Moving plan
How to spread the jobs over the weeks: the date, a task list, sorting belongings room by room and spare time for the unexpected.
moving house without strain: a guide
Moving house without strain
A move looks like a mountain of jobs until you break it into small steps. Then it turns out that the real work is not the day with the van but a calm few weeks of preparation beforehand. This guide helps you plan that preparation: where to start, how to pack fragile things, what to do with furniture and how to carry heavy items without putting your back at risk.
The best move is a boring one. The boxes are labelled, the screws are in little bags, the first-night box is by the door, and by evening everyone is tired but not worn out.
Choose where to start
Packing
Which boxes and materials you will need, and how to pack dishes, books and documents so that nothing breaks or goes missing.
Furniture and heavy items
Taking wardrobes and beds apart with labelled fixings, getting through stairwells and into lifts, and the basic rules of safe lifting.
Helpers and agreements
What to agree in advance with the people helping you: the volume, the floor, the lift, waiting time and what the job includes.
Guide sections
- Topics
Four groups of topics: preparation, packing, furniture and appliances, safety.
- Practical
How to pack a kitchen step by step, plus a catalogue of practical moving articles.
- Questions
Short answers on preparation, moving day, helpers and what to do with things you no longer need.
- Collections
Reading paths: a one-bedroom flat, moving with children and pets, closing a country house for winter.
- Reference
A moving glossary: packing materials, furniture fixings, loading and inventories.
- New
A feed of new pages in the guide, with a note on who each page is for.
- Archive
Every page in the guide by date and topic.
A move in five steps
Set a date and write a to-do list
Pick a day with some slack and write down everything that needs doing, from handing over the keys to taking final meter readings. A list on paper or in your notes app clears your head better than any promise to yourself.
Sort your things before you pack
Go through your cupboards and decide what comes with you, what you give away, what you sell and what goes for disposal. Everything you let go of now is one less thing taking up space in a box and in the van.
Pack room by room
Fill each box with things from a single room and write the room and the contents on the side. At the new place the boxes go straight to where they belong.
Prepare furniture and appliances
Take large furniture apart, put the fixings in labelled bags, wrap the doors and fronts, and switch off and dry out the fridge and washing machine as the manufacturer's instructions describe.
Get through moving day and the first hours
Start by checking the route down the stairs and into the lift, and load the heavy, bulky items first. At the new place, open the first-night box with the essentials straight away and make the beds.
Questions about this guide
Are you a removals company?
No. Gruzcikipenza is an independent guide. You cannot book a move or help with your belongings here; we do not take requests and do not work with any contractors.
Can you suggest prices or firms?
No, we do not publish rates or company names. Instead, we offer a list of questions worth asking any helpers before the move, so you can compare offers yourself and avoid surprises.
Can I move house on my own?
Yes, plenty of people do. The key is to judge the volume of your belongings realistically, ask at least one or two helpers along for the large furniture, and not try to move everything in a single evening. Spreading the load and packing well solve most of the difficulties.
What goes in the first-night box?
Whatever you will need on the first evening and morning: bedding and towels, chargers, a first-aid kit and any medicines you need, documents, toiletries, a kettle and a couple of mugs, scissors, a box cutter, a screwdriver, a roll of bin bags and toilet paper.
About the project
The domain name refers to removal workers, but the site is not a removals service and does not collect offers from contractors. The addresses on this domain used to carry unrelated advertising; the current guide has nothing to do with it and does not run it.
We write about moves that people organise themselves, with friends or with hired helpers. We only cite specific rules that we have checked, such as general occupational-safety guidance on lifting heavy loads, and describe everything else as practical advice to weigh against your own situation.
Based on
- Occupational safety rules for loading and unloading work (general provisions)
- Maximum permissible loads for lifting and carrying heavy objects (general provisions)
- Furniture manufacturers' assembly and disassembly instructions (general recommendations)
This guide offers general advice on preparing for a move and handling your belongings with care. Rules for carrying particular items are set by the carriers themselves, and furniture assembly by the manufacturer's instructions, so in any specific case follow those first.