Moving house can be a challenging process, as most people do not move home regularly. The average person moves home once every seven years in the UK, and many people move home even less regularly than that. The whole process might therefore seem unfamiliar and daunting, and there are many things for you to organise and worry about. When it comes to the actual moving process, and packing a removal van or lorry, you might be attempting to organise this as much as possible to make the move go as smoothly as possible. So what is the first thing that you should pack while moving? Why is this the case? Here is what we have learnt.
Many people believe that it should be the absolute necessities that go with you first packed in house moving boxes, just in case the move takes longer than one single day and you have to sleep in the new property. This is usually not something you should worry about, as over 99% of house moves are completed within one day. The first things you should pack into a removal lorry should be larger furniture!
What does this include?
- Wardrobes
- Cabinets
- Sofas
- Mattresses
- Fridges
- Freezers
- Washing machine
- Bed frames
- Tables and chairs
Why should you pack larger furniture first?
- The main reason is because it simply allows you to fit more into each load of the removal lorry, and makes things more efficient, so it speeds up the move and costs you less trips back and forth. Packing a removal lorry is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, so it is best to fill the big spaces with the biggest furniture first, and then the smaller boxes can easily fit into the gaps afterwards. If you did it the wrong way around, it would be very hard to find enough space for such large items.
- The biggest furniture is much stronger and can hold heavy weight of smaller boxes on top of them without breaking. You can fit many boxes on top of a sofa, but you can’t put a sofa on top of some moving boxes because the boxes will crumble under the weight and pressure.
- Large furniture is the hardest to get out of the house, and therefore requires the most energy. They are heavy to carry, and hard to fit through doorframes too. With some larger furniture you may have to unscrew them piece by piece, so that they are small enough to fit through the doors. All of this can take a lot of time and effort, so it is best to do this first, because the rest of the boxes are easy work.
- If you put them into the removal lorry first, they will therefore be the last thing that you unpack from the lorry too. This means that you have a good long rest between lifting the heaviest items of your home and then unpacking them at the end of the day.
- You will often need a trolley or sack truck to help carry the largest and heaviest items of furniture, because they weigh so much. If you pack them first, then this leaves plenty of room in the removal lorry for manoeuvring the trolley, and makes your job a little bit easier.
- The largest furniture weigh a lot, and it is best to have these at the front of the removal lorry rather than the back. The reason being so that they simply won’t break through the doors at the back if you accelerate too quickly, and so they are safe during transit.
- As the remainder of your household possessions will be packed into boxes, if you remove the larger furniture first, this allows more room for packing boxes. This is another thing which makes your job easier.
Further notes
- Although the largest furniture should be the first thing that you physically pack into the removal lorry, you should also ensure that your valuables are packed in the first load of the lorry too. This simply keeps them safe and ensures that they remain with you at all times and are not stolen. Some people choose to keep the valuables with them in the front of the lorry to keep them safe if they are particularly valuable.
- If you use a removal company, they will know this process well, as they do it every day of the year. It is best to trust them with the moving process and let them get on with things. Don’t get in their way, just sit tight, smile, and make them tea or coffee.
- Always lift household possessions in cardboard packing boxes carefully, keeping a straight back and bend your knees, because the last thing you want is to damage your back while moving. It will make the day much harder and more stressful too.
- Drive the removal van or lorry carefully, not too fast. If you have to break suddenly, this could cause the boxes in the back to move around and this can lead to breakage. You have to also remember that the removal lorry that is full of your household things can weigh a lot more than a normal car, so it takes a lot longer to accelerate and it takes a lot longer to break too, plus the lorry is much larger than a car as well.
- Don’t attempt to do the entire house move with just two of you. Always ask for help from friends or family members who are available, because it is hard work, very hard work. You will be surprised at how heavy household furniture can be, and a full day of lifting can really make your day very hard. Don’t forget that you have to unpack the lorry at the other end as well, so it is a hard job.
