FORGET securing a mortgage, finding your dream property and having your offer accepted… it seems the actual moving part of moving house is one of the hardest parts of the process.

That’s according to new research released today by MoneySuperMarket Home Movers Hub which looks into how many items we break and lose as well as how long it takes us to pack and unpack.

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The study shows that the average amount of money lost on broken or misplaced items is almost £65 each move, totaling a whopping £350 million in the UK in an average year.

One in ten of us admit to losing or breaking at least five items per move.

Before we even get to the move, the average person takes more than two weeks to pack up their home, while one in seven takes more than a month to be ready to go.

And after all that hard work, many of us admit once we’ve moved into our new place it takes us a long time to start the unpacking side of the move.

While almost 40% of movers say it takes them more than a month to be fully unpacked, one in five even admit to still having unpacked boxes more than a year after moving.

So how can you make sure you don’t lose items and break things in your move?

Following tips such as labelling boxes with the room its items are destined for, making sure to pack art and collectables with plenty of padding and bubble wrap, taping an X to any glass or mirrors, making sure you are following packing instructions for white goods and appliances and dismantling as much furniture as possible into smaller manageable parts, can make for a less expensive and frustrating move.