How to Pack for a Move: A Room-by-Room Guide
Pack so nothing breaks — the materials, the order, and the mistakes that cost money.
By the Careful Movers Team · Updated August 2026
Most transit damage is not caused by the truck. It is caused by how the box was packed — half-empty so contents shift, overloaded so the base fails, or fragile items resting against each other with nothing between them. This guide covers what you actually need, the technique that prevents breakage, and how to work through your home room by room.
What you need before you start
| Material | Use | Rough quantity (3-bed home) |
|---|---|---|
| Small boxes | Books, tools, tinned food — anything dense | 25–35 |
| Medium boxes | Kitchenware, toys, general contents | 20–30 |
| Large boxes | Linen, pillows, light bulky items only | 10–15 |
| Wardrobe boxes | Hanging clothes, transported on the rail | 3–5 |
| Bubble wrap | Fragile items, screens, glass | 1 large roll |
| Packing paper | Wrapping and void filling | 5–10kg |
| Packing tape | Sealing — the single most under-bought item | 6–10 rolls |
| Marker pens | Labelling | 3–4 |
Rule of thumb: heavy things go in small boxes, light things in big boxes. The most common packing injury comes from a large box filled with books.
The five rules that prevent damage
- Fill every box completely. Void space is what allows movement, and movement is what breaks things. Fill gaps with paper, towels or linen.
- Never leave a box under 15kg-ish that you cannot comfortably lift. If you struggle, so will the crew, and dropped boxes break.
- Tape the base properly. Three strips along the seam, not one. Base failure is the most common box disaster.
- Heavy at the bottom, light at the top — within each box, and in how boxes get stacked.
- Label the side, not just the top. Boxes get stacked; you cannot read a top label in a stack. Write the room, brief contents, and FRAGILE where relevant.
Room by room
Kitchen — the hardest room
Budget the most time here. It has the most fragile items and the most awkward shapes.
- Plates go vertically, on edge, like records in a rack — not stacked flat. Stacked plates crack under their own weight when jolted. Wrap each one, then stand them on edge with paper between.
- Glasses and stemware wrapped individually, filled with crumpled paper inside the bowl, packed upright in a divided box.
- Pots and pans can nest with paper between them.
- Knives wrapped in a towel with the blade covered, taped, and clearly marked.
- Small appliances in original boxes if you kept them; otherwise wrapped with cords secured.
- Do not move perishables, opened liquids, or anything that will leak.
Bedrooms
- Hanging clothes go straight into wardrobe boxes on their hangers — fastest and least creased
- Folded clothes can stay in drawers if the unit is sturdy, or go into large boxes or suitcases
- Linen and pillows are perfect large-box fillers and double as padding for fragile items
- Jewellery and valuables travel with you, never in a box
- Bag and tape all bed frame bolts and fittings to the frame itself
Living room and electronics
- Photograph the cabling behind the TV and entertainment unit before unplugging anything
- TVs travel upright, screen protected, never flat with weight on top — a flat screen bears no load
- Original boxes are ideal; otherwise bubble wrap plus a purpose-made TV box
- Bag and label cables per device
- Remove bulbs and shades from lamps, pack separately
- Artwork and mirrors: corner protectors, bubble wrap, flat-packed on edge, and marked clearly
Bathroom
- Discard anything expired — do not pay to transport old medicine and half-used products
- Seal all liquids in a plastic bag, then box. Tape the lids.
- Keep a first-day toiletries bag out entirely
- Medication travels with you
Home office
- Back up computers before the move, and keep hard drives and laptops with you
- Important documents — IDs, title deeds, contracts, certificates — travel with you personally, never on the truck
- Shred what you no longer need rather than moving it
- Wrap monitors as you would a TV: upright, screen protected
Garage, garden and storeroom
- Flammables cannot be transported — petrol, gas bottles, paint thinners, pool chemicals, aerosols. Dispose of them properly or transport them yourself where legal.
- Drain fuel and oil from lawnmowers and generators
- Bundle and tie long-handled tools
- Sharp tools wrapped and clearly marked
- This is the room to be most ruthless about decluttering — you are paying to move it
What should never go in a box
Keep these with you personally: identity documents and passports, title deeds and lease agreements, jewellery, cash, medication, laptops and hard drives, keys, chargers, and anything irreplaceable or sentimental beyond value.
Should you pack yourself?
Honest answer: partially. Books, linen, clothes, toys and non-fragile kitchenware are simple and worth doing yourself to save money. Glassware, artwork, mirrors, electronics and anything genuinely valuable are worth having packed professionally — both because the technique matters and because professionally packed items are handled under the mover’s insurance.
Most families land on partial packing: you do the easy volume, we do the fragile and awkward items. See our packing and wrapping services.
Want the packing handled?
Full or partial packing with proper materials and trained crews — and everything we pack is covered.
We offer the following value to our clients
Our reasonable rates, careful and personalised service and track record of satisfied customers have made us the ideal choice
for many South African households and businesses needing help with any size and type of move.
Frequently asked questions
Self-packing a three-bedroom home realistically takes 20–30 hours spread over two to three weeks. A professional crew does the same house in one to two days.
We supply packing materials, and can deliver them ahead of your move. Buying purpose-made boxes is worth it — supermarket boxes have weak bases and inconsistent sizes that stack badly.
Light clothing can usually stay in sturdy drawers. Empty anything heavy, breakable or loose. Ask us about your specific furniture.
Tell us as early as possible — we can add packing to your booking, even at short notice, and it is far better than a rushed self-pack the night before. Careful Movers provides full and partial packing services across South Africa. Rated 4.8 on Google.
We also offer additional relocation services across South Africa
Small Load Movers
Moving a few items rather than a whole home. A single fridge, a bedroom of furniture, a student move or one delicate piece. You pay for the space your goods actually occupy rather than for a whole vehicle, which is what makes it affordable.
Home Furniture Movers
Full household removals handled by trained, permanent crews. Packing, wrapping, dismantling and reassembly, loading and offloading, all on our own branded fleet with Goods in Transit cover on every job.
Office Movers
Corporate and SME relocations planned around your downtime, including IT equipment and servers with anti-static handling. We work after hours and over weekends so your business keeps running.
Long Distance Moves
Interprovincial removals to every major centre in South Africa, on shared or dedicated loads. Shared loads cost materially less because you only pay for your share of the vehicle.
Packing Services
Full or partial packing with proper double-walled cartons, bubble wrap, blankets and anti-static materials for electronics. Everything we pack ourselves is covered.
Special Moves
Pianos, safes, artwork, antiques, gym equipment and oversized items that need extra hands, proper equipment and a crew that has moved them before.
Our Moving Process
We follow a structured process to ensure every move runs smoothly.
Request a Quote
Submit your move details using our calculator or inventory checklist.
Moving Assessment
Our team evaluates the size and requirements of your move.
Planning & Scheduling
We schedule the move and allocate the appropriate truck and crew.
Packing & Loading
Furniture is carefully wrapped and securely loaded onto the truck.
Safe Transport
Your items are transported safely to the destination.
Delivery & Offloading
We unload and position your furniture at your new location.
What our customers say
Verified Google reviews — 4.8 average across 91 reviews. Read our reviews.