7 Typical Packing Errors and How Expert Movers Evade Them
Packing up your existence in to cardboard boxes is a tradition, but it’s also where the majority of moving-day catastrophes get their start. After years in the biz, we’ve experienced it all — from boxes bursting at the seams to heirlooms mangled by good intentions. What separates a smooth move from a stressful one is simply not making a few key mistakes. They’re the seven most frequent packing blunders and the insider details on how the experts avoid them entirely.
1. Employing the Inappropriate Boxes
Just snatching up some random free box at the supermarket. These cardboard boxes are usually flimsy, uniquely sized and may contain bugs or water. How Pros Avoid It: Pro movers utilize nothing but premium, corrugated cartons that are engineered for weight and strength. They’ve got their own boxes for their own jobs: small ones for books, medium for kitchenware and large but strong ones for light bulbs like linens. This keeps box blowouts away and makes stacking secure.
2. Skimping on Padding
One sheet of newsprint to swaddle a plate or stuffing voids with balled-up junk mail. That offers virtually no protection from shocks and jolts in transit. How Pros Avoid It: Pros are liberal with padding. And bubble wrap, and packing paper, and foam sheets — they cocoon every breakable thing. For voids inside a box, they use wadded packing paper or foam peanuts, so nothing can jostle or shift to knock something else around inside.
3. Poor Labelling The Mistake:
Scribbling “Kitchen” on a box and calling it a day. And when you have ten ‘Kitchen’ boxes, you’re frustratedly left guessing what lives where in your new house. How Pros Avoid It: They tag with precision. Every box gets a clear note on its top and side with the room it belongs in and a brief contents list (e.g., “KITCHEN – Dinner Plates, Cups, & Spice Jars”). They even have colour-coded stickers for each room, so movers know exactly where to go without uttering a word.
4. Overpacking a Box
The urge to use less boxes causes you to stuff one until it’s agonizingly heavy. This renders the box breakable and a significant safety risk for anyone attempting to lift it. How Pros Avoid It: They adhere to a straightforward principle: if it’s too heavy to lift easily with one hand, it’s overstuffed. They balance weight, packing heavy items like books in smaller boxes and lighter, fluffy items like pillows in larger ones. This saves your ass and the movers’ backs.
5. Combining Items from Different Rooms
Throwing in a bathroom lamp with living room books to ‘fill the space.’ This turns unpacking into such a mess, making you scamper boxes everywhere throughout the house. How the Pros Avoid It: They’re ruthlessly organized. They box one room at a time and never combine different rooms in a box. This makes unloading and unpacking a breeze — so organized.
6. The Last-Minute Panic Pack
Underestimating how long packing takes, which results in a panicked, all-nighter, where everything is dumped into boxes willy-nilly. How Pros Avoid It: Planning is key. They begin to pack non-necessities (decor, books, off-season clothing) weeks ahead of time. This way you’ve got just the bare necessities left to pack right before the move — no last-minute stress and everything packed with care.
7. Forgetting an “Open First” Box
Assuming you’ll just throw your toothbrush, phone charger and coffeemaker in some crazy boxes, promising to make you miserable on night one. How Pros Avoid It: They never forget a designated “Open First” or necessities box. That box is stacked last onto the truck, so it’s the first one off. It’s got everything you require for those initial 24 hours – toiletries, a change of clothes, medications, pet food, basic tools, snacks and your kettle. It’s the #1 stress-reducer for moving day.
The key to a flawless move isn’t raw strength — it’s technique. By thinking like a pro — and avoiding these common pitfalls — you can save your stuff and your sanity. And if it all feels like too much, you know who to call—we handle these details every day, so you don’t have to.