9 packing hacks that will make your move easier

The most tedious part of moving house is packing up your entire life into a bunch of cardboard boxes. But there are plenty of tips and tricks you can follow to help avoid some of the common headaches and pitfalls of moving. Check out our top 9 packing hacks that will make your move easier…

1. Take photos of electronics– take a photo of how your TV, media equipment, router etc are connected and cabled before you dismantle them to help you remember where all the cables go when you’re putting them back together in your new place.
2. Pack an essentials box or two – make sure you have essentials for the first few nights easily accessible. Pack your essentials in a box that is different to all your others – like a suitcase or a new large plastic tub, so it’s easy to locate in amongst all the other boxes. See 11 essential things to pack for your first few nights in your new home for tips on what to include!
3. Don’t take clothes off their hangers – use heavy-duty garbage bags to wrap around clothes during transport. Don’t be tempted to use thin or cheap bags, or your clothes will likely tear through them.
4. Stash screws and bolts in labelled zip lock bags – when dismantling furniture to be moved, keep all the screws from items and place them in a labelled zip lock bag and tape it (very securely) to the piece of furniture it corresponds to so you don’t lose it.
5. Use colour-coded labels – using a labelling system will make packing and unpacking much easier. Assign each room in your new home a colour, and then colour code each box according to room so you (and your removalists) can easily identify where each box needs to go when unloading the moving truck. If you’re the super organised type, take this up a level and number each box, and keep an inventory of the total number of boxes per room. For the super, super organised, create a corresponding packing spreadsheet that itemises the contents of each box so when you’re unpacking you know exactly what’s in each box. This is particularly useful if your items will be in storage for a period of time, or you won’t get around to unpacking for a while. (Tip: there are also apps that help you with this, check out Sortly)
6. Label cords and cables– label electronic cables, cords and chargers before packing them in a box. They can easily go astray when moving house and this will help keep them all in one place and means you won’t spend ages experimenting and sorting through them once you get into your new home.
7. Pack heavy items in suitcases – make your luggage work for you. Pack heavy items, such as books, in suitcases with wheels so you don’t have to lug heavy boxes around.
8. Use plastic wrap to help prevent leaks – put plastic cling wrap under the lids of open bottles and toiletries to add an extra seal to help prevent them from leaking or spilling during the move.
9. Get creative with your padding materials –there are some things you will probably need bubble wrap and butchers paper for, but sometimes you can kill two birds with one stone and use things in your home you need to pack as padding when packing your boxes. Stuff glassware with clean socks; use bed linen or towels to pad the top of book boxes to avoid making the box too heavy; wrap and tape sharp knives or utensils inside oven gloves to prevent them from poking through a box.

All sound too hard? You can also get professionals to pack for you, so you don’t have to do a thing!