Moving tips and checklists
This guide explains how to pack for moving, room by room, with the methods professional packers use to keep plates, glasses, electronics, clothes and furniture safe. It covers materials, box sizes, labelling and the order to pack in, so unpacking is quick and nothing breaks on the way.
Quick answer
Use strong boxes, plenty of paper and good tape. Put heavy things in small boxes and light things in large ones. Wrap each fragile item separately, fill every gap and label each box with its room and contents. Pack the rooms you use least first, and keep a bag of essentials with you.
Good packing prevents most moving damage. Plates crack when they rattle, boxes collapse when they are overfilled, and electronics break when they slide. Yet the fixes are simple. With the right materials and a clear method, anyone can pack a home safely. This guide shows how to pack for moving the way our packers do it every day.
If you would rather hand the job to a team, our packing services cover full or partial packing. Either way, the methods below are the same.
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The kitchen takes longest, so start it early, but leave the things you use daily until the end. Here is the method.
Clothes are easy, but they take a lot of space. Therefore use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes, so they arrive without creases. Folded clothes can go into suitcases and bags. Shoes go into boxes with paper inside each shoe. Bedding fills large boxes and doubles as padding for fragile items. Finally, strip beds on the last morning and pack the sheets in your first-night box.
Books are heavy, so pack them flat or spine-down in small boxes. Wrap frames and mirrors in bubble wrap, then place them between cardboard sheets. Ornaments need paper inside and out. Meanwhile, cushions and throws can fill gaps in boxes of decor. Large mirrors and glass tables are best packed in special frames, which professional packers can build.
If you still have the original boxes, use them. Otherwise, wrap TVs in blankets or bubble wrap and carry them upright. Before you unplug anything, photograph the cables at the back, so reconnecting is easy. Then put cables in labelled bags taped to the device. Laptops, hard drives and phones should travel with you, not on the truck. Also back up important files before moving day.
Tighten lids on bottles and cover the openings with cling film before closing them. Pack bottles upright in a plastic bag inside the box, so leaks stay contained. Keep medicines with you. Do not pack bleach, thinners or other harsh chemicals together, and never pack flammable liquids.
Take apart beds, tables and wardrobes where possible. Keep the screws in labelled bags taped to the furniture. Then wrap each piece in moving blankets and stretch wrap. Glass shelves and doors come off and travel separately. Drawers can stay in place, but tape or wrap them shut. Our furniture movers handle all of this if you prefer.
Children can help. For example, give each child a box for their favourite toys and let them decorate it. Pack their room last and unpack it first at the new home. That way, they have a familiar space on the first night. In addition, keep a small bag of snacks, toys and a change of clothes for each child on moving day.
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Write the room name in large letters on the top and one side of each box. Under it, list the main contents. Mark fragile boxes clearly and show which way is up. Some families use a different colour for each room. Then, at the new home, put a matching colour sign on each door. As a result, the movers can place boxes without asking, and you know where everything is.
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For the full timeline, see our house moving checklist.
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Some items are dangerous on a truck. If you are unsure, check general safety advice from the Kenya Bureau of Standards or ask your movers.
Packing does not have to be expensive. For instance, use towels, sheets and clothes as padding instead of buying extra bubble wrap. Ask supermarkets and shops for clean, strong boxes they no longer need. Use suitcases and laundry baskets as containers. However, do not save money on tape or on boxes for heavy and fragile items, because a collapsed box costs more than a new one. In addition, buy materials in a bundle, which is usually cheaper than buying piece by piece.
Long trips mean more vibration and more time on the road. Therefore add extra padding around fragile items and fill every box to the top, so nothing shifts. Seal boxes on all seams against dust. Also wrap furniture fully in stretch wrap as well as blankets, because dust and rain are more likely on long routes. Our long-distance movers pack for these trips every week.
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A one-bedroom home takes one person about two to three days of steady packing. A three-bedroom family home can take a week or more. In contrast, a team of professional packers can pack a three-bedroom home in one day. If time is short, consider a mix: you pack clothes and books, and the packers do the kitchen and fragile items.
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Unpacking is faster when packing was done well. Start with the kitchen and bedrooms, because food and sleep come first. Next, unpack the bathroom and the children's rooms. Leave books and decor for later. Flatten empty boxes as you go, and ask your movers to collect them. In the end, a careful method of how to pack for moving makes unpacking feel like the easy part.
If you would rather not pack yourself, our packers bring all materials and pack a home in a day. Request a moving quote and tell us which rooms you want packed.
Costs and pricing
We do not publish fixed prices, because every move is different. Instead, we assess each move, send a written quote and agree the final price with you, so the figure you agree reflects your real move. If you are working to a budget, tell us early. Then we can suggest options, such as packing some boxes yourself, moving mid-month or sharing a truck on long routes.
Get started
Tell us what you are moving and where, and our move coordinator will call you back within one working day to plan it with you.
Prefer to talk? Call +254 184 379 590
Wrap each plate in plain paper and stand it on its edge in a box lined with crumpled paper, filling every gap.
Keep each box under about 20 kilos. Put heavy items in small boxes and light items in large ones.
It is better to use plain packing paper, because newspaper ink can rub off onto dishes and hands.
One person needs two to three days for a one-bedroom home. A team of packers can pack a three-bedroom home in about a day.
Keep reading
Moving tips and checklistsPacking Fragile Items for a Move: Glass, Mirrors, TVs and ArtHow professional packers wrap glass, plates, mirrors, TVs and art, and load fragile boxes so they arrive in one piece.Read the guide
Moving tips and checklistsThe Best Time to Move House in Nairobi: Day, Week and SeasonHow to pick a moving date in Nairobi: early mornings, mid-week, mid-month and dry months make moves cheaper and calmer.Read the guide
Moving tips and checklistsHow to Choose a Moving Company in Kenya: 12 ChecksTwelve practical checks to compare movers in Kenya fairly, plus the red flags that signal trouble on moving day.Read the guideTell us what you are moving and where. We will check the load in person or on a video call, give you a clear written quote and plan moving day with you.