Moving into a new home should be a wonderful experience, instead of a long and tiresome process. A new home represents new memories, new beginnings and new hope!
BEAM Space has compiled a list of top tips to keep in mind when packing your items, so your house moving experience is a much better one!
Before you have your items picked up by your movers, here’s a few packing tips you can use to ease your overall moving journey:
1. Pack items that you do not use on a daily basis first. The process of packing up a house to move is usually time consuming, hence you would still need access to your daily necessities.
2. The quickest way to pack up your household items is to work at it one room at a time. This systematic way gives you the opportunity to label specifically which room each box came from. Your movers will also be able to know which boxes belong to which room when they are unloading your items.
3. DECLUTTER. This is about the only time you will actually go through each item that you have at home. While packing, have a quick evaluation to determine if each item is really worth keeping. Doing this allows you to filter out the clutter that has gathered. It also prevents you from bringing too much trash into your new home.
4. Pack items of similar category into the same box. For example, items from the kitchen should be packed in a box, separately from items from the study room. You can further categorize by packing, e.g. plates with plates, or books with books. This helps you organise, label and trace items when you need them, and makes unloading much easier later on.
5. Ensure that you have properly packed your boxes and have filled the excess space with crumpled newspaper to prevent your items from moving around. Taping up your boxes is another way to ensure that none of your items fall out. Label your boxes well so that you know what exactly is in which box for easier reference when all boxes are mixed together during storage or during the move.
6. Take your box labelling one step further by creating a numbering system. As you pack your boxes, take note of each item inside the specific box and write it on a google doc. This allows you to have an accurate count of how many boxes you have. You can also go straight to box #21 to find your screwdriver, rather than digging through box after box.
With these tips in mind, here are some item/category-specific instructions for the best way to pack for a house move:
Boxing things up
These are some items that would typically fit into boxes:
Bedroom – Clothing, accessories, extra blankets, bed sheet etc.
Study Room – Books, documents, folders etc.
Hall – Seasonal decorations, lamps, small décor items etc.
Kitchen: Utensils, pots and pans, serving plates etc.
BEAM tip : Store heavier items in small boxes, and lighter items in large boxes. This could potentially save you from hurting your back, or having the box fall out under the weight!
Furniture
You are strongly encouraged to disassemble your furniture as much as possible to ensure that nothing breaks, gets caught during the move, or that you are able to fit all your items into the truck during move day. Table legs, headboards, and drawers are the common items that are easily disassembled for easier moving.
Remember to keep all the screws, bolts and nuts in a bag and attach it to your furniture to ensure that all pieces are kept together for a quicker and easier reassembly.
Once you have disassembled your furniture, take every possible effort to wrap it up with proper wrapping material to protect against scratches or dents during the moving process. Multiple layers of wrapping should be done to ensure that the surface areas of each item is fully covered for best protection.
BEAM Tip : If you intend to move your furniture into storage, disassemble them to cut the cost of storage. A dismantled bed can be stored as 4-6 pieces of odd-sized items which can be carried in our van to enjoy a free* pickup (*Singapore only).
Kitchen Items
Dishes should be wrapped and stacked VERTICALLY in boxes lined with bubble wrap. This reduces the chance of chipping or cracking during the moving process.
Stainless steel pots and pans can be stacked in a box by laying a piece of cloth or pan protector in between each piece to prevent from scratching.
Sharp objects such as knives and scissors should be properly packed and labelled to prevent any mishap. Gather all the knives you have and divide them into groups based on the actual size of the knives. Once you have done this, take the first pile of knives and lay them on a stretch of packing paper, leaving an inch between each knife. Starting from one end, roll the packing paper over the first knife and continue on until all knives have been rolled together. Store this roll in a shoebox lined with bubble wrap, follow by labelling the box clearly for maximum safety!
Large appliance such as the refrigerator or dishwasher needs to be prepped in advance to ensure that it is safe to move. You are advised to read the user manual or consult a technician to understand the process of safely turning off and moving the items. Your movers should also be able to advise on best ways to go about preparing the items for move.
BEAM tip : It is best to pack a couple of essential items from the kitchen together into a box for easy access. You’d definitely want the corkscrew and wine glasses to celebrate your first night in the new place, or mugs, so you’re not parched during the move!
Electronic goods and appliances
It is always best to pack your electronic items in their original packaging, but we often trash those the moment we open them. The safest solution is to bubble-wrap your items, then place them in proper-sized boxes. It is important to fill any excess space in the box with newspapers or bubble wrap to prevent the item from moving around excessively. It also provides that extra layer of protection
during the move. For electronic items, do not use foam bubbles as fillers when packing as static may be generated, causing potential damage to the item.
BEAM tip : Electronic items which contain a battery/batteries, should be removed before packing up for storage. This helps prevent damaging the product, should the items be stored longer than intended.
Mattress
Mattresses should be placed into mattress bags on the day of the move. This bag is useful in protecting your mattresses against stain, dirt, moisture and dust. Protecting your mattress against these elements leaves you with a clean mattress to sleep on after a long and tiresome day of unpacking.
BEAM tip : If you are putting an extra mattress aside, it should always be stored flat to prevent the weight of the mattress from ruining the structure and shape of the mattress.
Clothing
The best way to make full use of your space is to pack your clothes into the many luggage bags you have lying around at home. This makes it easier to transport all your clothing to your new place, or even into storage.
Clothing should be rolled or folded in a way that prevents permanent creases from ruining it. One can even consider to vacuum pack clothing items that are not worn as often.
It is wise to sort out your clothing prior to packing it. That way, it will be more organised during the process of unpacking and when arranging it into your new wardrobe.
Household décor items
Common household décor items such as vases, paintings, sculptures should be given a good wipe to get rid of accumulated dust or mould. For fragile items, it is best to wrap them up with bubble wrap and place them in a box clearly labelled to ensure that it is handled with extra care during the move. Use special coloured tape to make sure the fragile warnings stand out, just to be sure!
It is also advised to place these boxes of fragile items into the lorry last to avoid being crushed by other heavier boxes or items.
BEAM tip : While BEAM does not normally take in fragile items, should you choose to store them with us, do ensure that it has been carefully wrapped and packed safely. Do also inform our concierge and the movers so that they are aware of the fragile goods they are handling.
Now that you’re done with packing, it is always a good practice to create a list of the items, especially if you want to store them away. With that list, you will most likely be able to estimate the amount of space you’ll need, or ask us here and we’ll help you with an estimate.
To save you time, all you need to do is reach out to our BEAM concierge, and we’ll be more than happy to make the storage and transportation arrangements for you!
Unlike traditional storage where you have to hire a transport provider separately to move your items, follow them to the warehouse to lock up, and come back again for the items later, our BEAM Space mobile app (IOS & Android) does everything for you. All you need to do is sit back, relax, schedule a time convenient to you and let our BEAM Concierge do the rest. You never have to visit a warehouse again!
What are you waiting for? Get packing, and contact us to schedule a pickup today!
