Materials: buy boring, buy strong
Double-wall boxes in two sizes (small for heavy, large for light), white packing paper, bubble wrap for electronics only, strong tape and a fat marker. Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes are the single best money in packing — clothes travel on hangers and arrive ready to hang.
The golden ratio: heavy things in small boxes, light things in big ones. A box you can't lift comfortably is packed wrong.
The labelling system
Every box gets three marks: the destination room in the NEW house, a one-line contents summary, and an arrow if orientation matters. Label the SIDES, not the top — you can't read the top of a stacked box. Fragile boxes get marked on all four sides.
Number boxes per room if you want the full professional system (Kitchen 1 of 9…): you'll know instantly at the far end if something's missing.
Room-by-room order
Start six weeks out with what you never touch: books, spare linen, out-of-season clothes, the loft. Move through decor and non-daily kitchenware, leaving daily-use items for the final 48 hours. The kitchen packs last and unpacks first.
Books: small boxes only, flat stacks. Clothes: wardrobe boxes or vacuum bags. Electronics: photograph the cable setup before unplugging, bag the cables, tape the bag to the device.
What not to pack
Keep with you: documents, passports, keys, jewellery, medication, chargers, and anything irreplaceable. Never van-pack: gas bottles, fuel, paint thinners, aerosols in bulk — carriers legally can't take them. And leave a doorway path clear: the last thing packed should never block the first thing carried.