Pack Like A Pro For An Easier Move

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Learning To Love Moving

A few years ago, my employer asked me to move to a new city for work. I was honored that he thought of me, but disappointed to leave behind friends and family members. My anxiety grew when I realized that I would be faced with brand new coworkers and a new office. However, I decided to have a good attitude about it, and you wouldn't believe the difference it made in my life. It changed a drab, depressing move into an exciting change filled with adventure. I want you to check out these articles all about moving and storage. You never know, you might find tips that will make your next transition a breeze.

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Pack Like A Pro For An Easier Move

8 September 2015
 Categories: , Blog


If you're moving house, you may have elected to save money on moving costs by packing and unpacking your belongings yourself, rather than having professional movers do it for you. That's a smart decision, if you know how to pack items so they won't get damaged or broken. Here are some tips on how to pack tricky household items so they make it to your new destination safely.

Lamps

Use heavy-duty boxes such as those you would use for dishes and other breakable items. Line the bottom of your lampshade box with shredded paper or styrofoam peanuts. Nest lampshades inside each other if possible.

Remove light bulbs, and wrap the cords around your lamp bases. Wrap any lamp bases in bubble wrap or other protective material, and label them so they wind up in the proper room.

Electronics

Electronics are ideally packed in the boxes they came in, assuming these were sturdy in the first place. Remove any CDs, DVDs, or video cassettes prior to packing. Try to use boxes that won't let your electronics be mistaken for other, less important items (e.g., don't pack your DVD player in the box your kids' race car set came in).

You should use anti-static packing materials for these items, lest they be damaged by static electricity. Fill the bottom of a heavy-duty box with crushed paper, and place the item inside. Then, fill all the gaps around it with packing material. Don't pack multiple items in one big box to reduce the risk of the box giving way.

Artwork

Wrap artwork in bubble paper and secure with packing tape. This is one item you should consider asking your movers to pack for you, if you don't think you can protect it sufficiently. You can have them shrink wrap it on the day of the move, as long as you request that in advance and agree on the fee. If you have very precious artwork that cannot be replaced, think about having a mover that specializes in art handle it for you.

Books

Use small to medium size boxes for books, as these can become very heavy very quickly. Fill boxes completely, so the tops won't be crushed. Pack books on their sides, not lying flat.

China

China and other breakables should always be packed in heavy-duty corrugated boxes. Line the bottom of each box with crushed paper, then layer it with plates or bowls. Each piece should be wrapped in paper (wrapping paper or grocery bags will work if you don't have a roll of moving paper), and more paper should be wrapped around the entire stack. If you have expensive and/or irreplaceable china, consider investing in a set of protective covers and a hard case made especially for it.

Glassware

Regular drinking glasses should be packed similarly to china and can be nested inside each other after being individually wrapped with paper. Never nest wine glasses or other stemware. These glasses should go in special stemware boxes with dividers between each piece.

As a final tip, always resist the urge to overload boxes so the contents don't fall out during transport. Line boxes containing any fabric items with garbage bags for protection from water (it could rain on your moving day). Label everything meticulously, and your move should go smoothly at both ends. For more tips, contact a company like Wheaton World Wide Moving.