Packing for a move comes down to one honest split: the things you can pack yourself, and the things worth handing to a professional. Most of us can pack more of our own home than we think — and should hand over more of the fragile end than we do. That’s the real DIY-versus-professional question: not whether you can wrap a plate, but which boxes reward doing it yourself and which ones quietly cost more than the packing would have. A box of paperbacks going wrong is an annoyance; a box of wine glasses or a framed print going wrong is a bill and a bad morning.
So here’s the item-by-item version — what’s genuinely fine to do yourself, what’s worth handing over, and how the packing options actually work.
Packing for a Move: What You Can Usually Do Yourself
When you’re packing for a move, plenty of the house is low-risk, and doing it yourself is a sensible way to keep the cost down. These are the things most people handle fine on their own:
- Books, DVDs and non-fragile media — just use small boxes; a big box of books is a back injury waiting to happen and often too heavy to lift safely.
- Folded clothes, bedding, towels and soft furnishings — ideal filler for larger boxes, and useful for padding around sturdier items.
- Pots, pans and plastic storage — robust, awkward to break, quick to box.
- Shoes, toys, garage and garden bits, tools — low-value, low-fragility, easy wins.
A few habits make the difference: heavy items in small boxes, light and bulky in large ones, don’t overfill, tape the base properly, and label every box with the room it’s going to, not just the room it came from.
What's Better Left to the Professionals — and Why
This is where DIY packing tends to go wrong — not through carelessness, but because the right technique and materials aren’t things most of us have to hand. The common ones:
- Everyday crockery and glassware. Plates travel on their edge, not stacked flat; glasses want individual wrapping in cell-divided cartons. Done properly it’s slow; done quickly it’s a rattle you’ll hear at the other end.
- Mirrors and framed pictures. They need corner protection, a proper picture or mirror box, and to be moved on their edge — never laid flat, where a knock can crack the glass across the middle.
- Artwork and anything valuable. A painting shouldn’t have bubble wrap pressed straight onto its surface (it can mark, especially in a warm van) — it wants glassine or acid-free paper first, then boxing or a made-to-measure crate.
- TVs and electronics. Fine to do yourself if you kept the original boxes; otherwise they need the correct cartons and screen protection, kept upright rather than flat.
- Lamps, ceramics and ornaments. Fiddly, top-heavy and easy to underestimate — each needs wrapping and enough void-fill that nothing shifts.
- Large furniture, antiques and pianos. These are really part of the move rather than the packing — dismantling, blanket-wrapping and the right lifting kit. A piano in particular is a specialist job, not a DIY one.
The rule that prevents most breakages: heavy items in small boxes, light in big ones, and no empty space left inside. A half-full box of glasses moves around in transit; a snug one doesn't. Fill the gaps with paper or bubble wrap and tape the base properly — most "the box collapsed" stories start with a single strip of tape.
The Quick Version: What to Pack, What to Hand Over
| Item | Pack it yourself? | Why professionals do it better | Risk if it goes wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Books & non-fragile media | Yes | Just use small boxes so they're not too heavy | Low |
| Folded clothes, bedding, towels | Yes | Also handy as padding around sturdier items | Low |
| Hanging clothes | Yes, with wardrobe boxes | Wardrobe cartons keep them on hangers and crease-free | Low |
| Pots, pans & plastic storage | Yes | Robust and quick — a good DIY job | Low |
| Everyday crockery & glassware | Better left to pros | Cell-divided cartons, individual wrapping, plates packed on edge | High |
| Mirrors & framed pictures | Better left to pros | Corner protection, picture/mirror boxes, moved on edge not flat | High |
| Artwork & valuables | Leave to pros | Glassine/acid-free wrap then boxed or crated — never bubble wrap on the surface | High |
| TVs & electronics | Yes, if you kept the original boxes | Correct cartons and screen protection, kept upright | Medium |
| Lamps, ceramics & ornaments | Better left to pros | Individual wrapping and void-fill so nothing shifts | High |
| Large furniture, antiques & pianos | Leave to pros | Dismantling, blanket-wrapping and the right lifting kit | Medium–High |
Full Pack, Part Pack, or Just the Materials?
