How to Pack a Bedroom for Moving Home

People often ask what room should you pack first when moving home.

Well, once you have tackled the loft and garage or shed, if you have a guest bedroom then it makes sense to do this room next.

Once you have packed up the spare bedroom then you can use this room for storing packed boxes and any furniture you have dismantled.

This week’s blog will show you step-by-step how to organise packing a bedroom, how to pack heavy and large bedroom furniture, and how to pack each item usually found in a bedroom.

How to Plan for Packing a Bedroom When Moving Home

• Make a Floor Plan
• Get rid of your unwanted items
• Gather packing materials
• Pack least used items first
• Pack the remainder of things
• Disassemble furniture

Make a Floor Plan

Before you consider what to pack, and how to pack your bedroom, you need to ensure that any furniture you intend to take will fit into your new home.

There is little point in dismantling, packing, and paying to move furniture that will not fit in the available space in your new home.

The best way to do this is to create a floor plan for each room in your new home. Then measure each item of furniture to ensure they fit in the available space.

Pay special attention to the height of the ceilings as large wardrobes may be too tall.

Note also whether once the bed and bedroom furniture are in place you can still freely move about the bedroom.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Floor Plan. In this guide, we show you how to measure furniture and how to create a simple floor plan for your new home. A floor plan is also invaluable to ensure that you can get your furniture out of your home too.

Declutter Your Bedroom

Whether you need to pack a messy bedroom or a bedroom that just has too much stuff in it, decluttering is an essential part of moving home and should be done before you get any quotes from a removal company.

The idea is to save removal costs, the fewer items you need to pack and move, the cheaper your home moving costs will be.

Once you know exactly what you want to move to your new home, then the removal company will be able to give you a far more accurate price quote.

Go through all your possessions being as ruthless as possible.

If an item of clothing no longer fits you, no longer suits your style, or you haven’t worn it in the last twelve months, seasonal clothing aside, then get rid of it.

Toys that the children no longer play with can be sold or donated to a children’s hospital or charity. Toys that are broken or have parts missing can be got rid of.

You will end up with 3 piles of things:

• Things to be sold
• Things to be donated
• Things to be recycled

Holding a car boot sale will help you raise funds for your relocation.

Car boots are great for relatively low-value items, car booters are always looking for cheap bargains, but items of more value can be sold online.

If you prefer you can donate your unwanted things to a local good cause or on a free ad website.

Often charities will collect things for free and you can find a comprehensive list of places to donate items you no longer need in this guide: Where to Donate Things When Moving Home.

For things that are beyond repair or completely worthless, you can take them to a recycling centre.

You may also like to read: The Ultimate Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move. In this guide, we not only share tips for decluttering every room in your home but also how to emotionally detach yourself from your possessions which is often the hardest part of the decluttering process.

What Packing Materials Do You Need to Pack a Bedroom for Moving?

The next stage of planning your bedroom move is to gather all the materials you will need for packing your possessions.

You will need a basic packing kit:

• Packing boxes
• Good quality packing tape
• Tape gun
• Thick, large dustbin liners
• Bubble Wrap
• Protective padding
• Marker pens

What to Pack First in a Bedroom When Moving

Having got rid of all the items you no longer need you can start to pack all the least used items.

If you are packing a spare room then all the contents can be packed at once, but if you are packing a bedroom that is in constant use you will want to pack leaving only the essential items to be packed on moving day.

Pack these items well in advance of moving day:

All the decorative, seasonal, and seldom-used items can be packed about a week before moving day.

• Pictures
• Ornaments
• Books
• Toys
• Jewellery
• Seasonal clothing
• Spare bedding

The day before you move you can pack:

The day before you move you can pack the following items, leaving just the essentials for your last night in your old home.

• Furniture
• Bedside lighting
• Clothing, except for the clothes you will need tomorrow
• Favourite toys

Moving day:

• Bed
• Bedding

You may also like to read: How to Prepare Your Open First Box. Also known as your moving day essentials box, this box contains all the things that you will need instant access to on moving day such as medicine, a kettle, and food. In this guide, we suggest things that you may wish to include in your moving day essentials box.

Bedroom Packing Tips

• Use old clothes for padding: Any clothes you no longer want or need can be used for protecting fragile items that you are packing, this will save on packing costs.
• Wear and recycle: You can even wear old clothes that you no longer want in the run-up to moving day. You can then dispose of them without the need to do more washes.
• Cut up worn-out clothes for cleaning: Consider cutting up badly worn clothes to use as cleaning cloths. So for example, you can use your old clothing for extra protective padding in your moving boxes and then cut them up and use them for cleaning.
• Pack in bin liners: Blankets and soft linen can be packed within good quality bin liners. They can also be used to wrap delicate and fragile items to save on bubble wrap costs.
• Leave clothes on hangers: There is no need to take clothes off their hangers. Just slip a good quality bin liner over the clothes to protect them from dust etc. Then they can just be rehung straight into the wardrobe at your new home.
• Don’t empty drawers: There is no need to empty sock drawers for example. Just make sure the contents of any drawer cannot move about in transit and obviously, any fragile items should be removed and packed properly.

