If you are planning a move abroad, with items including porcelain, electronics, your favourite knife set and any other property that you can’t live without, it quickly becomes apparent that a few suitcases will not be enough – this ain’t no holiday. But there is a solution that can provide security to your belongings and save you some hard earned cash: pack everything on a pallet and ship it ahead of time via a pallet courier.

There are companies that can do this for you if you are pressed with time, but generally, it’s better to do such things yourself. This gives you greater control over securing your more fragile items and may also help you prioritise what you should really bring.

So how does it work? What do you need and how do you pack your things in an efficient manner?

First of all, you need to purchase the supplies. The actual pallet (wood is the cheaper alternative, but if your destination is very humid a plastic pallet may be needed), boxes (as sturdy as you can find), bubble wrap, duct tape (or similar durable tape), pallet wrap (plastic wrap found in many packaging stores) and finally security straps (if needed).

The quantities of each component varies depending on how much stuff you are bringing, for example if you have a lot of fragile items you may need considerable quantities of bubble wrap. However, please note that you should use “filler” material such as the bubble wrap sparingly – space is a valuable asset in shipping and should be optimised.

When packing your things into the boxes, make sure that you consider the weight of the finished box, as you should try to load the heaviest ones at the bottom of the pallet. Also load the pallet where it should be picked up, or once finished you may have a hard time moving it.

Once your pallet is loaded, secure it with plastic wrap, and don’t be shy: double or triple layer it to be on the safe side. If needed, secure it further with security straps.

The final step is to label the pallet with the stickers and forms that your pallet courier supplies, and make sure they are secure and clearly visible. You can even cover them with some plastic wrap to prevent any moisture or water damage.

That’s it! Now all that remains is to schedule the pickup, and your things can get on their way to your destination.