Packing by yourself is not an easy task, but it is a way to cut some of your relocation costs.

The right materials and our tips will help you to achieve professional results all by yourself and to protect your belongings better.

Packing is important when you have to box up your home. Better packing and organization prevents households from loss or damage and makes unpacking at your new place much easier.

How to Prepare for Packing

The first things you need to get are:

  • Tissue paper
  • Paper for packing (newspaper)
  • Packing tape
  • A sharp knife (utility knife)
  • Scissors
  • Markers
  • Packing boxes

Let us help you pick the right materials

We offer a wide range of packing materials and boxes that you can purchase. They can help you organize and pack your belongings. Here is a list of the most common packing materials and boxes we offer:

Dishpack: thick carton for packing dishes, crystal or glassware
Double-wall carton: useful when packing high value or fragile items
F Carton box: good for heavy items like books, DVDs, CDs, video tapes
A carton box: medium size box for packing kitchen stuff, toys or small appliances
M carton box: good for packing bulky light items like linens, blankets or toys
L carton box: big box for light items – pillows, linens, etc.
Wardrobe carton box: A proper closet, but it is portable. It keeps your clothes hanging on a built-in bar
Mirror carton box: Special boxes for packing paintings, mirrors or glasses
Stretchwrap: Plastic cover that protects furniture from scratches and dust during the move

Contact your Personal Moving Adviser to check which materials you might need.

Do not use newspaper directly against items, because it may leave ink traces on your belongings. Use it only for cushioning.

Basic tips for packing:

When you pack by yourself, everything should packed the right way and ready for loading when the moving van arrives. This packing should be done the evening before the moving day. Leave only personal things the you will need just before leaving and right after arriving. You can pack them at the last minute.

  • Use a timetable to organize your packing. Usually it takes more time than planned.
  • Start your packing with items that you will not need on the first days, items from basements, garage or attic.
  • A good method of organization is to pack room-by-room
  • Every room should have a work area
  • After you have completed a room, sort the boxes by weight. This will make loading easier and quicker
  • Do not pack cartons heavier than 50 pounds (about 22.5kg)

There are items that your mover can pack better:

  • Tabletops – marble or glass and also other heavy items – wall ornaments or large mirrors.
  • Pianos
  • Statues, trophies, chandeliers or other large, bulky and fragile items
  • Major appliances

Techniques for packing

All boxes packed by you will be checked by our professionals to ensure safe transportation. If there are improperly packed items or boxes, you will be asked to re-pack them.

  • Use crumpled paper (newsprint) for cushioning around the items, when you pack them in boxes. Don’t forget to put crumpled paper at the bottom and at the top of the box.
  • When you pack fragile items in boxes, wrap them in paper first.
  • Put large and heavy items at the bottom, then the smaller and lighter ones, by filling the empty spaces with a lot of crumpled newspaper.
  • Do not over stuff the boxes – they should be easily closed. Tape the seams securely. Do not use plastic containers for packing.
  • Label the boxes with your name, the room they should go in and a description of the contents.

Packing electronics

Follow these tips when you pack large screens:

  • Use the original cartons. If you no longer have them, use sturdy carton and fill the empty space with crumbled newsprint or Styrofoam
  • Seal the carton carefully and label it “Extremely Fragile”

Packing PCs, printers or other electronics:

  • Mark all wires as you disconnect them. This will make the assembly easier
  • Remove any paper and detach the paper holders from printers
  • Remove ink cartridges and toners from printers
  • Pack monitors as you would do with other screens
  • Back up all computer files on an external storage drives/DVDs
  • For additional precautions consult the computer manual

Do not pack the following:

If you have valuable or irreplaceable items, it is better to transport them in your car rather than in the moving van. There are also few dangerous items that can not be transported on the truck. These are materials such as explosives, flammable gasses, liquids and solids, poisons and radioactive materials.

Take a look at the common examples:

  • Paints or paint thinners
  • Nail polish remover
  • Lighter fluid
  • Gasoline
  • Fireworks
  • Oxygen bottles
  • Propane cylinders
  • Repair and maintenance chemicals
  • Lighters
  • Matches

We also recommend that you use your car to transport the following items:

  • Guns
  • Photos
  • Food
  • Prescription drugs needed for immediate use

How to label your belongings

  • You must label each and every box.
  • Use a permanent marker
  • Mark clearly the room and the contents
  • Label delicate items “FRAGILE”
  • Where appropriate label “THIS END UP”
  • Label your bill of lading number on every box if available.
  • List the contents of every box right after packing it. Write them on the side of the carton, so you can see them easily. You might also make a special notebook where you can list the boxes and their contents.
  • Also indicate the room that each carton should be put at your new residence.
  • It is a good idea to code the rooms by a sign for each room. Putting this sign on the cartons and on the room’s door will help the movers to unload items quickly and on the right place.
  • Mark the cartons that you want to be unloaded first.

Tips for professional packing

  • First pack clothes and items that are out-of-season. After that pack those things that you do not use often. Leave for last the things you will need until the moving day.
  • Get rid of non-transportable items, things you don’t need or anything that could damage other items.
  • Organize items for packing by similarity. This will help you to prevent them from getting damaged and will ease the unpacking.
  • All small hardware items that part of anything bigger like mirror bolts or curtain rod hanger should be put in a plastic bag an attached to the item they belong to.
  • All electrical cords should be wound and fastened so they do not dangle.
  • Every item should be packed individually in clean paper. For delicate items use tissue paper or paper towels. Wrap everything in a double layer newsprint.
  • Use crushed paper for cushioning at the bottom of each carton. Put the heaviest items at the bottom and the lightest at the top.
  • Organize the items in a carton in layers and put more crushed paper between the layers.
  • You can also use towels or lightweight blankets for cushioning and padding. Wrap well every sharp point, edge or rim.
  • Small and fragile items can be packed individually in small boxes and wrapped in tissue or shredded paper. Place several small boxes in a larger carton filling the empty spaces with more crushed paper.
  • Do not overload the cartons. Do not leave them empty either, because the items will shift inside. The cover should close easily, but should not bend in.
  • Tape tightly all carton seals. Leave open the cartons containing items that should be inspected by the van operator.

By following the proper packing tips you will prevent your belongings from any damage and will ease the unpacking at your new home. If you still face difficulties you can always call your personal adviser from Matrix Relocations at any of the most convenient offices closest to you in Sofia, Athens, Belgrade, Pristina, Skopje or Zagreb.