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Moving Home in London: Tips on Packing

Sort and Weed:

Before you decide whether to hire a professional mover, the entire family should have a 'sort and weed'; party. The goal is to reduce the potential load as much as possible. The entire family can objectively decide what they really will have a need for at their new home.

Designated Area:

An area in the garage or basement can be designated as the one location where everyone can slowly store unnecessary items. When the process is complete, plan and conduct a garage sale. Anything not sold may be disposed of by inviting friends and family to call by and take anything they can use. Any remaining items can be donated to charity.

Decide on a professional:

It really can be a pleasure to have an experienced professional mover perform the entire moving job. However, it can be expensive! There may be a charge for each box provided, as well as the overall cost of the job. Try and obtain at least three estimates and compare the service which each company offers.

DIY:

Moving yourself does not have to be a difficult chore. However, it does require proper supplies, prior planning and a lot of your time. At least one month before the completion date, start packing a few boxes a day. Designate an area in the garage, basement or spare room to store the packed boxes.

All the Boxes you Need:

Obtaining free sturdy boxes can be accomplished from the local supermarket or off licence. Choose boxes that are constructed to carry a heavy load. Make prior arrangements with the supermarket/off licence as they usually cut up and throw away the boxes as soon as the contents go on the shelves.

Other Essential Supplies:

You may want to designate a kitchen table or wall paper pasting table as your work area. Newspaper can be used as an effective packing material, however, bear in mind that the ink will smudge. Place any item you wish to protect from the ink in a plastic bag. Other essential items are twist ties, sticky tape, parcel tape, a Stanley knife. adhesive labels and a felt tip marker.

Organising the Boxes:

As each item is packed, use your felt tip marker to indicate in which room the box will be placed and itemise the contents. If you use a professional mover, you will need to work with them to be sure the contents of the boxes can be identified. Remember to itemise on the side of each box, as they will be stacked on top of one another during the moving process.

Moving Your Valuables:

It is not a good idea to include your valuables in the shipment of your household goods. It will be much safer to pack valuables in a suitcase or 'special' box which will accompany you. Do not leave the container unattended. We all have different precious personal items, but include bank account cheque and paying in books, currency, jewellery, precious metals and stones, valuable documents, coin or stamp collections, insurance policies, medical and dental records, school records, passports.