You may also like to read: Alternative Packing Materials For Moving Home. In this guide, we suggest things that are commonly found around the home that can be used for packing which will save you some money on packing materials.

How to Pack a Wardrobe for Moving

• Sort through all your clothing getting rid of outdated, worn out, or clothes that no longer fit you.
• Leave clothing on their hangers, just slip a large bin liner over them to protect them.
• Remove all shelves, drawers, and items that could become loose or damaged during the move.
• Don’t empty the drawers if they contain unbreakable items like socks. They can be moved as they are, saving packing time and costs.
• Photograph the wardrobe so that you know where each shelf goes. This will make it easier to reassemble when it’s at your new home.
• Wrap the shelves in old blankets or bubble wrap then secure the padding in place with strong tape.
• Secure the doors of the wardrobe by either locking them or wrapping the entire wardrobe in industrial cling film to stop them from swinging open and causing damage. Don’t use packing tape to secure them as you could damage the surface of the wardrobe.
• Protect door mirrors by placing a piece of protective card over them. Use industrial cling film to secure the card in place.
• Wrap the entire wardrobe in furniture blankets if the wardrobe is small enough to move in one piece.
• Dismantle double or particularly heavy wardrobes bit by bit starting at the top and working your way down. Mark each piece so that you know how to reassemble it.
• Keep all the screws and fixings in a bag and attach them to the piece you have removed.
• Wrap the removed parts in protective bubble wrap or furniture blankets.

You may also like to read: How to Protect Walls, Floors, Doors, Stairs, and Ceilings When Moving Home. It is easy to damage your old or new property when trying to move heavy and large pieces of furniture such as a wardrobe. In this guide, we share some essential tips on how to protect your home from scuffs and dents.

How to Pack a Chest of Drawers for Moving

• Unpack the drawers if they are heavy or have breakable items in them. If the drawers are too heavy they may damage the gliders when the item is moved to the removal van. Things like socks, shirts, and undergarments will be fine to be left in as they are light.
• Keeping the drawers in will make the unit more rigid and less likely to flex and break as it is moved.
• Remove any mirrors, place a protective sheet of cardboard over the glass, and then wrap them separately in furniture blankets.
• Put any fixings for the mirror into a plastic bag and label it clearly so you know what they are for, then place them in one of the drawers.

You may also like to read: How to Move Heavy and Large Furniture. If you are planning on moving your furniture yourself then you will find this guide invaluable.

How to Pack a Mattress for Moving

• Cover the mattress with a proper mattress bag, available from your removal company, or by wrapping it in plastic sheeting.
• Never lift a mattress by the handles on the side, they will break as they are not designed for lifting the mattress any distance.
• Two people should be able to easily slide a mattress down the stairs, just ensure the mattress is well-protected to stop it getting ripped or dirty.
• Memory foam mattresses should be laid flat in the removal van as the internal filling will shift and ruin your mattress.
• Box spring mattresses can be put on their side in the removal van with no problems.

You may also like to read: How to Move a Mattress by Yourself. In this guide, we look at how to pack and move a mattress in far more detail.

How to Pack a Bed for Moving

• Photograph your bed so that you know exactly how it goes back together.
• Mark any pieces that it is not obvious how they go back together.
• Remove the slats first, then the foot frame, then each side support bar in turn. Have someone hold the sidebars as you remove the footboard as the bars may drop suddenly to the floor ripping out the fixtures and causing irreparable damage. Alternatively put a box under each sidebar, stopping them from dropping suddenly as you unscrew the footboard.
• Keep all the fixings in a bag, with a note of which part they are for, then tape them to the frame.
• Wrap each part of the bed in bubble wrap or furniture blankets to protect them from scratches.
• Headboards should be removed, keeping the fixings safe, and the headboard wrapped in moving blankets or bubble wrap to protect it.

You may like to read: How to Move a Bed by Yourself. In this guide, we take you step-by-step through the process of packing and moving a bed in far more detail.

