Good house packing is the foundation of any successful move. If you don't pack your belongings properly, then you risk breakage, disorganisation, or even leaving valuables behind.

Although home packing may be the last thing that you want to do to prepare for your move, early preparation and organisation is essential to greatly reduce stress on your moving day. To get started, gather the following basic home packing items to have on hand during your move.

For a 5 to 6 bedroom home up to 915m², you will need the following items. For a smaller home, cut the size of the house packing list accordingly:

• 20 small moving boxes
• 10 medium moving boxes
• 8 large moving boxes
• 4 extra-large or specialty moving boxes
• 4 crates or heavy-duty boxes
  
• 1 electronics box
  
• 2 rolls butcher paper or bubble wrap
  
• 1 permanent marker
  
• 6 rolls box tape
  
• 1 box cutter.

Important house packing guidelines

Having gathered all the supplies you need, keep the following tips in mind in order to make the house packing process even smoother:

• Don't pack boxes over 20kgs to make lifting easier and to prevent injury.
• Wrap all valuables or breakable items carefully in butcher paper.
• Cushion fragile items to absorb shock during the move.
• Use sturdy boxes that close completely.
• Seal all boxes with packing tape.
  
• Pack all boxes firmly so that items don't rattle or stick out of a box.
  
• Try not to mix belongings from different rooms in one box to stay organised.

With these tips in mind, it's now time to roll up your sleeves and start the house packing process.

Several months before your move, you can begin packing out of season items, like sweaters and winter coats if you are moving in the summertime. Make sure to save until last, the items that you will use most often prior to your moving day.

Instead of wasting all your butcher paper and bubble wrap on your valuables, you can be thrifty by wrapping glassware in kitchen and bath towels. This will provide even more protection and support for fragile items and you'll also be "killing two birds with one stone" by packing your towels and bedding at the same time.

Last but not least, remember to pack similar belongings in the same box. It doesn't make any sense to pack delicate ornaments with heavy textbooks.

Try to pack all of the items in a box from one particular room to stay organised and pack like items together to minimise breakage or damage.

You can also greatly maximise space when house packing by looking for any empty or hollow items to pack other belongings into, in order to save space.

Top moving tip

Dresses and coats normally hung on a hanger should be packed in a specialty wardrobe box with the hangers left on. You can save space by packing your shoes at the bottom of the wardrobe box.