Moving home is an exciting and sometimes hectic phase of life.

As you decide to leave one abode and move into another, there is a range of factors to keep in mind to avoid the heartache of ruining your valuables or losing expensive belongings.

If you have decided to sell your own home chances are you will also be moving your own furniture and goods. If you follow a set of primary rules, it will help ensure the safe removal and arrival of your precious goods at your new location.

First and foremost, when you’re moving you need to arrange what you want to keep and what you can dispose of.   There is no need to stuff across to your new location, only to unpack it and discover you don’t want it anyway. Cleaning out your wardrobe and kitchen cupboards is vital in reducing the amount of stuff you have to move.  Here’s your chance to declutter and start afresh!

Here are some tips to complete a safe and break-free move:

Avoid over packing.
Nothing is worse think thinking you’re the Tetris champion by stuffing as much as you can into one box, only to pick it up and it either bottoms out or your belongings break during the move due to over packing. Purchasing more than your estimated needed number of boxes will ensure you spread the load across enough boxes to avoid cramming your precious goods into a few boxes.

Tape boxes shut.
A lot of people rely on the method of inter-folding box flaps to secure them shut, this is a great base to a secure box however, it will not be enough. Ensuring your apply multiple layers of extra strength tape to the bottom of your boxes is the best way to ensure they will handle the weight of the contents without bottoming out.

Use original product boxes.
If you have a computer or other expensive appliances, try to us their original packing boxes as they are the right size and should hopefully still contain the protective Styrofoam buffer. When purchasing these items keep in mind you may need to move them one day and keep their original product box in good condition to protect them during your move.

Protectively wrap.
It is common sense that when moving you should wrap your breakables in something to protect them from breakage. The most common buffer is newspaper, however you need to watch out for news print stains. If you have precious porcelain or other breakables that are susceptible to print stains ensure you wrap them in something other than newspaper. Bubble wrap is a good option as it is reusable and doesn’t leave marks.

Keep your personals on you.
If you’re hiring a professional moving service it is always a wise idea transport all your precious valuables or sentimental keepsakes with you,  not the moving service. This is to ensure they will arrive at your new location safely, and you can keep an eye on them to ensure nothing untoward befalls them.

Moving house takes precision and preparations.  Make sure you’re prepared and that your goods arrive safely at their new location by following the above mentioned steps.