House packing for a removal can be one of the most stressful tasks about preparing to move. Especially when it comes to the kitchen.
1. Get the right materials
We recommend sourcing only double walled boxes for removal. They are designed to take up to 20kg per box, and to be stacked without concern of crushing or bowing.
Get a variety of sizes. Most provides will offer at least 3 sizes of double walled box. Small, designed to be packed for heavy objects, such as books, cd, records, ceramic, ornaments, pots, pans etc. Medium boxes are great for general house hold items, can be lined enabling you to pack and protect your china, crockery and glassware. Large boxes, ideally for packing up larger, lighter objects, such as cushions, duvets, clothes, towels and linens.
Get 50-100m roll of Bubble wrap and approx. 10 kg of packing paper. Packing Paper is ideal for the majority of your china and crockery as well as small picture frames. Packing paper can be adapted to suit many different purposes. Using two sheets rolled into a tube can create an firm padding to line the bottom and tops of your fragile boxes, this ensures that it is protect from impact, reduces the weight and improves protection; It can be scrunched into balls to fill gaps between packed items to improve the density and stability of your fragile whilst in transport and can also be used to line and insulate the insides of hollow objects such as glasses, beakers and vases.
Bubble wrap should be considered when a fragile object is too large to be protected by standard packing paper, such as large pan lids, glass jugs, large ornaments, pictures and mirrors. be sure to protect any edges securely and line any hollow areas with packing paper before finishing the wrap with bubble wrap.
2. Use Plenty of Packaging
You may have a wide range of different fragile and delicate items. When it comes to protecting the more is most definitely best.
When packing regular sized China and crockery, use a large box with plenty of paper in the bottom to line and pad the content. Wrap your plates and cups individually, with plates and saucers you can layer up to 3-4 plates between each sheet to pad them out further. Remember to stack them on theirs side. This increases what you can store on the lining of the box, reduces the risk of pilling anything on top of it that could break it and also helps to distribute the weight of the box.
When you pack glasses roll the outside of the glass once over in the packing paper bring the bottom edge up, before rolling the glass in the remaining paper. Tuck any loose paper at the top inside the glass, this helps to add layers to the outside of glass to help protect it.
Continue to build up layers until you reach the top and finish with a layer of packing paper to line the top of the box.
Once you have sealed the box be sure to label it so you know where all of your belongings are. And what is in each box. You won’t have much time on the day of completition to unpack so it is helpful to know where everything is.
3. Have an area to store your boxes
This works at both properties. One of the most difficult parts about moving is having your belongings boxed up when you are still living from them. Especially in small areas such as kitchens and bedrooms, try to find some unused or unnecessary space in your home to store your boxes until you move. Most modern dining tables have easy to remove legs and the top can be stood against the wall. This gives you a good amount of floor space to stack your boxes, keeping them out of the way and under control.
4. Be realistic with your time
Especially in London, time is a great commodity. We get such little of it to enjoy with our friends and family. If you have a long notice time to work towards your move plan out what you want to achieve and by what dates. As you start to pack you will soon find out if you have enough time or if you need some help.
Don’t be afraid to call us. We can arrange for a couple of our team members to you visit your property and help you pack. A good packing team can have a standard 3 bed house fully packed in 4-5 hours.
The worst thing that can happen is to get to the moving day and not be prepared to move. You have enough to be focussed on with completing by your deadlines and leaving the property in order. Let us come in and help.