Packing a removalist truck

Lighten your load

As far in advance as possible, organise a massive clean out of your belongings. Make piles of throw out, donate and sell and ensure every pile has going through the process it needs to before moving day. The less belongings you have, the easier move day will be – so take the time to spring clean and save on packing.

Measure your belongings

If you’re moving within the same suburb, multiple trips aren’t too much of a hassle so it doesn’t matter what size truck you hire as long as it fits your biggest item (usually the fridge or couch). But for anything further, taking care of the move in one fell swoop is the fastest and most cost-effective way to achieve your goal. Professional removalists work out the cubic square metres of a home’s stuff to decide which truck to bring on the day. You can do this by measuring the length, width and height of your major furniture items (the ones you can’t box) as well as how much space your boxes are likely to take up and use this number to determine which truck size you should hire.

Disassemble as much as possible

If you’ve got furniture that can be taken apart, then make sure you take the time to do this. Flat packed furniture takes up far less space and is also easier to carry up and down stairs. We recommend buying a box of zip lock bags and putting any screws into these bags, then clearly labelling them with a permanent marker. That way, you won’t be fumbling around wondering where bits and pieces are at your new home.

Load up the car

The night before your move, take as many small items over as possible and drop them off. Think small boxes, small pieces of furniture, lamps and bedding – even mirrors and other fragile items. By moving these in your car, you guarantee their safety and also save space in your truck on moving day.

Invest in padding

Gaps in boxes allow things to move around, making them more prone to damage. You can start thrifty by using towels, sheets and jumpers to wrap items and fill gaps in boxes, but we also highly recommend buying a roll of butchers paper and some bubble wrap, as these are good for smaller items like glassware, plates and small electronic items. Bubblewrap can also be secured to the sharp edges of large furniture items to protect them from banging about in the back of the van.