting). We are packing ourselves and hiring in movers for the hard bit!

Loving all the tips here.

I think I read this in a Kirstie Allsopp book .. We have a number for each room at the destination house - eg
1 living room
2 dining room
3 kitchen
4 master bedroom
5 child’s bedroom
6 unborn baby’s bedroom

So each box has a number and also labelled eg books. Then on moving day I’ll run in ahead of the movers and bluetack an A4 number on each door so it’s quick and easy for the movers to put the boxes in the right room.

Last time we moved I made a “first night” box which had a set of bedding for each bed, towel for each person, a tea towel, one cup each, pjs, change of clothes for the next day, phone charger, kettle, loo roll, basic toiletries . Basically anything you’ll need on first night. It worked really well as only needed to unpack that box and we were fine.

I also have a bag with really important things in it that never leaves my side on moving day. Things like passports, credit cards, documents related to the house purchase, anything you would be panicking about it it was lost in transit.

Only things I’ve packed so far are out of season clothes, books, cds, dvds, Christmas decks, photos. It’s scary how much there is to do! Next I’m going to do baking stuff, recipe books and other rarely used kitchen things. We’ve created a nice wall of boxes behind the sofa!

Good luck op it’s exciting!

Definitely pack over night bags, being able to sort the kids and shower etc make me feel like I was in control!
Label each box with which room it's going in and rough idea of contents eg books. I wouldn't waste time colour coding.
We have a garage and I labelled some boxes to go in the garage (photo albums etc) but also wrote what was in the box so when the essentials were sorted, I could take one box at a time of non essential stuff to sort at a later date.
Start packing now!

Don’t do it: pay an extra £400 to the movers to pack for you if you can. The best money I’ve ever spent (no joke).

paying a removal company to pack for you is probably not much more expensive than buying all the special boxes etc.

They have all the boxes etc already, they are better quality because they reuse them all the time and they are experienced so it get done very very quickly.
My new neighbours did and it only added a couple of hundred to the cost.

I've never used boxes except for plates/cups/breakables. I buy the checked laundry bags - boxes are hard to lift when full, too bulky and heavy but the bags have handles so easier to move

Declutter. Ruthlessly.