The more prepared you are for moving day, the more stress-free moving home is likely to be, and while many people can find it difficult and even emotional packing your life's possessions into boxes, it's worth it in the long run for an easier unpack at the other end.

You should make sure you have plenty of packing materials, including the right sizes of box - remember for example that a box of books will be much heavier than a box of pillows or towels, so you might want to put the heaviest items in several smaller boxes instead.

We can supply you with sturdy removals boxes, and our team are quite capable of moving even fairly heavy items safely, but there are a few other things you might want to keep in mind.

Flat-Pack Furniture

Where possible, dismantle flat-pack furniture, if not completely then at least into several manageable sections that can be handled more easily, and won't take up an awkward amount of space in the van.

Some smaller items are best moved intact, and if you can take the drawers out, these can double as convenient boxes for smaller numbers of books, DVDs, CDs and so on.

Newspaper 

Save old newspapers in the weeks leading up to your move, as they're a convenient packing material for cups, crockery, and even for bundling cutlery together into a single parcel with any sharp edges covered.

Newspaper is good as it protects against light damage such as chips and cracks, but it's not too bulky if you're putting a lot of mugs and plates into a box together.

Plastic Bags

Again, old plastic bags are a good way to keep loose items together or wrap individual items as simple protection against chips, but many of us have far fewer spare carrier bags lying around since the 5p minimum charge came into effect.

You might even consider paying for a roll of bin bags or larger refuse sacks, which can be a good option for soft items like clothing, bedding and towels.