If there’s one thing that’s always part and parcel of moving house, it’s the cardboard box. It’s simply inconceivable that anyone could consider relocating without, at some point, stocking up on them. They’re a trusty staple of the removals world, without which the whole process would be far harder. Remember those student-era moves, when you’d try to do it all with bin-liners, only to discover that hardback books have a tendency to tear through them, leaving your precious possessions falling out in the road? Shudder. So here’s to the cardboard box, an invention that almost rivals the wheel for its combination of genius and simplicity. Of course, when we think of the cardboard box, we tend to picture the standard, square-shaped variety, but there are many more styles out there, most of which could come in handy during your move. Here’s a little run-down of our favourites.

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What could be more exciting than making your first ever move? We don’t mean moving into short-term student digs, which is another matter – we’re talking about the nest-flying moment when you move out of your parental home and into the world. It’s a rite of passage that ushers you into adulthood once and for all, with – all being well – no turning back. It’s daunting, of course, but that’s more than mitigated by the sheer optimism that characterises this moment when it comes, in whatever guise, beckoning you into the realm of the fully grown-up. Still, it pays not to rush headlong into it with nary a thought or plan. In fact, it’s vital to give it proper forethought. Of course, there’s never going to be the perfect time of readiness – we have to take the plunge with a bit of blind faith because we can’t know the future. But we can still make sure we’re as primed as we can be, so that, fingers crossed, it all goes well. Here are some considerations to ponder when your first move approaches, whether you’re 16 or 36.
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