When should I start packing?
Our advice is two to four weeks before moving day. Start with what you do not use day to day and leave the kitchen and bathroom for the last few days. Label each box with the room and contents, so the removal company knows where to put it. How many boxes you need and where to rent them in Gothenburg is in the guide to moving boxes.
What packing material do I need?
Moving boxes in two sizes, packing tape and something to wrap fragile items in: tissue paper, packing paper or bubble wrap. The bubble wrap provides extra shock absorption when the contents are at risk of hitting something else, according to Clas Ohlson. Use packing tape where the box's construction requires it, and fill empty spaces with packing paper so that nothing moves when the box is carried. Dimensions and prices of the boxes are listed in the guide to moving boxes.
Source: Clas Ohlson: Moving boxes and packaging.
How do I pack glass and porcelain for the move?
In small boxes, because glass and porcelain are heavy in relation to their volume. Wrap each glass and plate separately in tissue paper, packing paper or bubble wrap, fill empty spaces so that nothing can move and distribute the weight over several boxes. Clas Ohlson's smallest moving box can withstand a maximum of 20 kilos. Mark the box with room, contents and that it is fragile.
Source: Clas Ohlson: Moving boxes and packaging.
What should I pack first?
Start with what you can do without until the move: the storage room, books, ornaments and clothes for another season. At the same time, pack a bag of your own with what you need the first night in the new home, so you do not have to dig through the boxes.
Does packing qualify for the RUT tax deduction?
Yes, if the removal company packs. Skatteverket counts unpacking and packing as RUT work when moving. If you pack yourself, there is no work to deduct. What else gives a deduction is on the page about RUT tax deduction for move
Source: Skatteverket: Ger arbetet rätt till rutavdrag?.
Do moving boxes qualify for the RUT tax deduction?
No. Skatteverket gives no deduction for moving boxes, nor for the removal van, fuel or storage rent.
Source: Skatteverket: Ger arbetet rätt till rutavdrag?.
What do I do with what I am not taking with me?
You take bulky waste to a recycling centre. There you need a valid driving licence or a recycling centre card, and visits are free if you are registered in Gothenburg or have a waste subscription there. Whole pieces of furniture can be left at Kretsloppsparken Alelyckan. If things are to be kept for a while, you can put them in storage.
Source: Göteborgs Stad: Recycling centres.
Templates for the step
Fill in and download the template as Word or PDF, or copy the text and fill in what is in square brackets. Where there are formal requirements, the legal provision is shown under the template. All templates are under templates for the move.
Document: Ad: for sale To: Ad site or groupour advice
The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.
- State the last collection day; that makes the buyer book transport in time (our advice).
- Transport to a private buyer gives the buyer no RUT tax deduction (Skatteverket).
Email: Request for collection to second hand To: The second-hand shop
The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.
- Send photos; the shops decide for themselves what they accept (our advice).
- If a company drives the items to second hand for payment, that qualifies for a RUT tax deduction of 25 per cent of the total price (Skatteverket).
Email: Request for the disposal of gross waste To: Municipality’s collector of gross waste or a company for the disposal of gross waste
The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.
- Describe the quantity as accurately as you can. Gothenburg's collection charges per 1.5 cubic meters and five minutes of loading, and unsorted waste can result in a fee for extra time (Gothenburg, 2026).
- Put out the items you have agreed on, or cancel in time. Otherwise, you may have to pay for a no-show (Gothenburg).
- Transport to the recycling centre gives no RUT tax deduction. If the items are going to second hand or auction, the transport gives a RUT tax deduction of 25 percent of the total cost (Skatteverket).
- Please send pictures, so the price is correct from the start (our advice).
The law behind the step
The sections summarised, with a link to the legal text on riksdagen.se.
67 kap. 13 § 1 och 7 inkomstskattelag (1999:1229), checked 3 October 2026
Household work includes move-out cleaning in the home (point 1) and moving household goods and other personal property between homes and to and from storage (point 7).
Links for the step
- Information Skatteverket: List of RUT work
