Moving house without losing or breaking things
5 min read · updated 9/16/2026
Breakages on moving day almost always come down to three things: weak boxes, unlabelled fragile items, and a rushed loading order.
Two weeks before
Get rid of what you will not unpack. Every item you move costs time and space.
Collect double-walled boxes for books and crockery; single-wall boxes collapse under weight.
Photograph the back of your TV and any wiring you will have to reconnect.
Packing that survives
Heavy items in small boxes, light items in big ones — never the reverse.
Plates packed vertically on their edges, wrapped individually, survive far better than stacked flat.
Label every box on the side, not the top, with the room it belongs to and whether it is fragile.
On the day
Keep documents, keys, medication and chargers in one bag that travels with you, not on the truck.
Walk the truck loading order: heavy furniture first against the headboard, boxes stacked heavy-to-light, fragile last and on top.
Do a final empty-house walkthrough — cupboards, roof space, outside taps and the geyser cupboard.