Moving: packing checklist
How to pack so that unpacking works: a labelling system, a first-night box, fragile items, devices and furniture fittings. The list adapts to what you own.

[ ] Sort your things before packing, not after
    Every unwanted item costs a box, a journey and space in the new place. Giving away and discarding is easier now than unpacking and deciding again.
[ ] Buy boxes in several sizes, tape and markers
    Buy more small boxes than you think you need: heavy things travel only in those. Plus wrap, paper and rubbish bags.
[ ] Agree on a labelling system before the first box
    Room, brief contents, an \u201copen first\u201d marker. Write on the sides: in a stack that is what you can see.
[ ] Pack a first-night box
    Kettle, mugs, toilet paper, a towel, soap, chargers, first-aid kit, a change of clothes, a knife and scissors. This box travels with you, not in the van.
[ ] Set aside documents, keys and valuables
    Carry passports, contracts, jewellery, cash and medication yourself. None of it belongs in a box you cannot see.
[ ] Put heavy items only in small boxes
    Books, crockery, tools. A big box of books splits at the bottom and cannot be carried — as everyone who tried it knows.
[ ] Pad fragile items and pack them upright
    Wrap each plate separately, fill the gaps with something soft, label the box \u201cFragile\u201d and mark which way is up. Plates on edge travel better than stacked.
[ ] Pack the kitchen last
    You use it until the last day. Keep a minimal daily set and put it into the first-night box on moving day.
[ ] Photograph how devices are connected before unplugging
    The back of the television, the computer's ports, the router. A week later nobody remembers which cable went where.
[ ] Pack devices in rigid boxes with padding
    Original boxes are best if you kept them. Cables go in labelled bags next to their device, not into one communal sack.
[ ] Back up your data before the devices travel
    Computers and drives do not always survive a move. A backup before loading is the only protection against \u201cwe dropped one box\u201d.
[ ] Bag the fittings and tape them to the part
    Screws, dowels, hex keys. Tape the bag to the part itself: nothing gets lost or mixed up between units.
[ ] Separate cleaning products and liquids from food and textiles
    Into sealed bags and their own box. One leaking bottle ruins the whole box, and some products must not be transported at all.
[ ] Move clothes on hangers or in soft bags
    Out-of-season clothes go into boxes first. Everyday clothes go last and separately, so you are not searching the whole flat.
[ ] Pack a separate box for the child
    A favourite toy, a book, the usual mug and their bedding. On the first evening that works better than any amount of persuading.
[ ] Number the boxes and keep a list
    A number on the box and a line in your notes: \u201c7 — kitchen, pans\u201d. That way you find things without opening half of them and can tell if everything arrived.
[ ] Plan plants and pets as a separate journey
    They do not travel with the furniture. A pet needs a carrier and a quiet spot on moving day; plants need a stable box and to stay upright.
[ ] Walk through the empty flat before you leave
    Mezzanines, balcony, storage cupboard, behind doors, under sills and in the freezer. Coming back for what you forgot costs more than checking now.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/moving-packing