Packing Tips for a Kent House Move: The Professional's Guide

Packing is the most time-consuming and often the most stressful part of any house move. Done well, it protects your belongings, speeds up the removal and makes unpacking significantly easier. Done poorly, it results in breakages, delays and weeks of chaotic unpacking. This guide shares the professional packing techniques our teams use on every move across Medway and Kent.

Start earlier than you think you need to

Most people underestimate how long packing takes. For a three-bedroom family home in Medway, typical across ME1 to ME8, allow at least two full weekends of packing plus several evenings in the two weeks before the move. Start with the rooms you use least, spare bedrooms, the loft, the garage, and work toward the rooms you use every day, leaving your bedroom, bathroom and kitchen until the last two or three days.

The right materials make the difference

Use proper double-walled removal boxes. Supermarket boxes are single-walled, inconsistent in size and collapse under stacking weight. A proper double-walled removal box is significantly more protective and much easier to stack in the van. Use small boxes for heavy items, books, crockery, kitchen equipment, and medium or large boxes for lighter bulky items, bedding, cushions, clothing.

Bubble wrap, packing paper and packing tape are the other essentials. Never use newspaper directly against items, the ink transfers and can stain. Invest in proper packing paper for wrapping fragile items. Use packing tape, not sellotape, it seals properly and holds under pressure.

Room by room: the professional approach

Kitchen

The kitchen is the most challenging room. Pack plates vertically, like records in a box, never stacked flat. Wrap each plate individually in packing paper. Fill the interior of glasses with tissue paper before wrapping in bubble wrap. Pack glasses upright. Put heavy items like pots and cast iron cookware in small boxes only, never large boxes that become impossible to carry safely.

Living room

TVs and monitors stand upright in purpose-made TV boxes or wrapped firmly in bubble wrap and transported vertically, never flat. Pictures and mirrors use corner protectors and multiple layers of bubble wrap, then transport vertically. Books go in small boxes only, label clearly so the crew knows the weight before lifting.

Bedrooms

Wardrobe boxes are one of the most useful packing materials for any move, clothes travel on their hangers without folding. Mattresses need mattress bags to protect against moisture and dirt during transit. Bed frames should be dismantled and all screws placed in labelled bags taped to the frame.

The golden rule: no void space in any box

Void space inside a box allows items to move during transit and is the most common cause of damage. Fill every gap with scrunched packing paper until the box feels firm when you press the top. A well-packed box does not rattle or shift when you shake it. This single habit prevents more damage than any other technique.

Labelling: do it properly

Label every box on the side, not the top, with the contents and the destination room. Boxes are stacked in the van so the top label is hidden. A label on the side allows the crew to place the box in the right room and handle it appropriately without you directing every box individually. This speeds up unloading significantly.

Kent-specific packing considerations

Period properties in Rochester and Canterbury often have very narrow staircases, make sure boxes are small enough to carry without turning sideways. Rural properties in the Kent Weald may have long carries from the vehicle to the door if lane access is limited, ensure boxes are a manageable weight for that carry distance. Coastal properties at Whitstable, Herne Bay and Folkestone are worth noting for fragile items, sea air and occasional dampness are considerations for sensitive items stored near external walls.