How to Pack for a House Move: The Complete Product Guide (2026)
- Craig Hoareau
- May 25
- 6 min read
Packing for a house move is one of those tasks that feels manageable until you are actually doing it. If you are more of a DIY mover and prefer not to hire a company to do it all for you, then there are a few practical decisions that come into play. You decide to pack yourself and buy the materials and its crunch time, suddenly there are not enough boxes, the fragile things are wrapped in whatever came to hand, soft furnishings are stuffed into bin bags, and moving day arrives with half the flat still unpacked.
After years of supporting London households through moves of every size, the same issues come up repeatedly. Not the big logistical ones, the small practical ones. Running out of boxes mid-pack. Wrapping fragiles in newspaper that leaves ink on everything. Labels that fall off. Clothes arriving creased and smelling of cardboard.
Most of these problems are avoidable with the right products, bought in the right quantities, used in the right way. This guide covers everything you actually need, nothing more, nothing less.
Before you buy anything: work out your volume
The most common packing mistake is underestimating how much you own. Most households need significantly more boxes than they initially plan for. A rough guide for a London flat:
• Studio or one-bedroom flat: 20–30 boxes
• Two-bedroom flat: 35–50 boxes
• Three-bedroom home: 50–80 boxes
These figures assume you have done some decluttering beforehand. If you are packing everything without editing first, add 20 percent to whatever you estimate. It is always better to have boxes left over than to run out the night before a move.
It is also worth noting that not all boxes are equal. A mix of sizes, smaller sturdy boxes for heavy items like books, larger boxes for lighter bulky things like bedding and soft furnishings, makes packing far more manageable and protects your belongings better in transit.
The packing products you actually need
1. Small to medium moving boxes, for books and heavy items
Books, kitchen equipment, crockery, and anything dense should always go in smaller boxes. A large box packed with books is both dangerous to lift and likely to fail at the base. Smaller, sturdier boxes keep weight manageable and protect contents during the move.
Look for double-walled construction if you have a large book collection or heavy kitchenware. Single-wall boxes are fine for lighter items but will bow and split under significant weight.
Large Moving Boxes for Books and Smaller Items - Pack of 20
Shop Pack of 20 on Amazon
A reliable standard moving box in a practical size for books, kitchen items, and anything with weight. Double-walled construction handles stacking well during transit. Having two pack sizes available (20 and 25) lets you order precisely what you need rather than over-buying. Essential for any move - order more than you think you need.
2. Extra large boxes, for lightweight bulky items
Extra large boxes are not for heavy items, they are for the lightweight but bulky things that are otherwise impossible to pack neatly: lampshades, large cushions, throws, towels, children's toys, and awkward items that don't fit standard boxes. Used correctly they make a significant difference to how efficiently the van is loaded.
The key rule: if you cannot comfortably lift a box once it is full, it is too heavy. Extra large boxes should always feel light.
Extra Large Moving Boxes - Set of 5
A well-proportioned extra large box that handles the bulky-but-light category that causes so many packing headaches. Solid enough for stacking in the van, large enough to take lampshades, duvets, and oversized items. The set of five is the right quantity for most flats, enough to handle the awkward category without over-ordering.
3. Packing paper, for fragiles
Newspaper is the most common wrapping material people reach for when packing fragiles. It works, but it leaves ink transfer on everything, particularly white crockery, ceramics, and anything pale. Unprinted packing paper is the cleaner, more practical alternative. It is cheap, widely available, and makes unpacking significantly less grimy.
For glasses and stemware, wrap each item individually and then nest them in paper before placing in the box. For plates, pack vertically rather than flat, they are far less likely to crack standing on their edge than lying horizontally under the weight of other items.
Packing Paper for Fragiles, Unprinted Newsprint
Clean unprinted paper that wraps fragiles without the ink transfer problem of newspaper. Versatile enough to work for crockery, glasses, ornaments, and anything delicate. A large quantity is always useful, you will use more than you expect, particularly in a kitchen with a lot of crockery. Can also be crumpled as void fill inside boxes to prevent movement.
4. Bags for soft furnishings and clothes
Clothes and soft furnishings packed in cardboard boxes arrive creased, compressed, and often smelling of cardboard. Large zip-seal or drawstring bags designed for soft furnishings and clothing protect items in transit, compress bedding and pillows efficiently, and keep everything clean.
For wardrobes specifically, hanging garment bags are the most practical solution, clothes go straight from rail to bag to new rail without being folded or packed at all. For folded clothing and soft furnishings, large clear bags let you see contents without unpacking.
Large Bags for Packing Soft Furnishings and Clothes
A practical solution for the soft furnishing and clothing category that cardboard boxes handle poorly. Protects contents from dust and moisture in transit. Clear construction makes it easy to identify contents without opening. Compresses bedding and pillows significantly, reducing the number of boxes required for this category. Reusable after the move for under-bed or wardrobe storage.
How to pack efficiently: the approach that makes unpacking easier
The way you pack has as much impact on the experience as the products you use. A few principles that make a significant difference:
Pack by room, not by category
It is tempting to pack all books together, all kitchenware together, and so on. In practice, packing room by room means boxes arrive labelled and go directly to the right place in the new home. Unpacking becomes logical rather than a sorting exercise.
Pack an essentials box last, and load it first
The single most useful thing you can do before a move is pack one clearly labelled box with everything you will need on arrival: kettle, mugs, tea, phone charger, toilet paper, a change of clothes, basic toiletries, and any medication. This box goes on the van last so it comes off first. Moving day is exhausting, being able to make a cup of tea without searching through thirty boxes is not a small thing.
Do not over-fill boxes
A full box that is too heavy to lift safely is a packing failure regardless of how neatly it is organised inside. Keep weight manageable. If you cannot carry a box comfortably, it needs to be split.
Wrap fragiles generously
Packing paper is cheap relative to the cost of replacing broken crockery. Wrap generously, fill voids with crumpled paper, and mark fragile boxes clearly on every visible side. Pack fragile boxes near the top of the van load where they will not be stacked under weight.
When packing support makes sense
Packing is physically demanding, time-consuming, and emotionally tiring, particularly when you are also coordinating a move, managing removals companies, and trying to keep daily life running in parallel.
Professional packing support takes the process entirely off your plate. We work systematically through the home, wrapping fragiles properly, labelling clearly, and ensuring everything arrives at the new property in order and ready to unpack logically.
For clients who want to move into a fully prepared home without managing the packing themselves, a combined pack and unpack service means you leave one property and arrive at another that is already set up and functional.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we would genuinely suggest to our own clients.
A Tidy Mind London is a professional home transformation studio based in London. We support residential and commercial clients across the capital with organising, moves, and space resets.
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