Packing up: Part one.

- The tea chest is no more, the image of a removal team packing everything into tea chests has long gone and the torn hands and clothing on the nails with it. Moving Boxes (cartons) have replaced the humble tea chest and enable them to be delivered flat and stored easily until they are required. Not quite as strong but a lot easier to manage, especially now everyone seems to have so many items to pack.

- If your removal company has agreed to do the packing, make sure you clarify with them exactly what has been arranged to be packed. This can be anything from packing every last thing to just packing glass & china. If they are only packing glass and china they will expect this to be laid out onto a suitable work surface, like the dining table. Also check to see if they will be arriving around the day before to pack or will do it all on the day. This depends on the time scale you have to leave your house.

- If you are doing the packing yourself begin as early as possible. Make sure that you use suitable boxes that are strong enough (double wall boxes), large enough not to become too heavy when filled but allow you to maximise the space inside the box (less trips to the van) and boxes that are modular in that when they are stacked together they will produce a uniformed level. Always fill the box to the top and then close the lid, this allows the boxes to be stacked on top of each other in the removal van. When emptying drawers and cupboards you do not need to empty everything, just take very heavy, spillable and breakable items. If the chest is too heavy to be lifted the removal team will just take out the drawers and replace them in the van.

- NEVER make the boxes so heavy that they cannot be lifted safely. If they are becoming heavy while you are packing them, try filling the rest of the box with light bulky items such as linen, towels, cushions or soft toys. Books are the worst offenders when it comes down to weight, use smaller boxes for these types of items.

Packing up: Part two.

- Always make sure that you use parcel tape to fasten the bottom and the top of all your boxes. Please DO NOT just fold the flaps of the box in a crisscross way, because as soon as this box is picked up with any weight inside, the flaps just unfold and everything falls out. The picture below shows the H method of taping up a box, a tried and tested way of keeping the boxes strength and also seals the box entirely. Use this method for the top and bottom.

- Now you will have a strong and secure box. Clearly write which room you would like the box to end up in. If you do this on the tape, the removal team will know that these are your instructions, and also will keep the boxes in better condition, allowing them to be used again and again. "The best way to Recycle".

- Place heavy & bulky items in the bottom of a box, but remember there is a culmination of weight. One dining plate on its own doesn't weigh very much, but ten together is surprisingly heavy, so keep this in mind while loading your boxes. If at all possible try standing things like plates on their end as this way they are stronger, same with glasses. Use plenty of paper, bubble wrap and newspaper as packing or use items of linen or soft toys that you will be taking with you anyway. You might just end up with a box or two less.

- Make sure that all the lids, tops on bottles or anything else that could spill are securely fastened, and in the case of bottles make sure they are stood upright and held in that position firmly.