Quick answer
- Start two weeks out with rooms and items you use least; leave the kitchen and bedrooms for last.
- Heavy things in small boxes, light things in big boxes, and nothing heavier than you can lift comfortably.
- Wrap plates and glasses one by one, stand plates on edge, and fill every gap so nothing moves.
- Label every box on at least two sides with the room, the contents and FRAGILE or THIS WAY UP where needed.
- Hong Kong's average relative humidity is 78% over the year (HKO 1991–2020), so pack things dry and don't leave sealed boxes in a damp room for weeks.
- Keep valuables, documents and an essentials bag with you. They don't go in the truck.
What you need before you start
With us, furniture wrapping is included with every move and we supply the packing boxes, so tell us roughly how many you need when you ask for a quote. You'll still want a few things of your own:
- Packing tape and a tape dispenser, and a pair of scissors or a box cutter.
- Packing paper or plain newsprint for plates and glasses, and bubble wrap for the most fragile pieces.
- Thick marker pens for labelling, and a notebook or phone note for a box list.
- Zip bags for screws, bolts and small parts from anything that gets taken apart.
- Bin bags for the things you decide not to keep.
Step by step: packing a flat
Work in this order. It keeps the flat liveable until the last day and means the boxes you'll need first come off the truck at the right time.
Clear out first
Don't pay to wrap, carry and unpack things you'll throw away at the other end. Decide what goes, and list any furniture that should be taken away on moving day instead of moved.
Start with the rooms you use least
Spare rooms, storerooms, books, out-of-season clothes, decorations and spare kitchenware. Finish one room before starting the next, and keep each box to one room.
Pack heavy items in small boxes
Books, files and tins go in small boxes; duvets, cushions and soft toys go in large ones. A box should be easy for one person to lift. On a walk-up staircase or in a small lift, a heavy, overfilled box is the hardest thing to carry safely.
Wrap plates, bowls and glasses one by one
Wrap each piece in paper. Stand plates on their edge, like files, not flat in a stack. Put a layer of crumpled paper at the bottom and top of the box, and fill every gap so nothing moves when you shake it gently.
Pack clothes, shoes and bedding
Clothes can stay on hangers if you ask for wardrobe-style boxes, or be folded into boxes or suitcases. Use suitcases for heavy items like shoes so they can be rolled. Keep a change of clothes and bedding for the first night in your essentials bag.
Prepare electronics and appliances
Photograph the cables at the back of the TV and computer before unplugging them, bag and label the cables, and pack remote controls with their device. Defrost the fridge the night before. Drain the washing machine and check the manual about transport bolts.
Label every box
Write the room, a short list of contents and a number on at least two sides and the top. Add FRAGILE and THIS WAY UP where needed. Keep a list of the numbers, so you know what's missing at a glance.
Pack the essentials bag last
Documents, cash, jewellery, medicines, chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, a few tools, toilet roll and bin bags. This bag goes with you, not on the truck.
Want us to handle it?
WhatsApp your item list or a few photos, both addresses, the floors and your date. You'll get a fixed price before moving day.
Get a free quote on WhatsAppHow it works: free quote →Humidity: keeping boxes and furniture dry
Hong Kong's air is damp for most of the year. The Hong Kong Observatory's 1991–2020 climate normals give an average relative humidity of 78% over the year, peaking at 83% in April and May. Cardboard softens when it's damp, and things packed damp can come out musty.
| Month | Mean relative humidity |
|---|---|
| January | 74% |
| February | 79% |
| March | 82% |
| April | 83% |
| May | 83% |
| June | 82% |
| July | 81% |
| August | 81% |
| September | 78% |
| October | 73% |
| November | 72% |
| December | 70% |
| Year | 78% |
- Only pack things that are fully dry: wait a day after washing clothes, towels and bedding.
- Don't pack in a room you've just mopped, and keep boxes off a damp floor.
- Run a dehumidifier or the air-con's dry mode in the room where packed boxes are waiting, especially from March to August.
