How do I pack for a move without it taking weeks?

Moving goes wrong at the unpacking end more often than the packing end. Boxes labelled only 'kitchen', or not labelled at all, turn a two-day unpack into a two-month one.

What you'll need

• Boxes in two sizes
• Tape
• Marker pens
• Bubble wrap or towels (optional)

Step by step

1. Declutter before packing, not after.Every item you pack is handled three times. Getting rid of things before the move saves packing, transport and unpacking.
2. Pack room by room and finish each one.It keeps contents together and makes labelling meaningful. Packing whatever is nearest produces boxes nobody can sort.
3. Put heavy things in small boxes.Books, tools, tins. A large box of books cannot be lifted and often fails at the base. Light bulky things go in large boxes.
4. Label on the side, with room and contents.The side, because boxes get stacked. 'Kitchen — pans, chopping boards' rather than 'Kitchen'. It is the difference between finding things and searching.
5. Number the boxes and keep a list.A simple list of box numbers and contents. It sounds excessive and it makes finding one specific item trivial.
6. Pack an essentials box and keep it with you.Kettle, mugs, tea, toilet roll, phone chargers, medication, basic tools, bedding. It goes in the car, not the van.
7. Photograph anything you will need to reassemble.Cable arrangements behind the TV, how flat-pack furniture goes together. Bag the screws and tape them to the item.
8. Fill boxes completely but not heavily.Gaps let contents move and boxes collapse when stacked. Fill voids with towels, bedding or paper.

Tips

• Use suitcases and bags for heavy items. They have wheels and handles, which boxes do not, and they need packing anyway.
• Wardrobe boxes with a hanging rail are worth the cost if you have a lot of hanging clothes. Everything transfers in minutes at each end.
• Keep bedding and towels accessible rather than packed deep. Making a bed on the first night matters more than anything else being unpacked.

Common mistakes

• Labelling only the top of the box — Boxes get stacked and the tops are invisible. Labelling the sides is what makes them findable.
• Packing books into large boxes — They become too heavy to lift safely and the base often gives way. Books go in small boxes.
• Packing everything and decluttering later — You pay to transport things you do not want and then handle them twice more. Decluttering first saves at every stage.

Questions people ask