Knowing how to pack for moving house makes the difference between a move that runs to time and one that stalls while boxes are still being filled. This guide is for households doing their own packing and leaving the furniture to the removalists. It works through the house in the order that makes sense, with the furniture in mind at every step, because how you pack the contents decides how easily the furniture moves.
If you would rather not pack at all, Moveall’s Wrap & Pack team can do it for you, with the boxes and materials supplied: see furniture packing and moving in Adelaide. This guide is from Furniture Removalists Adelaide, a service of Moveall Australia Pty Ltd.
Before you start: what you need
- Strong boxes in a few sizes: small for books and heavy things, medium for kitchenware, large for linen and light, bulky things.
- Good packing tape and a tape gun.
- Plain packing paper (newspaper ink rubs off on china).
- Thick markers for labels.
- Zip-lock bags for screws and fittings, and masking tape to label furniture parts.
- Old towels and linen to use as extra padding.
Step one: decide what is not coming
The easiest box to pack is the one you never fill. Walk through the house a few weeks before the move and decide what you will sell, give away or throw out. Do the same with furniture: a piece that will not fit the new home should not be on the truck. Removalists quote on what is moving, and Moveall’s quotes are built on your inventory list, so deciding early keeps the list and the quote accurate.
Step two: pack the rooms you use least
Start with the spare room, the garage, the shed, the bookshelves and the out-of-season clothes. Leave the kitchen, the bathroom and the bedrooms you sleep in until last. Label every box with the room it is going to at the new home, on the top and on one side, so it can be read when the boxes are stacked.
Step three: empty the furniture
This is the step that matters most for the furniture. Moveall’s terms ask for furniture to be emptied of loose items and for loose items to be packed in cartons, and every removalist will say the same thing for good reasons: a full chest of drawers is much heavier, the weight strains its joints when it is lifted, and loose contents shift and scratch. Empty every drawer, wardrobe, cabinet, desk, bookcase and sideboard into boxes.
- Drawers: pack the contents into boxes. Once empty, drawers can usually stay in and be wrapped shut.
- Wardrobes: fold clothes into boxes, and keep a few days’ clothes in a suitcase you carry yourself.
- Display cabinets: take out every ornament and glass shelf, wrap them separately and pack them in a box marked fragile.
- Bookcases: books into small boxes only; a large box of books is too heavy to carry safely.
Step four: the kitchen
Wrap each plate and stand it on its edge in the box, with crumpled paper in the bottom and between the layers. Wrap glasses one by one. Put heavy pots and pans at the bottom and light things on top. Fill every gap so nothing moves when the box is lifted. Do not pack open food, liquids that could leak, or anything flammable. Defrost the fridge and freezer the day before the move and leave the doors open to dry.
Step five: glass, mirrors and pictures
Take mirrors and pictures off the walls and stand them on edge, never flat with things stacked on top. Cover the glass with a cross of masking tape to hold it together if it breaks, wrap it in paper and padding, and keep it upright. Glass table tops and glass shelves from furniture travel the same way. Mark them clearly so the crew knows what they are.
Step six: the furniture itself
Leave the wrapping of the furniture to the removalists: Moveall wraps every piece in moving blankets on the day. What you can do is make it ready. Remove tablecloths and runners. Take loose cushions and throws off the lounge and box them if you like. Unscrew legs that are designed to come off, put the screws in a labelled zip-lock bag and tape the bag to the piece. If a bed or wardrobe was assembled in the room, tell us at quote time; the page on furniture dismantling and reassembly explains how to measure it against the doors and stairs.
Heavy and old pieces
Do not try to move a piano, a pool table or a heavy antique yourself to make room. Tell us about them and leave them where they are. See antique and heavy furniture.
Step seven: the last day
- Strip the beds and pack the linen, keeping one set of sheets per bed in a bag you carry.
- Pack a first-night box: the kettle, mugs, toilet paper, phone chargers, a torch, basic tools and the children’s favourite things. It travels with you.
- Keep documents, keys, medicines, jewellery and valuables with you, not on the truck.
- Clear a path from every room to the front door.
- Park the cars away from the front of the house so the truck can get close.
On moving day
Walk the house with the crew at the start, point out the fragile boxes and the special pieces, and say which room each piece goes to at the new home. Before the truck leaves, check every room, cupboard, the shed and the garage one last time. At the new home, show the crew where things go, beds and big pieces first. For the full picture of moving day, see house furniture removals in Adelaide and furniture removalists in Adelaide.
Packed and ready, or want help with it? Call Moveall, or send your furniture details.
Questions people ask
How long before moving should I start packing?
Start with the rooms you use least a few weeks before the move, and leave the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms until the last few days.
What should I not pack?
Keep documents, keys, medicines, jewellery, cash and valuables with you. Do not pack anything flammable, gas bottles, fuel or open liquids.
Talk to us about your furniture