moving house-packing up things

[pootlepod]

Ok, we've collected a few boxes, newspapers, bubblewrap and ordered a few more so we have enough. Any tips on packing items/general moving tips gratefully accepted, it's the first time we've done it and we're doing the packing ourselves to save a bit of cash, we have stretched to using a company for the big day!

Pack by room and label as such (makes the unpacking easier) - eg. Kitchen Everyday you know needs unpacking asap, Kitchen Posh is probably your dinner service that comes out once in the blue moon...Buy a marker pen for labelling....
Don't put to many heavy things in - have to be able to lift the box and don't want it to break!
Use clothes/linen etc to wrap round the fragile stuff (okay it ends up creased, but better that than a load of broken china...)

Anything you absolutely must have in the first 24 hours should be packed and transported in your own car, not by the movers. Remember that includes things like kettle, hoover, Flash, cleaning cloths, food, undies, teddies, bedlinen, Calpol, adult paracetamol, etc.

Draw a very simple plan of the house you're moving to, with clear names for each room. As soon as you arrive, put labels on the doors of each room to match up with the plan. Mark each box as you pack it with the name of the room it's going in. Give a copy of the plan to the movers so that they know where to put each box without having to ask and without you having to remember.

You'll need more cases and more padding than you imagine.

Arrange insurance for your stuff - most movers won't cover stuff they haven't packed themselves, so check whether your contents insurance will.

Thanks, all good ideas, like the idea of kitchen everyday and posh, although we'd only need a small box for posh!

I think insurance was ok but might give them a ring to double check...