How to pack boxes properly

Almost every breakage we've ever seen came down to one of five things — and none of them are bad luck. Pack the way a crew packs and your things arrive in the state they left in. Here's the whole method, including the bits people find counter-intuitive.

The rule that fixes most of it: heavy in small, light in large

It sounds backwards, so people do the opposite and fill a big box with books. Then the box splits, or nobody can lift it, or it crushes everything beneath it in the van.

• Small boxes: books, tools, tins, records, anything dense
• Medium boxes: kitchen items, toys, files, small appliances
• Large boxes: bedding, cushions, lampshades, coats, soft toys

The test is simple: if you can't comfortably carry it up a flight of stairs, it's too heavy. Aim to keep every box under about 18kg.

Fill every box to the top — properly

A half-full box collapses when something is stacked on it; an over-stuffed box won't close flat and can't be stacked at all. Fill to the brim, then use crumpled paper, tea towels or bedding to remove any gap. If you shake the box gently and hear movement, something inside is going to break.

Tape it like you mean it

Tape the base seam and then tape again across it at right angles — the "H". One strip of tape on a heavy box is how you end up picking books off a driveway. Same on top when it's full.

Plates go on their edges, not in a stack

This is the one that surprises people most. A plate is far stronger through its edge than across its face. Wrap each one individually in packing paper, pad the bottom of the box, then stand them upright like records in a rack. Glasses and mugs get individually wrapped and go upright in the top layer, never underneath anything.

Label the side, not the top

Once boxes are stacked you can only see their sides. Write the destination room and a short list of contents on two sides of every box, and mark fragile ones clearly. It costs seconds and it's the difference between a calm unpack and opening fourteen boxes looking for the toaster.

Room by room, quick notes

Kitchen

The slowest room in any house — start it early. Bottles and liquids get their lids taped and go in a lined box, upright, never with electricals. Knives get wrapped in a tea towel and taped shut with a clear warning on the outside.

Bedrooms

Wardrobe boxes are worth it for hanging clothes — they go straight from rail to rail with no ironing at the other end. We lend them free on the day. Drawers full of clothes can usually stay full; the crew will tell you if not.

Bathroom

Bin anything half-used. Seal every liquid in a freezer bag before it goes in a box — the shampoo will find a way otherwise.

Electronics

Photograph the back of the TV and router before unplugging, bag each set of cables and label it, and keep original boxes if you still have them. Screens travel upright, never flat.

The five mistakes that cause almost every breakage

1. Half-full boxes — they crush, and everything above them goes too
2. Books in big boxes — the base fails, usually on the stairs
3. Stacked plates — they crack across the face; on edge they survive
4. One strip of tape — tape the H, both ends
5. Unmarked fragiles — nobody can be careful with a box they can't identify

What we always bring

Blankets and straps are free on every job — we wrap furniture as standard. What you'd buy in a materials bundle is boxes, tape, paper and bubble wrap: around £45 for a one-bed, £70 for a two-bed and £95 for a three-bed, delivered before the move.