Stress Free House Move: Step-by-Step Guide to Packing

September 04 2023, by Jo Hilton
8 min reading time

This article is the first in a series about moving house. Whoever you are and wherever you’re going, whether you’re packing up to go just around the corner or putting your life in containers and shipping it across continents, our guides will break the relocation process down for you into bite-sized, digestible chunks.

The stress of moving house

Really this article should be called How to relocate and keep track of your stuff without losing your mind.

For most of us, at some point, moving is inevitable and it’s a process a lot of us hate. In fact, it’s cited as one of the most stressful life events a person can go through, right up there – if you can believe it – with divorce or the death of a loved one.

And whilst this might seem a tad overdramatic, a perfect storm of factors probably explains the heightened anxiety levels. There’s the sheer amount of decision-making as well as often intense financial pressure and then, the lack of control when you’re part of a chain or subject to slow-moving solicitors.

Last but not least, there’s the organisation and the packing up of a house, garage and attic full of stuff whilst still going to work and getting through the trials and tribulations of daily life.

So that’s what we’re going to focus on with this article: how to deal with and pack up your stuff. We’re not going to provide you with a moving checklist because there are so many out there and there and there… and much depends on whether you’re a student, a couple, a family, downsizing, upsizing, dedicated pet owner, international jet setter, etc. etc.

But what we are going to do is suggest a few basic ways to sort out the detritus of your everyday life, because do that and we guarantee you’ll feel a lot better about the physical move itself.

Number One: Get ahead of the game.

It pays to get ahead of the game. Don’t leave organisation and packing till the last minute or even the last month. Start as early as possible. Once you’ve identified the most appropriate moving checklist and adopted your positive moving mindset (apparently there is such a thing), just get to it.

Sort it

Don’t put off dealing with your belongings in place of – seemingly – more important things. All those possessions are waiting for you and as much as you’d like them to, they’re not going to pack themselves.

It may sound obvious, but the time to Marie Kondo and declutter is well in advance and not when the removal van is trundling up the drive. Once you have decluttered, start packing and take another hard look at your belongings. Be even more ruthless; purge and cull with abandon!

This might sound harsh, but what’s the point of spending your whole life bogged down with useless stuff, hauling it from loft to loft? If you’re a bit of a maximalist and you love every single thing you own, hooray (but we bet you still have a junk drawer that needs sorting).

Discard, donate, sell or keep - declutter your home before you start packing.

Sell it

One man’s neglected stuff can be another man’s treasure. Items that are sitting in a box, unused and taking up space aren’t environmentally friendly. Items that are being used or recycled are. So fix anything that’s broken. Sell anything you don’t need on eBay, Facebook Marketplace or even Etsy.

Donate it

Pass it on (i.e. baby clothes and toys) or take it to your local charity shop (The British Heart Foundation will even collect items for you). If you’re getting rid of duvets and old towels (and even household items like pots and pans), there are retailers who have set up schemes to find them new homes. And don’t forget animal charities, the RSPCA and the National Animal Welfare Trust accept duvets, blankets, towels and bedsheets. Donate bicycles your children have outgrown or that you’ve never fixed and never will here or here.

Dispose of it

If all else fails, recycle things properly at the tip. Make sure you throw away unused or old cleaning products in the right place; don’t just chuck them in the bin. Same goes for expired medication: not all chemists or pharmacies will take them, but some will.

Number Two: Gather your boxes.

Once you’ve whittled down your possessions into things you need and love, then you can begin to amass a collection of cardboard boxes — that ideal and unsurpassed packing and transportation method beloved the world over.

Large cardboard box being carried by a young couple moving into their new home

Your boxes will serve you best if they’re all shapes and sizes, and we’ve written a whole blog article detailing the really easy ways to get your hands on free ones in the UK: read that here.

Or if you prefer, treat yourself and order some brand new cardboard boxes. There are a few advantages to this: you’ll be getting top quality (ours are double wall and designed to be strong during transit), you can choose the sizes you need (small, medium and large), and they’re cost-effective, sustainable and made to last.

Number Three: Pack correctly.

The first items to pack are those that you don’t use every day, or even every month. We’re talking about seasonal items (i.e. winter coats, ski jackets, Christmas decorations, etc.).

When packing heavy items, like books, put those at the bottom, but also consider using multiple, smaller boxes which are easier to handle (movers get bad backs too). Lighter items like duvets, towels, bed linen and pillows can be packed in bigger boxes and they can also double up as protective cushioning or wrapping.

If you’re taking apart beds or anything else that requires nuts, bolts, washers, etc., keep those bits handy. Our advice is to put any screws into envelopes or small plastic bags along with the appropriate Allen key, label them and keep them with you. In any case, your beds will probably be among the last things to be dismantled.

Number Four: Pack carefully.

Well in advance is also the time to pack items that are meaningful, valuable or fragile, like photo albums, record collections, knick-knacks or family heirlooms. Above all, make sure these items have the right protection.

People moving home and carefully packing their possessions into cardboard boxes.

For delicate items – such as those made out of china, ceramic or glass – a couple of old tea towels won’t do. Fewer newspapers float around these days, but this is an ideal (if smudgy) protective material. Alternatively, use bubble wrap or honeycomb paper wrap and ensure there aren’t any empty spaces in your boxes. Pack tightly for safe, secure transit.

Seal your full boxes well. Use a strong vinyl tape to close both the bottom and top of your box and then wrap the tape around the whole box a couple more times — just like the professionals do.

Number Five: Pack thoughtfully.

Anyone who’s moving house will need to hold a few things back from the removals van — kettle, teabags, a couple of mugs, those bits to plumb in the washing machine, cleaning materials, etc.

If you have a baby or young children, you’ll likely want their essentials quickly once you’re in the new place (think nappies, feeding kit, cots and bed frame hardware, toys).

All these can go in an unsealed box kept with you in your car. Label it clearly so it doesn’t get swept up in the last-minute rush and lost. That leads us to the golden rule…

Number Six: Label, label, label.

lots of cardboard boxes stacked up with hand written labels

Label your boxes. You don’t need a fancy sticker system – just be clear. Label by room, and if needed, write words like “Heavy,” “Fragile” and “This Way Up.” Use bold writing and large letters.

This will help your movers (if you're using any) know where to place things, and save you the dreaded “Where do you want this?” a hundred times. Plus, it makes unpacking much easier when you can instantly identify what’s in each box.

There you have it. Our six top tips for packing up your property, along with plenty of helpful links to guide you in choosing what to take and how to prepare.

It all starts and ends with cardboard boxes — so take a look at what The Packaging Club has to offer today. There’s so much to organise during a house move: one thing you shouldn’t have to worry about is the quality or cost of your packing materials. That’s something we guarantee you won’t need to think twice about when you order from us.