Packing is the part of moving people underestimate. The truck is booked, the date is locked in, and then you open the hall cupboard three days out and realise how much is actually in there.
Knowing how to pack for moving house is less about clever techniques and more about order. Work through your home one room at a time, starting with the spaces you barely touch and finishing with the kettle, and the job turns into a series of manageable afternoons rather than one enormous weekend.
Around 40 per cent of Australians change address every five years, according to the Australian Government’s Centre for Population, so this is a job most of us face more than once. Below is the room-by-room checklist we give our own clients, including the items no removalist is allowed to put on a truck.
How to Pack for Moving House: Where to Start
Get your supplies in before you open a single cupboard. Stopping mid-flow to buy more tape kills momentum faster than anything else.
- Boxes: double-walled cartons in two or three sizes, plus wardrobe boxes and a flat TV carton
- Wrapping: packing paper, bubble wrap, and old towels and linen for padding
- Marking: packing tape, thick markers, and coloured tape for room coding
- Odds and ends: resealable bags, mattress bags and a box cutter
Then work in order: least-used rooms first, daily-use rooms last. Three to four weeks is a comfortable runway for a family home, and it lets you declutter as you go rather than paying to move things you do not want. Our guide on what to do when moving house covers the wider timeline.
Two habits save hours at the other end. Write the room name and contents on the top and one side of every box, because side labels are the only ones readable once boxes are stacked. And keep boxes light enough to lift comfortably: heavy items in small cartons, bulky light items in large ones.
1. The Garage, Shed and Spare Room
Always start here. These spaces hold the least-used items and the most surprises.
- Pack hand tools into small, sturdy boxes with sharp edges wrapped
- Drain the fuel from mowers, whipper snippers and generators
- Box up camping gear, sports equipment and Christmas decorations
- Set aside anything heading to charity, the tip or the kerb
This is also where you will find the items that cannot travel on the truck. Paint, turpentine, methylated spirits, petrol, pool chemicals, pesticides, aerosols and fire extinguishers are all classified as dangerous goods. According to the Australian Furniture Removers Association, a BBQ gas cylinder cannot be carried unless it has been purged and certified by an approved test station, and you should never burn off or vent the gas yourself. Take the rest to a drop-off point rather than binning it. The City of Gold Coast has guidance on disposing of hazardous household materials safely.
If your new place is smaller, or settlement dates do not line up neatly, this is the moment to work out what needs to go into secure storage on the Gold Coast rather than onto the truck.
2. The Living Room
Photograph the back of the TV and any AV gear before you unplug anything. It takes ten seconds and saves a frustrating half hour later. Bag and label the cables as you go.
- TVs travel best in their original box, or a flat TV carton with foam corners
- Books go in small boxes, flat or spine down, never spine up
- Artwork and mirrors need corner protectors and must be stacked upright, never flat
- Pack lamp shades and bases separately
- Roll rugs and tape them rather than folding
- Use cushions, throws and doonas as padding in large boxes
Leave the sofa, bookshelf and coffee table alone. Blanket-wrapping and loading furniture is the crew’s job.
3. The Home Office and Paperwork
Passports, birth certificates, wills, insurance policies, medical records and anything else you cannot easily replace belong in one folder that travels in your car. These never go on the truck.
- Back up your computer before moving day
- Photograph the desk cable setup and bag the leads
- Remove ink cartridges from printers so they do not leak
- Shred paperwork you no longer need
Sort your mail early too. Australia Post mail redirection takes a few business days to activate, so lodge it a couple of weeks before you move, not after.
4. The Bedrooms
Wardrobe boxes are worth every cent. Hanging clothes transfer straight across on the rail and back into the new wardrobe, removing an entire evening of work at the other end.
- Pack off-season clothing first, into suitcases and vacuum bags
- Lightweight clothing can often stay in solid drawers, taped shut, but check with your removalist first
- Protect mattresses with proper mattress bags
- Keep jewellery, cash and small valuables with you
- Pack one comfort box per child with familiar toys and bedding, and keep it out of the truck
You do not need to pull apart bed frames, bunks or flat-pack wardrobes yourself. Furniture assembly and disassembly is included in our service at no extra cost, and hardware that we remove gets bagged, labelled and reassembled at the other end.
5. The Bathroom and Laundry
These rooms come near the end and are mostly a decluttering job. Bin anything expired, along with the half-used bottles you will never finish.
- Tape the lid on every liquid, seal it in a resealable bag, then stand it upright in a small box marked “this way up”
- Use towels and linen as padding for fragile items in other rooms
- Disconnect and drain washing machine hoses the night before, and refit transit bolts if you still have them
- Keep a toiletries bag out for the first night
6. The Kitchen
The kitchen is the biggest packing job in the house. Leave it until last, but allow a full day. Run down the pantry and freezer over the final fortnight and plan meals around what needs using. Fresh food, frozen goods and opened containers should not go on the truck.
- Plates: wrap each one in paper, then stack them on their edge like records in a crate rather than flat
- Glasses and stemware: wrap individually and pack upright in a divided carton
- Pots and pans: nest them with paper between each layer
- Knives: roll in a tea towel, tape securely, and label clearly
- Appliances: use original boxes where you still have them, and tape down loose parts
- Fridge and freezer: defrost a full 24 hours out, dry the interior, and prop the door open overnight
The Essentials Box
Pack one box that travels in your car, not the truck. Label it clearly and load it last so it comes out first.
- Kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, milk and snacks
- Toilet paper, hand soap, towels and toothbrushes
- Phone chargers and a power board
- Bedding for every bed
- Medications, pet food and pet bowls
- Basic tools, a box cutter, a marker and cleaning supplies for the old place
Common Packing Mistakes to Avoid
- Overfilling boxes. If it is awkward to lift, repack it. Split boxes cause most breakages.
- Mixing rooms in one box. It doubles your unpacking time.
- Leaving the garage until last. It is always a bigger job than expected, and the dangerous goods need somewhere to go.
- Forgetting to mention access. Tell your removalist about stairs, lifts, narrow driveways or gated estates when you book, not on the morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should you start packing for a house move?
Three to four weeks before moving day suits most family homes. Begin with the garage, shed and spare rooms, then work through the living areas, bedrooms and finally the kitchen. Smaller apartments can usually be packed in one to two weeks.
Where can you get packing boxes for moving house?
Removalists, storage facilities and hardware stores all sell proper moving cartons. Supermarket boxes are free but often the wrong strength and inconsistent in size, which makes stacking harder. Double-walled cartons in matching sizes are worth the small cost.
How do you pack plates and glasses so they do not break?
Wrap each plate individually in packing paper and stand them on their edge in the box, not stacked flat. Plates are far stronger vertically. Glasses and stemware should be wrapped individually and packed upright in a divided carton, with paper filling any gaps so nothing shifts in transit.
How do you pack clothes for moving house?
Hanging clothes go straight into wardrobe boxes on the rail. Fold everyday clothing into suitcases and medium cartons, and use vacuum bags for bulky off-season items and doonas. Lightweight clothing can often stay in solid drawers, though confirm this with your removalist first.
Can a removalist pack for you?
Yes. Full and partial packing services are common, and partial packing is popular for kitchens and fragile items where the risk of damage is highest. Cost depends on the size of your home, how much needs packing and the access at both ends, so the simplest approach is to request a quote based on your specific move.
Need a Hand With the Packing?
A room-by-room approach makes packing manageable, but it still takes time most people do not have spare before a move. Our team can take on as much or as little as you need, whether that is the whole house or just the kitchen and the fragile pieces.
Learn more about our professional packing and unpacking services, or request a quote and we will talk through what your move actually needs.