How to pack a house for moving

What you need

• Boxes or crates in small, medium and large sizes (see our guide to how many you need).
• Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes.
• Packing paper and bubble wrap for anything breakable.
• Strong tape, a marker, and zip-lock bags for screws and fittings.
• In Sydney, borrow our 55L plastic crates for free instead of buying cardboard.

The order to pack in

• Two to three weeks out: books, spare linen, decorations, out-of-season clothes, the garage and storage.
• One week out: most of the living room, spare rooms and the bulk of the kitchen.
• Two days out: the rest of the kitchen except a few basics, and most clothes.
• The night before: bathroom, bedding (except tonight’s) and the essentials box.

Room by room

• Kitchen: plates on their edge, wrapped one by one; glasses stuffed and wrapped; heavy pots in small boxes. Empty and defrost the fridge the day before.
• Bedrooms: hanging clothes in wardrobe boxes; light drawers can stay full if they’re not heavy to carry.
• Living room: wrap screens in a blanket and keep remotes and cables in a labelled bag. Pictures and mirrors go upright, never flat.
• Bathroom: tape lids, bag liquids, and pack medication in your essentials box.
• Garage and outside: drain mowers and tools of fuel; clean outdoor furniture and BBQs before the move.

Packing so the truck loads fast

• Fill every box to the top. Half-full boxes crush; full ones stack.
• Keep each box light enough for one person to carry comfortably.
• Tape the bottom twice and the top once.
• Stack finished boxes by the front door, room by room.
• Box loose items too: shoes, cables and bottles are one trip in a box, dozens loose.

Short on time? Get it packed for you

In Sydney, two of our packers cost $143/hr Monday to Thursday and $154/hr on Fridays and Saturdays, with a 2-hour minimum. Our crates and packing materials are included. Packing the day before the move means the removal itself is quicker.