Last updated October 2026
Packing is the part of a house move that takes longest and gets left latest. The truck is booked weeks ahead, but the boxes often start a few nights before, and that is when fragile things get rushed and heavy boxes get overfilled.
★View the Best Moving Services in Tauranga→It does not have to be all or nothing. Plenty of people pack most of the house themselves and hand the awkward parts to the movers. Here is how to split the job sensibly, what materials make a real difference, and what to check before moving day.
Start with a plan, not a pile of boxes
The single most useful step happens before the first box is taped: deciding what is actually coming with you.
Declutter first
Every item you sell, donate or take to the tip is one you do not have to wrap, carry or unpack. Garages, sheds and spare rooms are where most of the excess lives, so start there. A smaller load can also mean a smaller truck or a shorter job.
Work room by room
Pack the rooms you use least first: spare bedrooms, the garage, books and seasonal clothes. Leave the kitchen and bathrooms until the last few days, and keep a box of everyday essentials that travels with you rather than in the truck.
Give yourself more time than you think
A lived-in family home usually takes longer to pack than people expect, especially the kitchen. Starting a week or two out, a few boxes a night, is far less stressful than a weekend marathon.
What to pack yourself and what to hand over
Most people can comfortably pack the soft, sturdy and replaceable things. The case for help gets stronger as items get more fragile, heavier or harder to replace.
Clothes, linen and soft furnishings
- Usually fine to pack yourself?
- Yes
- Why it matters
- Light, hard to damage and quick to pack
Books and paperwork
- Usually fine to pack yourself?
- Yes, in small boxes
- Why it matters
- Heavy for their size, so large boxes become unliftable
Kitchen glassware and crockery
- Usually fine to pack yourself?
- Worth considering help
- Why it matters
- Needs proper wrapping and careful box loading to arrive intact
Mirrors, glass tabletops and artwork
- Usually fine to pack yourself?
- Worth considering help
- Why it matters
- Large flat glass breaks easily without the right protection
TVs and electronics
- Usually fine to pack yourself?
- Worth considering help
- Why it matters
- Screens and cables need padding and care in the truck
Large furniture
- Usually fine to pack yourself?
- Usually the movers
- Why it matters
- Wrapping in furniture blankets prevents scratches and dents in transit
A common middle ground is to pack the bedrooms, books and linen yourself and have the movers pack the kitchen, the glass and anything valuable or awkward.
The materials that make a difference
Good packing is mostly about the right materials, used generously.
- Sturdy boxes in a few sizes. Small boxes for heavy things like books, larger ones for light, bulky things like bedding. Reused boxes that are soft or split are a false economy.
- Packing paper for glass and crockery. Wrap each item individually and pack plates on their edges rather than flat.
- Bubble wrap for the truly fragile. Ornaments, glass shelves and anything with a thin neck or handle.
- Furniture blankets. Wrapping furniture protects corners and surfaces during loading as well as in the truck.
- Good tape and a thick marker. A box that splits on the stairs undoes all the careful wrapping inside it.
Label for the room, not just the contents
Write the destination room on the top and at least one side of every box, and mark fragile boxes clearly. When the truck is unloaded, boxes go straight to the right room rather than piling up in the lounge. A short list of what is in each box also saves hours of searching later.
Check the terms before you pack
Packing affects more than whether things arrive in one piece. Movers’ terms commonly exclude dangerous, flammable or corrosive items such as fuel, gas bottles and some chemicals, and many say the mover can refuse an item, or is not responsible for damage, if it was not adequately packed. Read your mover’s terms before moving day, so you know what to leave out of the truck and what standard of packing they expect from boxes you pack yourself.
It is also worth checking how long you have to report any damage after the move, because some terms set a short window.
Where Lift & Shift Movers fits
Lift & Shift Movers is a Tauranga moving company founded in 2020, and packing for moves is one of its listed services. The team uses boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper and furniture blankets supplied as part of the job, labels boxes as it packs, and offers full packing or packing only the items you choose while you do the rest.
Their terms ask customers not to give them anything dangerous, corrosive, flammable or explosive to pack, move or store, and they set out that items with insufficient packaging can be refused or are not covered for damage. Any claim needs to be lodged in writing within 24 hours.
To arrange packing with a move, use the quote form on their website with your pick up and drop off addresses, the type of property and your preferred date, or call 027 271 4241. The office is open seven days, 7am to 7pm. More at liftandshiftmovers.co.nz.
