How to Pack Fragile Items for House Shifting in Pakistan: Glass, TV, Crockery & AC Dismantling

Fragile items survive a house move when each piece is wrapped individually, packed upright, labelled clearly, and loaded last so it comes off first. Glass, crockery, mirrors and TVs need bubble wrap or thick newspaper, sturdy boxes with no empty space, and tape on every seam. AC units must be dismantled properly before the move so the gas is recovered and the copper pipes are not damaged. Professional packing and shifting in Islamabad and Rawalpindi starts from Rs 8,000, with the price confirmed before work begins.

Crockery, glass and mirrors

Crockery is the most commonly broken category in Pakistani house moves, and the reason is almost always the same: plates stacked flat in a big box with nothing between them. Pack plates vertically, like records on a shelf, with paper or bubble wrap between each one, and keep the box small enough that one person can lift it comfortably. Glasses should be wrapped individually and packed upright with paper stuffed inside each one, while bowls nest with paper between them. Fill every gap with crumpled paper so nothing shifts when the box is carried down stairs or loaded onto a truck.

Glass tabletops, mirrors and framed pictures need a different approach. Tape a large cross across the face of a mirror or glass panel before wrapping it, because the tape holds the pieces together if it does crack. Wrap the piece in bubble wrap, then slide it into a flat cardboard box or sandwich it between two pieces of cardboard, and always transport it upright, never flat under other boxes. Label the box fragile on at least two sides and tell the loading crew which boxes hold glass, because a box that looks like any other box will be treated like any other box.

TVs and other screens are the most expensive fragile items in most homes, and they deserve the most care. If you still have the original box and foam, use it, because it was designed for exactly this. If not, wrap the screen in a soft blanket or bubble wrap with the smooth side against the screen, then box it upright and mark it clearly. Never lay a flat-screen TV face down, never stack anything on top of it, and never wrap it in a way that presses on the centre of the screen. Remove the stand and pack it separately, and coil the cables in a labelled bag so the TV can be set up quickly at the new house.

AC dismantling before the move

AC dismantling is the step most people underestimate before a move. An AC cannot simply be pulled off the wall, because the refrigerant gas must be pumped back into the outdoor unit first, the copper pipes must be disconnected without kinking them, and the indoor and outdoor units must be wrapped and carried separately. A dismantled AC that is handled badly often arrives with a gas leak, a bent pipe or a damaged PCB, and the repair costs more than the dismantling would have. Book the dismantling with the shifting team or an AC technician before moving day, and have the unit reinstalled and tested at the new house on the same day where possible.

Packing order matters as much as packing material. Start with the rooms you use least, such as the drawing room and guest room, and leave the kitchen and bedrooms for the last day. Pack one room at a time and label every box with the destination room and a short note about what is inside, because a box marked kitchen fragile will be handled differently from a box marked store room books. Keep a separate essentials bag with phone chargers, medicines, basic crockery, toiletries and a change of clothes, so the first night at the new house does not depend on opening twenty boxes.

Loading the truck right

Loading the truck is where good packing either pays off or is wasted. Heavy boxes go on the floor of the truck and light, fragile boxes go on top, never underneath. Furniture should be wrapped in blankets so edges do not scratch, and wardrobes and beds are best dismantled by the shifting crew before loading. Fragile boxes should be loaded last so they come off first at the new house and are not buried under furniture. If the move involves stairs at either end, mention it when booking, because it changes how many people the crew needs to send.

Fragile packing is priced as part of the job once the crew has seen the inventory, so a home with a full crockery set, several mirrors, a large TV and two ACs will cost more to pack properly than a home with very little glass. The price is always quoted after inspection and confirmed before work begins, and a written quote based on the actual inventory is worth getting before moving day.

The most common mistake in a Pakistani house move is leaving the fragile packing until the last evening. By then everyone is tired, boxes run out, and glasses end up wrapped in a single sheet of newspaper. Start the fragile packing a week early, a few boxes a day, and the move becomes calm instead of chaotic. If you would rather not do it yourself, a professional packing crew brings the right boxes, bubble wrap and tape, packs room by room, and takes responsibility for the loading as well, which is the simplest way to make sure the things that matter most arrive in one piece.

If your home needs attention, call or WhatsApp RehmanRepairs on 0316 2613726 and tell us your area and the problem. Our office is at Office 12 Blue Area Islamabad, we work Monday to Sunday from 8AM to 10PM, and every job carries a 15-day workmanship warranty. Book before 4 PM for same-day service where possible, and the price is always confirmed before work begins.