Packing guides
Researched and written by Ashley Davis · Reviewed by Emily Johnson · Last reviewed August 2026
Packing for a move divides into finding boxes and protecting what goes in them. BestMovers.info publishes a free box sourcing guide and a how-to guide for each of the four things people break or crush most often: furniture, dishes, clothes, glasses and shoes. Each guide answers one question and states what goes wrong, so you can read only the one that applies to the room you are packing.
Which packing guide do you need?
- Where can you get free moving boxes?Where free moving boxes come from, which ones are worth taking, when to ask, and how many you need for your home size.
- How do you pack furniture for moving?What to disassemble, what to wrap in what, and which furniture is worth leaving to the crew. Step by step for a household move.
- How do you pack dishes for moving?Why plates travel on edge, what a dish barrel does that a normal box does not, and how to pack a full kitchen of crockery.
- How do you pack clothes for moving?What travels on the hanger, what folds, what stays in the drawer, and how to pack a wardrobe without ironing everything at the other end.
- How do you pack glasses for moving?Why glasses are stuffed before they are wrapped, what a divider box does, and how to pack stemware so the stems survive.
- How do you pack shoes for moving?Why shoes are packed separately from clothes, how to keep them in shape, and what to do with boots, heels and trainers.
- How do you pack books for moving?Why books go in small boxes, which way up they travel, how to protect old bindings, and how to unpack a library in order.
- How do you pack a TV for moving?Why a flat screen must travel upright, what to use when the original box is gone, and how to protect the panel and its stand.
- How do you pack lamps and lampshades?How to take a lamp apart, why shades are packed alone, what to do with the cord, and how to move floor lamps and torchieres.
- How do you pack plates for moving?How to build a plate bundle, why bundles stand vertically, how fine china differs, and how to cushion the carton itself.
- How do you pack framed pictures for moving?Why the glazing is taped before wrapping, what a picture carton does, and how to pack unframed prints and stretched canvases.
- How do you pack artwork for moving?What must never touch a painted surface, when a piece needs a crate, how to support a canvas, and what storage does to art.
- How do you pack a kitchen for moving?The order to pack a kitchen in, how to handle pans, knives and small appliances, and what to do with the pantry.
- How do you pack a mirror for moving?Why the glass is taped and carded, what a mirror carton does, how to carry a heavy mirror, and how to store one safely.
- How do you wrap furniture for moving?The correct order of layers, why stretch wrap never touches a finish, how to handle corners, and how much material a piece needs.
- How do you pack electronics for moving?What to photograph before unplugging, how to handle cables and batteries, and why hardware is left to warm up before power-on.
- How do you pack a mattress for moving?Why a mattress needs a sealed bag, why it must not be folded, how it is carried and loaded, and how to store one without mildew.
- How do you protect furniture and floors on moving day?How to lay a protected path, pad doorways and banisters, move heavy pieces without dragging, and brief a crew before they start.
- Which moving box do you use for what?The four standard box sizes, the five specialist boxes, and the rule that decides which one anything goes in.
What do you do in the weeks before the packing starts?
Packing is one week of a plan that starts eight weeks out. The moving checklist sets out what to do week by week, from booking a company to the morning of the move.
How much do you tip the crew that carries it?
Tipping is a separate question from packing, and it is never part of the estimate. The tipping guide sets out what BestMovers.info suggests per mover and what changes the figure.