How to prepare for your house move

Ballards Removals staff packaging breakable items during a move

When you’re preparing to move house, there’s a lot to consider, including being prepared and ready for your removals firm.

Of course, you could opt for the completely stress-free option of utilising our packing service, leaving all of the hard work and heavy lifting to our team of experts. But if you’ve chosen to pack up yourselves, then rest assured we can help there too – so here’s a list of what to do in advance of your move.

Get all of your supplies ready in advance

The first thing you’ll need to do before you start packing is get all of your materials ready to go; this includes cardboard boxes, wardrobe cartons, suitcases, packing tape, scissors, permanent markers, newspapers, and bubble wrap. It’s always easier to have these things on-hand, ready to go when you start, so you don’t have to take a trip to the shops mid-way through when you’re in full packing mode.

It’s also handy to have a pen and paper or a notebook close by so that you can make any notes/reminders as you go. You may also wish to write in more detail what is in each box to make life easier at the other end.

Start your packing early

Almost everyone underestimates the amount of ‘stuff’ they have in their home, so we’d always advise that you start packing well in advance so that you’ve got plenty of time and nothing is too rushed as your move date nears.

If you’re rushing, you’ll be more stressed and things will likely be a lot less organised than if you’d been able to do everything at a more relaxed pace. It’s always best to start with items you won’t need in the weeks leading up to your move (for example, summer clothes if you’re moving in the winter months). You can then pack up your everyday essentials much closer to the time, safe in the knowledge that it’s all you have left to do!

Make sure that EVERYTHING is labelled

It might feel a bit tedious and overkill, but trust us, you’ll definitely be thankful for well-labelled boxes when you reach your new home after a tiring day of moving house. We’d recommend writing the room on the box, and then potentially a very brief description of what’s in there (for example, towels & bedding), to make it as simple as possible when looking for items.

If boxes are clearly labelled, you or your removal company will know exactly where to put them – saving you from doing any unnecessary heavy lifting once we’ve left.

Pack an ‘on the day’ box – you’ll be grateful!

There’s nothing worse than arriving in your new home and being desperate for a cuppa, but you can’t find your mugs, spoons and tea bags! To stop this from happening, we’d advise having an ‘on the day’ box full of all of the items that you may need easy access to. This can include:

  • Mugs/glasses
  • Tea & coffee
  • Milk & sugar
  • Tea spoons
  • Snacks
  • Hand sanitiser
  • Basic cleaning supplies
  • Scissors, pens, a notepad and sellotape
  • Phone charger
  • Hand wash
  • Tea towel/hand towels
  • Toilet roll

Have your boxes ready to go on moving day

Another thing that can really help your move go smoothly and efficiently is to have all of your boxes ready to go, ahead of the big day itself. It’s a good idea to know where the heaviest boxes are too (and label them, if you can!) so that our team can plan how best to transport them.

If we can see exactly what we’ve got to move, and how many heavy items there are, it’ll really help us to pack up our load effectively at your old home, and then unload again at your lovely new abode.

Contact our team today for more information on our packing and removals services – we’re here to help in any way we can.

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