If you’ve moved a few times before now then you’ll be an old hand at wrapping crockery in newspaper and sandwiching layers of delicate ornaments between layers of fluffy jumpers. You also know all about not putting loads of books in big boxes because they become ridiculously heavy.
Do you know how to wrap, pack and shift really large items, though?
The chances are that you don’t, especially, if this is your first big house move since becoming a proper grown-up. There’s a bit of an art to it, so put down your Sellotape and read on.
Work out if you need to take absolutely everything with you
You might not actually need to move everything, so talk to your buyers as they’ll probably really appreciate a few extra items of furniture. Heavy wardrobes, chests and cabinets might cost more to disassemble and transport than they do to replace, so spend some time working this out. If you’re downsizing, you may not actually have room for everything anyway.
Dismantle everything that you’re taking with you
Once you’ve decided which large items are going with you, you should start dismantling them around a month before moving day. Each component needs to be individually wrapped in moving blankets or bubble wrap and (most importantly) clearly labelled so you can start putting things back together again at the other end.
Empty out items like fridges and washing machines
If you’re taking your fridge with you then you need to remove all the food, obviously. What might be less obvious is removing all the internal shelves and vegetable bins and wrapping these up securely in bubble wrap. As ever, label each item clearly. For washing machines, make sure there’s no damp clothes left inside.
Small-but-heavy items get special treatment
Well, they get a box pretty much to themselves, anyway! Some items, like coffee machines, cutlery sets and so on don’t take up much space but they do weigh quite a bit. This warrants a special box that’s just a little bit larger than they are so that they can fit inside even when they’re all wrapped up. If there’s any space in the box above the item, then fill it with towels, jumpers, soft toys or similar so there’s extra cushioning without much extra weight.
