Packing Safety for Fragile and Heavy Items
Most of the damage that happens during a move comes down to two things. Boxes packed too heavy to carry properly, and fragile items with nothing between them to absorb a knock. Both come down to how you pack, not luck.
Small box for heavy things, big box for light things
Books, tools, tins, anything dense, belongs in the smallest box you own. A large box full of books is close to impossible to lift safely and the bottom tends to give out first. Save the big boxes for linen, cushions, anything with some air in it. That one swap prevents most of the strained backs and split boxes on a moving day.
Wrap fragile items on their own, not together
Every plate, glass, or ornament needs its own wrap, not a shared sheet of paper laid across the top of the box. Plates travel better standing on their edge than stacked flat, they take the pressure differently that way. Fill the gaps in the box too, anything that can shift in transit usually does.
Say what is fragile, not just that it is fragile
Writing FRAGILE on a box is a start. Writing FRAGILE, GLASSWARE, THIS SIDE UP tells the person carrying it exactly what they are holding and how to hold it. Vague labels get handled like every other box.
Take furniture apart where you can
Bed frames, big tables, anything flat pack, moves lighter and safer in pieces. Keep the screws and small hardware taped directly to the item in a labelled bag, not floating loose in a box somewhere. That is the single easiest way to lose them.
Lift with your legs
Bend at the knees, keep the item close to your body, and do not twist while you are holding weight. Anything heavy is safer carried by two people than strained through by one. Same rule whether you are the one lifting or just directing a crew on where things go.
How heavy should a moving box be?
Aim for no more than about 20 kilograms per box — heavy enough to be efficient, light enough that almost anyone on moving day can carry it steadily. If you have to tilt, drag or rest a box halfway down the hall, it is over the limit. The fix is always the same: split the load across a second smaller box rather than taping the first one shut and hoping.
What packing materials do you actually need?
The professional kit is short: double-walled cartons, bubble wrap, plain packing paper, and cling wrap for fabric furniture. That is what our own packing crews arrive with. Skip newspaper for anything fragile — the ink transfers — and skip single-walled supermarket boxes, which are the ones that give out on the stairs.
If you would rather not source materials yourself, most removalists including us sell or include them: heavy-duty boxes are charged by how many you take, cling wrap is around $50 a roll, and the full packing service (from $60/hr) arrives with double-walled cartons, bubble wrap and paper included.
Should you pack yourself or pay for packing?
Packing yourself is fine if you have the time and the boxes — most of the rules above are enough. Paying for packing makes sense when the clock matters more than the cost: a professional crew packs a typical three-bedroom home in a day, a kitchen in about 90 minutes, and everything arrives labelled by room with fragiles marked. If you do pack yourself, start with the rooms you use least, at least a week out, and leave daily items until the morning.
In what order should I pack a house?
Start with the things you use least: the spare room, the garage, books, off season clothes and decorations. Leave the kitchen and bathroom until the last two days, because you need them every day until the move.
Pack one essentials box for the first night and keep it separate. Kettle, phone chargers, toiletries, bedding, medication and important documents belong in it. Label every box with the room it is going to, not the room it came from, so the crew can place it correctly at the other end.
Keep valuables, passports and paperwork with you rather than on the truck. Heavy items go in small boxes, fragile items get their own wrapping, and anything you are unsure about is worth asking your removalist before moving day.
Small boxes for heavy things. Individual wrapping for anything fragile. Specific labels. Proper lifting. Skip one of these four and that is usually where the damage or the injury comes from.
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