How to Pack Lamps for Moving

• Get boxes of sufficient size that you can place the entire lamp within them with room spare for protective padding.
• Remove the bulb and lampshade, and set aside.
• Wrap the electrical cord around the base of the lamp, securing it so that it does not unravel.
• Cover the entire lamp in a couple of layers of bubble wrap, paying attention to the plug so that it does not scratch your lamp.
• Prepare a moving box by padding the bottom of it with a thick protective layer of bubble wrap, scrunched-up paper, or soft blankets to create a nest for your lamp to sit in.
• Place the lamp base down into the box.
• Pad around the lamp so that it cannot move about inside the box.
• Wrap the lampshade in soft packing paper, do not use newsprint as the ink may rub off. If the box is big enough the lampshade can be packed and placed inside the box with the lamp base.
• If you have multiple lamp shades to pack then put them into a well-protected box fitting them inside each other once they have been safely wrapped.
• Clearly mark the box as fragile, lampshades, which way up they should be carried, and into which room they must be placed in your new home.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Awkwardly Shaped Items for Moving During your packing marathon you will likely come across things that will not fit into a standard moving box. This guide offers you some tips on how to pack those odd-shaped items.

How to Pack Pictures and Mirrors

• Place a large x of packing tape across the glass from corner to corner, then should your glass get broken in the move it will not damage the picture.
• Lay flat sheets of packing paper and place the picture or mirror in the middle of it. Then wrap the picture or mirror so that it is entirely covered by the paper.
• Wrap the entire package in a couple of layers of protective bubble wrap.
• Expensive paintings or mirrors can be given extra protection by wrapping the edges in pipe lagging. Just wrap around the entire edge with the split rubber pipe lagging.
• Prepare your packing box with a generous layer of padding such as bubble wrap or scrunched-up paper on the inside of the bottom of the box to create a nest.
• Place the picture on its edge, never flat, into the box. Place a piece of thick card against the frame, then add the next picture, and so on until the box is full.
• Add a final layer of protective padding on the top of the frames before sealing the box shut.
• Clearly mark the box fragile, glass, pictures, this way up, and mark which room they will go into in your new home.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Pictures and Mirrors for Moving Home in which we go into this subject in far greater detail.

How to Pack Shoes for Moving Home

• Sort through your shoes discarding ones that you no longer need or want.
• Thoroughly clean your shoes a few days in advance of packing them so the polish is thoroughly dried and the shoes have time to air.
• Shoe boxes are the best way to protect your footwear during a move but a good strong moving box will suffice.
• Line the moving box with a thick layer of protective padding to create a nest for your shoes to lay on.
• Stuff your shoes with scrunched-up paper so that they keep their shape
• Lay the shoes in the box on their sides, each shoe facing each other but toe to heel and heel to toe.
• Never lay the shoes sole down or they will get squashed as you place other shoes on top.
• Heavy shoes should be placed in the box first. Place a sheet of bubble wrap on top of that layer of shoes, then a layer of lighter shoes, and so on.
• 20kg is the maximum any moving box should weigh, so do not use too large a box to pack your shoes in.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Shoes for Moving Home which is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare and pack your shoes for a home move.

How to Pack Clothing for Moving Home

• Go through all your clothing sorting out all the clothes you no longer wear or that are worn out. These can be recycled or taken to a charity shop. You can also use your old clothing to protect fragile items rather than using expensive bubble wrap. They can then be cut up and used as cleaning cloths if they are not suitable for donating to charity.
• Set aside the clothes that you will be wearing on moving day.
• Group your clothes like for like, so all trousers are in one pile, skirts in another.
• Pack seasonal clothing as early in the moving process as you can as you won’t be needing them for now.
• Leave lighter items such as socks in their drawer, there is no need to empty and pack them in boxes.
• Cover hanging items with a large, strong bin liner, as you would with a suit carrier. Again, there is no need to pack these in boxes.
• Suitcases are useful for moving clothes to your new home.
• Vacuum bags are great for storing clothes as they take up far less space.
• Heavy items of clothing should be placed at the bottom of a packing box, working up to the lightest items on top.
• Line your packing boxes with packing paper to protect your clothes.
• Medium-sized boxes are best for clothes as big boxes may become too heavy. No moving box should be heavier than 20kg.
• Keep each member of the family’s clothing boxed separately as it will be easier to unpack.
• Prevent creasing your clothes by rolling them into tube shapes rather than folding them flat. You will use less packing space too using this method. Just lay the item flat out, fold the arms across the item, and then roll them up. With leggings, just fold them in half at the waist, one leg on top of the other, and then you can roll both legs at the same time into a tube shape.
• Place a final layer of packing paper over the top of your clothes before sealing the box.
• Label your moving boxes clearly so that you know what is in them should the weather suddenly change and you need to get at an item of clothing.

You may also like to read How to Pack Clothes for Moving Home which offers more tips on packing your clothes for a home move.

