How to Pack Your Belongings When Moving House
By Lauren Prescott, removals specialist with 15 years of industry experience · Updated January 2025
Good packing comes down to the right materials, sensible box weights and clear labelling by destination room. Use double walled boxes for heavy items, keep each box under around 18kg, wrap fragile items individually and label everything for the new house rather than the old one.
The short answer
- Use double walled boxes for books and kitchenware, standard boxes for the rest.
- Keep box weight to around 18kg, putting heavy items in small boxes.
- Wrap glasses and plates individually rather than relying on bubble wrap alone.
- Label boxes for the room they are going to, not the room they came from.
- Start with rooms you use least and finish with the kitchen and bedroom.
Buy the right materials before you start
Trying to pack with whatever boxes you can find from the supermarket rarely ends well. A small outlay on proper materials saves time and reduces the risk of breakages considerably.
- Double walled boxes for books, kitchenware and anything dense
- Standard boxes for clothes, toys and lighter items
- Wardrobe cartons for hanging clothes, which also save ironing later
- Plain packing paper rather than newspaper, which can leave ink marks
- Strong tape and a dispenser, bought in more quantity than you think you need
Work room by room, starting with the least used
Begin with rooms you rarely use day to day, such as the loft, garage or spare room, so the rooms you rely on most stay functional until close to moving day.
- Spare rooms, loft and garage first
- Living room and dining room next
- Bedrooms a few days before the move
- Kitchen and bathroom last, keeping a small set of essentials aside
Keep every box genuinely liftable
A common mistake is filling a large box entirely with books, which quickly becomes too heavy to carry safely. Match the box size to the weight of what is going inside.
- Aim for a maximum of around 18kg per box
- Put heavy items like books in small boxes
- Put light bulky items like bedding in large boxes
- Fill any gaps with paper so contents cannot shift in transit
- Avoid overfilling so the lid closes without bulging
Packing fragile items properly
Fragile items cause the most anxiety when packing, but a consistent method removes most of the risk. Bubble wrap alone is not enough for crockery, which needs to be supported from underneath as well as wrapped.
- Pack plates on their edge, never stacked flat
- Wrap glasses and mugs individually in paper
- Use dividers or cell boxes for stemware where possible
- Mark fragile boxes clearly on the top and all four sides
- Keep fragile boxes away from the bottom of a stack
Labelling that actually helps
Labelling is where many people cut corners, and it is the single biggest factor in how fast you unpack. A clear system means the crew can place boxes directly in the right room without asking.
- Write the destination room, not the room the item came from
- Add a short note of key contents, not just 'kitchen'
- Number boxes and keep a simple list if the move is large
- Use a different coloured label or pen per room for quick sorting
What to pack last and open first
Some items genuinely need to stay accessible until the last possible moment, and equally available the moment you arrive. The table below is a useful guide.
| Category | Pack | Unpack |
|---|---|---|
| Bedding and towels | Last | First |
| Kettle and mugs | Last | First |
| Toiletries | Last | First |
| Books and ornaments | First | Last |
| Seasonal items | First | Last |
Letting the professionals pack for you
If time is short, a professional packing service covers everything above in a fraction of the time, using materials matched to each item. It is worth considering for fragile collections or simply to reduce the stress of a tight moving timeline.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes does a typical house move need?
It varies considerably with the size of the home and how much is kept, but a three bedroom house often needs somewhere between fifty and eighty boxes in total.
Should I pack my own kitchen or leave it to the removal team?
Many people prefer to leave kitchenware to a professional packing service, since fragile items are wrapped using consistent techniques and insured materials.
Is bubble wrap enough for plates and glasses?
Not on its own. Plates should be packed on their edge and glasses wrapped individually in paper, with bubble wrap used as an additional layer rather than the only protection.
When should I start packing before moving day?
Starting around four to six weeks before, beginning with rooms you use least, avoids the stress of trying to pack an entire house in a single weekend.
Planning a move?
BlueSky Removals gives fixed written prices after a free video or home survey. Call 0800 090 3125 or request a quote online.