Four bedrooms, a sitting room, a dining area, a kitchen, a store full of things nobody has opened in years, and the children's things in every corner. When a whole family house moves, the problem is rarely one heavy item. It is the sheer number of things, and the order they go in.
Start two weeks out
A four-bedroom house does not get packed in one weekend. Give it at least two weeks.
In the first week, clear out. Go through the store, the boys' quarters, the wardrobes and the kitchen cabinets. Give away, sell or throw out what you will not use in the new house. Every item you remove is one less to pack, carry and load.
In the second week, pack room by room, starting with the rooms you use least.
Get cartons, tape, markers, polythene and old blankets early.
The room-by-room order
Pack the rooms in this order, from least used to most used:
- Store room, boys' quarters and garage
- Guest room or spare bedroom
- Sitting room extras: decorations, framed pictures, the display cabinet contents
- Children's rooms (keep a bag of their favourite things aside)
- Dining room and most of the kitchen
- Master bedroom
- Last-day kitchen and bathroom essentials
Label every carton with the room it is going to in the new house, not the room it came from. Write it on the top and on one side. If the new house has a different layout, agree the room names as a family first ("Bedroom 2 upstairs", "Ada's room") so nobody is guessing at the other end.
Keep one bag per person for the first night: clothes, toiletries, phone chargers, medicines and important documents. These travel with you in your own car, not on the truck.
Big items: what to prepare
Beds and wardrobes
Dismantle beds and big wardrobes the day before. Put the bolts and screws in a labelled bag and tape it to the headboard or a wardrobe panel. Wrap mattresses in polythene.
Fridges and freezers
Run down the food in the last week. Empty, defrost and dry them the night before. Our fridge and freezer guide has the details, including how long to wait before switching on again.
Washing machine, generator and gas cooker
Drain the washing machine and follow the manufacturer's guidance on securing the drum. Let the generator cool fully and follow the manufacturer's guidance on fuel. Get a gas fitter to disconnect the cooker, and close the cylinder valve.
Fragile things
Glassware, plates, mirrors, framed pictures and TVs need individual wrapping and clearly marked cartons. Our guide to packing fragile items goes through it step by step.
What goes on the truck first
The driver usually leads the loading, but knowing the logic helps you stage things in order.
- Heavy appliances: fridge, freezer, washing machine, generator. These go at the front, on the floor.
- Big furniture: wardrobes, dismantled beds, the dining table, cabinets, sofas.
- Heavy cartons: kitchen items, tools, files.
- Lighter cartons, bags and soft items on top and in the gaps.
- Mattresses and long pieces along the sides.
- Fragile cartons last, in a space where nothing will be stacked on them.
Stage everything near the gate in roughly that order, either the night before or early in the morning. In many Lagos streets the truck cannot park right at the door, and staging cuts the time it spends blocking the road. If your street is tight, read our guide to moving from tight-access homes in Lagos.
Ready to move?
Request a truck or van on Sphere
Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos accept or send a counter-offer.
Describe the full-house load in your request
"Four-bedroom house" tells the driver very little. One holds a few beds and some cartons; another has two of everything and a store full of old furniture.
A good load description covers:
- How many rooms are being moved, and on which floors
- Big furniture by type and count: beds, wardrobes, sofas, dining set, cabinets
- Appliances: fridge, freezer, washing machine, generator, cooker, TVs
- A rough count of cartons and bags
- Anything unusual, such as a piano, treadmill, large aquarium or heavy safe
- Access at both ends: stairs, distance from the gate to the door, estate rules, street width
- The loading and offloading help you need, and how many people
If you are not sure everything fits in one truck, say so in the request. The driver can tell you whether to plan two trips. For more on vehicle choice, see the Lagos truck hire page.
On moving day
Have one adult at the old house and one at the new house. The person at the new house directs every carton to its room as it comes off. Keep children and pets away from the loading, ideally with a relative for the day.
Tell your estate gateman at both ends which vehicle is coming and when. Before the truck leaves, walk every room: cupboards, the store, the boys' quarters, the roof of the wardrobe, behind doors.
How to do this on Sphere
- Open the Sphere app and choose a truck.
- Add the pickup and drop-off, with access notes for both houses.
- Describe the load room by room, using the list above.
- Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer.
- Propose your price. Verified drivers accept it or counter, and you choose the offer that suits you.
There is more on whole-house moves on our Lagos house moving page.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I give myself to pack a four-bedroom house?
At least two weeks. Use the first week to clear out and the second to pack room by room.
Will a four-bedroom house fit in one truck?
Often, but not always. Describe the load in detail in your request and ask the driver whether one trip is realistic or whether to plan two.
What should go on the truck first?
Heavy appliances, then big furniture, then heavy cartons. Light and fragile items go last, on top or in their own space.
How do I describe a full-house move in the Sphere app?
List the big furniture and appliances by type and count, give a rough carton count, and note stairs, gate distance and estate rules at both houses.
How is the price decided for a full-house move?
You propose a price and drivers accept it or counter. The size of the load, the distance, access, timing and any loading help all affect it.
Request your move
Request a truck or van on Sphere
Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos accept or send a counter-offer.
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