It is the night before the truck comes, and the child's room still has a bunk bed, a toy box that nobody has looked in for a year, school bags, uniforms and a wall full of drawings. If you leave this room for last, it will take the longest.
A child's room has many small things and a few awkward large ones. Done in the right order, it is one of the easier rooms to pack, and one of the most useful to unpack first.
Start two weeks before, with the toys
Toys are the part everyone avoids. Sit down with the child, if they are old enough, and sort into three piles: keep, give away and throw. Broken toys and loose pieces from puzzles that have lost half their parts can go.
Do not decide alone for a child who cares. A quick sort together is faster than an argument on moving day. Anything given away should leave the house before the move so it does not fill the truck.
Take down the big pieces first
Cots, bunk beds and wardrobes are the heavy pieces in a child's room. Follow the same method as the main bedroom:
- Photograph the bed before you take it apart.
- Take off the slats, rails and ladders and tie each set together.
- Put every screw and bolt in a labelled bag, and tape the bag to the headboard or inside the frame.
- Wrap mattresses in plastic or a clean sheet.
Our guide to taking furniture apart before a move goes into the detail. For beds and mattresses in general, read packing a bedroom for a move.
A cot needs extra care because safety matters. Check at the new house that every screw is back in and tight before a child sleeps in it, and follow the manufacturer's guidance for assembly.
School things need their own box
Exercise books, textbooks, uniforms and shoes are easy to lose in a general pile, and impossible to replace the night before school starts. Pack them together in a clearly labelled box and keep it with you in your own car, or put it in a place where it will be loaded last and offloaded first.
Pack books in small boxes, because a big box of books is far too heavy to lift. Read labelling and numbering boxes to set up a system that works for the whole house.
Pack comfort items separately
Every child has a favourite blanket, a bear or a pillow. Do not pack these in the truck. Put them in a bag that travels with the family. The first night in a new place is easier with something familiar.
If your child is small, moving house with babies and young children covers how to plan the whole day around them.
Ready to move?
Request a truck or van on Sphere
Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.
Wall decor, curtains and lamps
Take down drawings and posters carefully. Roll posters, or lay them flat between two pieces of card. Frames need paper between them, and glass should be taped. Small lamps and night lights should be wrapped and packed upright in a box with padding.
Label by room, and by child
If there is more than one child, use two colours of tape or marker, or write each child's name on the box. It makes unpacking quick, and nobody argues about whose box is whose.
On each box write the room, the contents and a note such as "open first" or "fragile". Make a simple list of the boxes as they are filled, as shown in making a moving inventory.
Unpack this room first
Children settle quickly when their own space is ready. Put the bed together, make it up, and put the favourite toys and books in view before you set up the kitchen. Having one calm room is worth more than a neatly arranged sitting room.
Read the first night in your new home for a full list of what to unpack first.
How to do this on Sphere
Open the Sphere app and choose a truck or pickup van for the whole house. Add the pickup and drop-off, and mention the child's room in the description: "one bunk bed, one wardrobe, ten boxes of toys and books". Propose a price. Nearby verified drivers accept it or send counter-offers, and you choose the one you want. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer.
Useful pages: house moving in Lagos and truck hire in Lagos.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start packing a child's room?
About two weeks before the move. Start with toys, because sorting them takes time.
How do I keep bunk bed parts together?
Tie the rails and slats together and put every screw in a labelled bag taped to the frame.
Should school books go on the truck?
It is safer to carry them in your own car, or have them loaded last and offloaded first.
How do I keep my child calm on moving day?
Keep a bag with comfort items with you and set up the child's room first.
Can a cot go on the truck fully assembled?
Usually it is better to take it apart, then check every screw when you rebuild it.
Request your move
Request a truck or van on Sphere
Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.
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