Help & Advice.

Packing

At Open Door, our team are always on hand to help you make the process of buying your new home as easy as possible, but even with our help, we know that it can still be one of the most stressful life events. With so much to plan and think about, moving house can be overwhelming and it’s something that many people worry about. 

With the right preparation and organisation, moving day can be easier than you think and a following our hints and tips for moving day will help to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Start early

If possible, start the prep work, like decluttering, cleaning, and purchasing moving and packing supplies about 6 weeks before your moving day. Then, the 2 to 3 weeks before can be used for packing.

Start with all the things you don’t often use

Pack similar items together

Click here to download our packing checklist.

Buy the right supplies

Having the right supplies can help you not only in the build-up but when you’ve moved in too.

Boxes – boxes are the main thing you’ll need for packing, make sure you have a variety of sizes to make organizing easier. Just remember not to overload each box with too many heavy items.
Packing tape and scissors – tape is handy to seal boxes as well as secure any bubble wrapped items.
Marker pens – use a marker pen to label each of your boxes so you can keep track of what was packed in each box - you’ll thank yourself later.

Start with items you use less often

Depending on the time of year you’re moving, you may have some seasonal items you’re currently not using, such as garden tools and winter coats, or Christmas decorations. Try packing first whatever you’re not going to need soon.

Pack essentials separately

Having easy access to any essentials on moving day will help keep everyone happy on the day you move. Put anything you’re likely to need the morning of your move and the first night of your new home into this box, so you don’t have to go rummaging through boxes to find your essentials.

Your essentials box should be the last box you load onto the removal van or take it with you in your car.

Click here for our guide to moving day essentials.

Measure up!

Before attempting to move appliances or larger items of furniture, it’s a good idea to measure doorways so you can plan how you’re going to get them out of your old home and into your new one. Knowing in advance if you’ll need to dismantle some of your furniture will help reduce any stress on the day.

Added tip – Put any screws/bolts from pieces of furniture you’ve dismantled into one bag and write on this bag which piece of furniture it belongs to so you can quickly reassemble your furniture in your new home.