- Pack leather, wooden instruments, documents and photos last and unpack them first, so they spend as little time sealed as possible.
- Leave a gap between boxes and walls, so air can move.
Typhoons and rainstorms
Typhoon season and heavy rain can change a moving date at short notice. Under the Labour Department's code of practice, outdoor work stops when Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above or a Black Rainstorm Warning is in force. A move can't safely go ahead in those conditions.
- Check the Hong Kong Observatory forecast in the days before your move.
- Ask your mover, when you book, how a weather change is handled.
- In wet weather, keep paper bags and unboxed items off the truck route, and have old towels ready at the door of each flat.
- Pack a little earlier in the summer months, so a weather delay doesn't leave you half-packed.
Items that need extra thought
- Wardrobes and beds: empty them completely. We take them apart, wrap the parts and put them back together at the new flat. Keep the screws in a labelled bag taped to the largest part.
- Plants: water them a couple of days before, not on the day, so the pots are lighter and don't drip. We also offer plant moving.
- Anything flammable or pressurised (fuel, gas cylinders, aerosols, paint thinners): don't seal it in a box. Tell us about it when you ask for a quote.
- Valuables and documents: keep them with you. Don't pack cash, jewellery, passports or important papers.
- Things you're not keeping: list them for take-away on the day with our sister company Junk Removal HK, or see their move-out clearance checklist.
What affects the cost of packing
Packing changes a quote more than most people expect. These are the factors, so you can decide what to do yourself:
- Whether you pack yourself with the boxes we supply, or want the crew to pack some or all of it.
- How many boxes, and how much fragile kitchenware, glass and art there is.
- Furniture that has to be taken apart and reassembled.
- Whether the crew also unpacks at the new flat.
- Access at both ends (stairs, lift, distance from the truck), which affects how long packed boxes take to carry.
Furniture wrapping is included with every move. The price is agreed before moving day, with no hidden fees and no tips.
Questions people ask
How early should I start packing?
About two weeks before the move for a typical flat, starting with the things you use least. Leave the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms for the last two or three days.
Do you supply boxes?
Yes. We supply packing boxes. Tell us roughly how many you need when you ask for a quote.
Is furniture wrapping included?
Yes. Furniture wrapping is included with every move.
Can you pack for me?
Yes. You can pack yourself with the boxes we supply, or ask for our packing service when you ask for a quote.
How do I stop boxes going soft or musty in humid weather?
Pack only dry items, keep boxes off damp floors and away from walls, and run a dehumidifier or the air-con's dry mode in the room where they're waiting. The HKO's 1991–2020 normals put Hong Kong's average relative humidity at 78%, so this matters most of the year.
What shouldn't go in the moving boxes?
Cash, jewellery, passports and important documents, medicines and anything you'll need on the first night. Keep those with you. Tell us about anything flammable or pressurised rather than sealing it in a box.
How should I label moving boxes?
Write the room, a short contents list and a box number on at least two sides and the top, and add FRAGILE or THIS WAY UP where needed. Keep a numbered list so you can check everything arrived.
Want us to handle it?
WhatsApp your item list or a few photos, both addresses, the floors and your date. You'll get a fixed price before moving day.
Get a free quote on WhatsAppHow it works: free quote →Sources
Checked October 2026. Rules and charges change, so confirm with the source before you rely on them.
- Hong Kong Observatory: Monthly meteorological normals 1991–2020
- Labour Department: Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms
More moving guides
14 min readHong Kong moving checklist: week by week
A dated plan for building management, utilities, government address changes and moving day itself.
12 min readWill it fit? Lifts, doors and stairs
What to measure, the diagonal trick, when to take furniture apart, and why the staircase must stay clear.
Services that help
Furniture wrapping & packing boxes
Wrapping included on every move, and we supply the boxes.
Furniture disassembly & reassembly
Beds, wardrobes, desks and shelves taken apart and put back together.
Home moving
Flats and houses of any size, wrapped, moved and set up again.
Plant moving
Potted plants, balcony greens and indoor plants moved carefully across Hong Kong.