Key Items

The Items You Can’t Afford to Lose on Moving Day

As moving day approaches, you’ll reach a point where the things left unpacked are the things you actually need. Medication, phone chargers, school bags, work essentials — these can’t disappear into a sealed box on the back of the van. Knowing exactly where your critical items are on moving day isn’t just convenient, it can genuinely make or break the experience.

This lesson covers how to prepare your essential items, what to pack last, and how to make sure nothing important gets lost in the chaos.

Prepare 48 Hours of Essentials

In the days leading up to your move, set aside 48 hours’ worth of supplies for every member of your household. This covers moving day itself and the first day in your new home — two days when you’re unlikely to have time or energy to unpack properly.

For each person, think about:

• Clothing — two days’ worth, including something comfortable for moving day and something for work or school the next morning.
• Medication — anything prescribed or regularly taken. An unexpected headache or a child falling ill on moving day is stressful enough without having to search through 60 boxes for the Calpol.
• Toiletries — toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and a towel each. Your bathroom will be one of the last rooms packed, but these items should be pulled out and kept separate.
• Work and school essentials — laptops, chargers, keys, ID badges, school uniforms, homework folders. Anything needed the morning after the move.
• Important documents — passports, house paperwork, insurance documents, and anything related to the move itself.

Gather all of these items in one clearly designated spot. If you’re using a professional packing service, place them somewhere obvious that the packers won’t touch — on the beds, on the dining room table, or in a clearly marked bag by the front door. The last thing you want is your essential items getting professionally wrapped and loaded onto the van with everything else.

What to Pack Last

The final box you seal should be the one you open first at the new house. We call this the “first night” box, and it should contain everything you need to function the moment you walk through the door.

Tea, coffee, and the kettle — and we mean this sincerely. A cup of tea is the first thing everyone wants after a long moving day, and removal teams work considerably better when they’re caffeinated. Pack the kettle, a few mugs, tea bags, coffee, milk (in a cool bag), sugar, and a few spoons. Label this box clearly so it comes off the van first.

Snacks and basic food — biscuits, cereal bars, crisps, or fruit. You probably won’t feel like cooking on the first night, but having something on hand keeps energy levels up. Consider pre-ordering a takeaway for that evening so there’s one less thing to think about.

Toilet roll and hand soap — you’d be surprised how often these get forgotten. And on more occasions than we’d like to admit, customers have moved into a property where the previous owners took every last light bulb and roll of toilet paper with them.

Basic cleaning supplies — a few bin bags, kitchen roll, surface cleaner, and a cloth. You’ll want to give the kitchen and bathroom a quick wipe down before unpacking into them.

Phone chargers — for every member of the household. A dead phone on moving day, when you need to coordinate with the removal team, the estate agent, and anyone helping out, is a real problem.

A box opener or small knife — you’ll be opening boxes all evening. Having a dedicated tool on hand rather than tearing at tape with your fingers saves time and frustration.

The TV remote — it sounds trivial, but after an exhausting day of lifting, unpacking, and decision-making, sitting down with a cup of tea and something to watch is the reward everyone’s been waiting for. Don’t let it be the thing you can’t find.

Tools You Might Need

If furniture has been dismantled for the move (covered in Lesson 8), you’ll need tools to reassemble it at the new house. Allen keys, screwdrivers, and any bolts or fixings should be kept together in a clearly labelled bag.

There are also situations on moving day that you don’t always anticipate — a door that needs removing to fit a sofa through, a bed that won’t clear the landing without adjusting the frame, or a shelf that needs to come down last minute. Having a basic toolkit accessible saves time and prevents delays.

If you’re using Painless Removals, all of our vans come fully equipped with professional tool kits, so you don’t need to worry about this. But if you’re handling the move yourself or using a man-and-van service, make sure you know exactly where your tools are — not packed in a box at the bottom of a stack.

How to Keep Essential Items Safe

The simplest approach is to transport your essentials in your own car, separate from the removal van. Pack them in a bag or a clearly marked box that stays with you throughout the day.

If essential items are going on the van, make sure they’re:

• In a box labelled “OPEN FIRST” or “ESSENTIALS” on all sides
• Loaded last, so they come off the van first
• Communicated clearly to your removal team so they know to prioritise them

Pro Tip from Jay

“The essentials box is the one box I tell every customer to sort out before anything else. Not the last thing — the first thing. Decide what goes in it a week before the move, set it aside, and don't let anyone touch it. On moving day, it goes in your car, not on the van. Trust me, you'll want that kettle the moment you walk through the door.”

— Jay Newton, Director