Purchase some boxes, pack everything up - how hard can it be? Some consider packing an art form, and with a little forethought and pre-planning, you'll have your rooms packed up and ready to renovate in no time. Here, we share how to carefully plan and pack to help avoid belongings getting lost or damaged and provide you with our top tips on packing fundamentals.

The Team at Balnei & Colina

Image credit: All images via Getty Images unless otherwise stated.

1) De-clutter

Take this opportunity to clean out your closets and cupboards. Conduct a thorough audit of your existing space. As you review, organise your items into these categories:

a) KEEP

b) DISPOSE (throw out)

c) SELL

d) DONATE

e) STORE

Cull before hand and complete one room at a time, weeks in advance to avoid feeling rushed. 

2) PACK AN ESSENTIALS BOX

Make a list of MUST HAVE essentials you'll need access to during the renovation. You should be left with basic kitchen, bathroom and clothing items you need for your everyday.

3) LABEL, LABEL, LABEL

Organisation is the key to a successful renovation. Label your boxes with the room the contents are going to be stored in, rather than the rooms they've come from - this will make for a smoother transition during the unpacking process. Pen the basic contents of each box for eg Kitchen - Plates/Bowls

4) Use packing materials

You can source packing materials from storage companies or your local hardware store. Balnei & Colina recommend not cutting corners by using supermarket boxes as they are more often not strong enough. Instead, it's better to invest a small amount and ensure all your collectibles and valuables are safely stored. Proper packing boxes will also ensure your personal safety when relocating the boxes themselves.

Packing Supplies 

Basic tools for packing:

* Permanent Marker

* Packing Boxes

* Packing Tape

* Protective Gloves

* Packing Paper

* Scissors or Stanley Knife

5) Optional - Hire a Packing service

If your feeling overwhelmed or simply don't have time to pack, consider hiring a packing service. A room packing service may save you both time and money. It's estimated that an entire home can take over 20 hours to pack so when you take this into account it may be money well spent.

Image credit: Edward Mellor UK

Top 6 Practical Packing Tips 

1) Add Bi-Carb soda to clothing, books and linen

While packing sprinkle a little bi-carb soda over the top of clothing, linen and books to prevent stale smells. A fragrance bag for eg dried lavender - can also ensure your stored goods have a pleasant odour.

2) Keep Mirrors & Picture Frames Upright

Some pack these items flat, but storing them upright and tightly packing them together will ensure they are less likely to break. Use blankets in between to protect.

3) Match Up Shapes

To maximise space during packing match up similar shapes and sizes for eg when packing kitchen trays, combine all the rectangular trays and all the circular trays together.

4) Tape Electrical Cords

It's easy to misplace electrical cords, screws, bolts or keys when packing for a renovation. Taping these to their corresponding pieces is a sure way to ensure they don't get lost when moving for eg tape your TV electrical power cord to the back of your television 

5) Remove Batteries

For items containing batteries you don't expect to use in the interim, remove batteries to prevent the items from accidentally being turned on. This also protects these items from battery corrosion.

6) Mobile Storage

If your finding it difficult to allocate a place to house your storage boxes, perhaps opt for mobile storage. This prevents double handling and can help ensure your belongings remaining in tact. 

Image Credit: Inside Out

HOW TO PACK BREAKABLES

People often focus on protecting fragile items life crystal, but in most cases it's the bulkier/heavier items like dinner places or serving bowls that suffer breakage.

Using layers of towels and linen under and between breakables is a cost-effective option however you can also use the following:

Bubble wrap - available from your local hardware/stationery/post office store. Use bubble wrap to individually wrap each item and reduce the risk of breakage.

Packing Paper - available from your local hardware/stationery store to use as filler between items and empty spaces within the storage box, to minimise the movement of items. Balnei & Colina recommend using packing paper or butchers paper as opposed to newspaper which can leave marks and stain contents.

Mark Fragile - Mark all boxes containing fragile content, "FRAGILE", so that people relocating them know to handle these boxes with care.

Balnei & Colina provide a complete renovation service from design, manufacture to construction. We’ll guide you through every step of your home renovation; be it a kitchen renovation, bathroom renovation, custom joinery project or all of the above; so that the process is as simple and as smooth as possible.

If you have any questions or need further assistance. Call 1300 450 320 or send us an email.

Image via Pintrest