How to Pack Books for Moving Home

• Sort through your books setting aside any that you do not want to take to your new home. These can be donated to charity shops.
• Only use small boxes to pack books into, no moving box should weigh more than 20kg as that is a safe weight to carry and for the box to hold.
• Reinforce the bottom of the moving box with at least two extra strips of tape across the width.
• Line the bottom of the box with protective padding to protect the spines of your books.
• Place the books flat into the box.
• Heavy books should be placed at the bottom of the box, lighter ones on top.
• Lay a protective sheet of padding between each layer of books.
• Wedge packing paper into the box to ensure that the contents cannot move about, but not too tightly that you damage the books trying to unpack them.
• Precious books should be wrapped individually in wrapping paper before being placed in the box.
• Place a final layer of protective padding on the top of the books before sealing the box closed.
• Label the moving box clearly, books – bedroom, for example.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Books for Moving Home in which we look at how to prepare, pack, and move your book collection in far greater detail.

How to Pack Jewellery for Moving Home

• Sort through your jewels. Sort out your jewellery collection setting aside items that are broken or you no longer wear.
• Use a jewellery box. The best and safest way to move jewellery is in a proper jewellery box. Your precious jewels will be better protected and it is easier to wrap the whole jewellery box and place it in a moving box.
• Gather packing materials. You will need packing boxes, tape, bubble wrap, packing paper, and bubble wrap, as well as egg cartons, drinking straws, cling film, sponge sheets, shoe boxes, empty cardboard toilet rolls, pill organisers, and rubber bands.
• Packing chains and bracelets. To stop necklaces from getting tangled and then breaking during the home move, thread them through a drinking straw and then clasp them closed. Wrap them in cling film to secure them in place before wrapping them in soft packing paper.
• Packing large necklaces and bracelets. Thread thick necklaces and bracelets through cardboard toilet rolls and clasp them shut. Cling film them around the cardboard roll before wrapping them in soft packing paper. Necklaces or bracelets that have large clusters of stones should have a further layer of protection by wrapping them in bubble wrap.
• Packing earrings. An easy way to ensure your earrings stay in pairs, and are well protected, is to push them through sponge cloths. The earrings will be cushioned by the sponge creating a good level of protection. Be sure to firmly attach the earring backings. You can wrap the sponge sheet in cling film to further keep them in place before bubble wrapping the entire package.
• Packing rings. Protect each ring with several layers of packing paper before placing it in the empty egg carton or pill organizer. Add a layer of bubble wrap to fill any gaps so they cannot move about.
• Place in a shoebox. A shoebox is an ideal size box to pack your jewellery in. Once you have made the individual jewellery packages as described above, layer them into the shoe box.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Jewellery for Moving Home in which we offer comprehensive packing tips on ensuring your jewellery collection is well protected during your home move.

How to Pack Make-Up for Moving Home

• Sort through your make up discarding any that is no longer useable or that you no longer want.
• Get several small ziplock bags to put your make-up into. If nail varnish is in one bag for example, then if a bottle was to get broken the rest of your make-up would not be ruined.
• Wrap the lids of lotions in cling film and secure them with an elastic band so that they do not leak.
• Put a foam layer, such as a square of thin sponge, between pressed powders and the lid of their container.
• Keep powders well sealed by wrapping them in cling film before putting them into a zip lock bag.
• Wrap perfume and aftershave bottles in bubble wrap before putting them into zip-lock bags.
• Pad the bottom of a small moving box to create a nest for your zip-lock bags to settle into.
• Ensure your make-up cannot move around freely inside the box by wedging crumpled paper or bubble wrap firmly into any gaps.
• Add a final layer of protection over the top of your filled box before sealing the lid.
• Clearly mark the box that it is make-up and fragile.
• Remember that aerosols and varnish are flammable so cannot be put into the removal lorry for health and safety reasons, your make-up will need to travel to your new home with you.

You may also like to read: How to Pack and Move Things Your Removal Company Can’t in which we look at the different items your removal company cannot put on the removal lorry and how to safely pack them to take with you.

Should I Hire Packers For My Home Move?

Packing for a home move is arguably the worst part of your relocation, it is time-consuming and can be expensive. Additionally, you will likely spend weeks surrounded by moving boxes and packing materials.

It is also worth mentioning that many insurance companies will not provide cover for items that you have packed yourself.

Most people moving home would agree that the best decision they made was to hire a professional packing team. They will pack your things usually within a day and offer outstanding value for money.

You may also like to read: Are Home Packing Services Worth The Cost? In this guide, we look at what professional packers do, how much they cost on average, and whether it is worth hiring them for your home move.

As always, your safety should be your number one priority when moving home, so if you are in any doubt as to your physical ability to move your bedroom furniture or boxes safely, hire a professional moving company.

If you are unsure what a full-service removal does then you may also like to read: What is a Full-Service Home Move? in which we look at the services a removal company may offer you, how much on average they cost, and whether hiring a full service removal company makes sense for your home move.

Good luck with your home move and don’t forget to visit our home moving blog which is packed with invaluable guides on every aspect of moving home.