You don’t have to choose all-or-nothing. Our packing service offers three ways to handle the packing for a move, and the middle one is what most people actually want:
- Full pack — the crew packs everything, top to bottom. Best if you’re short on time, moving a big home, or juggling work and kids around the move.
- Part pack — you do the straightforward rooms at your own pace, and the crew handles just the fragile and high-value things: glassware, china, artwork, electronics. This is the sweet spot for a lot of moves — you keep costs down and still get the risky items packed properly.
- Materials only — we supply the professional-grade boxes and wrapping and you do the packing, with guidance if you want it.
Whichever you choose, it’s agreed at the survey so it’s built into the plan and the quote, not decided in a panic the night before.
Labelling and Materials: The Bit Everyone Underestimates
Two things separate a smooth unpack from a chaotic one, and neither is glamorous.
Labelling. Mark every box with the room it’s going to and a one-line note of what’s inside (“kitchen — everyday plates”). Add “FRAGILE” where it matters and, ideally, a number tied to a quick inventory list. It feels over-organised until day one in the new house, when it’s the difference between finding the kettle in five minutes or five boxes.
Materials. Supermarket boxes are free for a reason — mismatched sizes, no guarantee they’ll hold, and no protection built in. Professional-grade cartons come in the right sizes for the right contents, which is half the battle with fragile items. It’s also why we use the same materials for domestic packing as for our international shipping contracts — boxes, tissue, bubble wrap, corrugated card and specialist wrapping for the awkward items.
How Long Does Packing for a Move Take?
Packing for a move takes longer than most people expect — this is rough guidance only, since it varies with how much you own and how delicate it is — but as a working guide: a professional full pack of a three-bed home is typically one to two days, and a part pack of just the fragile items is usually around half to three-quarters of a day. Doing it yourself takes far longer than people expect, so if you’re self-packing, start three to four weeks out with the things you won’t miss and leave a clear run at the essentials. If you’re packing early and there’s a gap before completion, boxed items can go into storage rather than filling every room.
Where Britannia Sandersteads Sits
A quick word on who does the packing, because it matters as much as the materials. Ours is done by our own full-time, trained crew — the same people who load and move you, not casual labour brought in for the day — and to the same standard as our international contracts, certified to BS EN 12522 for household furniture removals. We label and inventory as we go, so the other end isn't guesswork, and packing dovetails straight into your house removal rather than being a separate headache. Whether you're in a period property or a flat above the shops in Reigate, or anywhere else across Surrey, the packing plan is set at the survey to suit the home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to pack myself?
Usually, yes — self-packing is the lowest-cost option, and materials-only lets you keep that saving while using proper boxes. But weigh it against your time and the risk on fragile items. Part packing is the common middle ground: you do the easy rooms, the crew does the breakables.
What should I never pack myself?
Anything high-value or hard to replace — original artwork, antiques, large mirrors, and pianos. The materials and technique matter too much, and these are exactly the items where a mistake is expensive rather than just annoying. Get those packed professionally even if you do everything else yourself.
Do professional packers bring the boxes and materials?
Yes. Whichever service level you choose, the professional-grade boxes, wrapping and protection are included — you’re not sourcing anything separately. With materials-only, we supply them for you to pack yourself.
How far ahead should I start packing?
If you’re self-packing, start around three to four weeks out with non-essentials — books, out-of-season clothes, things in the loft and garage — and work towards the everyday items. Leave an essentials box for the last day.
Can I pack most of it and have you do just the fragile things?
That’s exactly what part packing is. You handle the straightforward rooms at your own pace and the crew takes care of glassware, china, artwork and electronics. It’s agreed at the survey so everyone knows who’s packing what.
How long does professional packing take?
As a rough guide, a full pack of a three-bedroom home is typically one to two days, and a part pack of the fragile items around half to three-quarters of a day. We confirm a realistic timeline at your survey based on your actual volume.