Moving abroad is one thing. Moving from a four-bedroom house packed to the rafters into a one-bedroom flat in a foreign country, while living in a single room at a relative’s house while that flat was still being built, is quite another.
That was my reality. And out of sheer necessity, I developed a step-by-step removal plan that actually worked. Here’s everything I learned, plus wisdom gathered from people who’ve moved far more times than most of us ever will.
This is the single most important thing you can do. The worst moves are the ones where everything gets packed in a rush at the last minute. When you start early, you can set small, manageable goals: one box a day, one room per week and still have time to adjust if your moving date changes or you need more boxes than expected.
At minimum, give yourself a full month if you’re the type to reminisce over every item or carefully wrap every piece; give yourself even more.
There’s absolutely no point packing things you don’t need. Be honest. Be brutal. Before putting anything in boxes, go through sections of your home and sort items into four categories: keep, donate, sell, and toss. Start by throwing everything out of the attic and hiring a skip. If something has been up there for years, it has no place in your future. Clear out the shed, greenhouse, and garage too.
A few tactics that saved me:
If the sheer idea of packing feels overwhelming, try the Kaizen approach, the art of lasting change through small, steady steps. Begin with the rooms you use least: the spare bedroom, the garage, the attic. These are usually the easiest to tackle, especially if you’ve already decluttered them.
Pack decor items first: framed photos, trinkets, and vases. You don’t need them for daily life, and because they’re often fragile or oddly shaped, starting with them early gives you the most time to pack them carefully. You don’t want to be wrapping glassware in a panic on moving day.
Work your way gradually toward the rooms you use daily. Leave everyday items until the day before the removal, and keep anything essential, such as medication, important documents, and daily toiletries, completely separate and easily accessible.
Don’t wait until the last minute to involve your movers. Mine provided the right-sized boxes for books (safe for the men to carry without injury), advised on storage options, and spotted potential problems I hadn’t considered, including my heavy, ancient piano.
Professional movers can accomplish in a few hours what would take you a full day, and their expertise often saves money too, for example, by fitting everything into a smaller storage unit than you’d have managed yourself. Before hiring, always read reviews, check the fine print for extra charges (stairs, overtime), and book well in advance — especially if you’re moving at a busy time of the month.
Moving house isn’t only about boxes. There’s a surprisingly long list of admin to tackle:
Sit down and write all of this out. It’s a lot, and things fall through the cracks if you don’t.
Good labelling is one of the highest-return investments you can make during a move. The most effective system is to label boxes with a letter and number (e.g. K1, K2 for Kitchen; B1, B2 for Bedroom), then keep a detailed list of each box’s contents on your phone. This way, you can search for specific items instantly — invaluable when you need to find the modem to set up your internet on day one.
Once everything is packed and labelled, complete your inventory list before the collection date, ideally at least one day before. This document is essential for insurance purposes. You don’t need to be forensically precise; using the same labels you’ve written on your boxes is perfectly sufficient. Estimated weights are fine if you don’t know exact figures.
Pack a bag as you would for a weekend trip, everything you’ll need in the first 24–48 hours at your new place. This prevents the nightmare of opening every box to find your toothbrush.
Your essentials bag should include:
Before you start packing in earnest, assemble a dedicated bag of packing supplies and keep it accessible throughout the entire process. Someone will always run off with the tape gun.
Your kit should include: packing tape and a tape gun, wrapping paper or newspaper, bubble wrap, permanent markers, elastic bands, plastic bags, and reusable bags.
Don’t put this kit away until the moving van has pulled in. There’s always one last thing that needs taping or sealing at the final hour.
Documents & Valuables
Books & Heavy Items
The 2-for-1 Clothes Trick
Cables & Tech
Toiletries
Kitchen
Carpets, Artwork & Mirrors
If possible, keep a full day free before your move, not for packing, but for last-minute tasks: packing the final items you left out, doing a move-out clean, disassembling furniture like beds, and meeting your estate agent or landlord. The last thing you want is to still be packing when the movers arrive.
Just as there’s an art to packing, there’s an art to unpacking. Start with your essentials bag, then tackle the bathroom and kitchen first. You need both to be functional before anything else matters. Leave decor, storage, and outdoor areas for last.
A suggested unpacking order: essentials and immediate needs (like building your bed), then bathroom and kitchen, then the rooms you use most, then storage and less-used spaces, and finally decor.
If you’re moving into a rental, do a thorough walk-through and photograph any existing damage before you unpack a single box. It protects you against unfair deductions from your deposit later.
Order quality packing materials for your move with the VanOne materials shop: from boxes and bubble wrap to tape and labels.
By the time the removal van arrived, all that was left was a small case for the car, a few books, the cat, the dog, and the kettle.
The day itself went smoothly. The packing had been hard work, exhausting, at times overwhelming, but also genuinely illuminating. You learn a lot about yourself when you have to decide what truly matters.
Keep your eyes on the prize: in just a few weeks, you’ll be unpacked and settled in your new home. Good luck with your move.
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