Spend some time taking into consideration how you are going to pack your property. Books are straight forward but weighty. Valuables need particular care when wrapping and will take time, and certain furniture may need to be dismantled.
Pack one room at a time, labelling each box with details of its contents and where it should be placed in your new home e.g. kitchen, bathroom, garage. Visibly mark “Fragile” on the outer surface of cartons, do not mark all boxes with fragile only boxes which actually have fragile items inside. Be as detailed as you can it will make unpacking a good deal easier.
Keep the load of your boxes sensible if possible to avoid any back injuries, put heavy objects in small boxes to make them easier to carry. Place lighter items in bigger boxes.
Do not use packing tape directly on polished or painted wood surfaces, stripping off the packing tape could spoil the surface.
A great idea is to tape a sign on rooms in new house with names so corresponding boxes can be placed directly in these rooms. Pack important papers together, for instance birth and marriage certificates & passports, keep them in a safe place.
Put together a box of essentials and mark it "Open Me First." Put this box to the side to be loaded last so it’s first off the van or transport it yourself.
The Essential box should contain:
For more information see our Hints & Tips section