Moving is such an arduous and expensive task that most will rue the day when packing begins, the day it ends, and the days in between! Some can afford to have a full service moving company pack their goods for them, but most are not in the financial situation to be able to pay for such a service. If you plan on packing the contents of your home, apartment or business yourself to move or to put them into self storage, proper planning and technique can assure that your belongings are not damaged in the process of loading and unloading, and that your items can be stacked correctly. A little planning and organizing can really do wonders down the line and make the whole process quicker and more efficient.
Check out these 4 simple tips that can help you save space and make sure that your belongings are 100% unscathed from the moving process.
1. Group your stuff!
When you're packing, remember to keep each room separate from each other. Write numbers or the name of the room on the boxes and make a key that you keep at the storage shed or in the moving truck to remind you what is what. That way you can find things later. A great way to label is by room first, then by number or letter. For example if you have 3 boxes of "Master Bedroom", they could be numbered "Master Bedroom 1, Master Bedroom 2... etc". You will save a ton of time looking for things down the road if you take the extra time up-front to write up a key for yourself, make it easy on your memory!
2. Protect your things with some squish!
Did you ever have a science class where you had to drop an egg in a box off a roof and try to make the egg not break? The same concept applies to your moving boxes, you should put some filler in with your possessions for some cushiony goodness that can save them from harm in case of a fall. The usual suspects for fragile wrapping work well, such as bubble wrap, packing paper, towels, packing peanuts and even cut up egg cartons, use whatever you can to provide a layer of protection on the outer rim of the box. Fragile items should get their own wrapping and be placed with similar items, such as china and dishware or electronics.
3. Keep your boxes as full as possible!
Remember that the heavy stuff always goes on the bottom! You want to make sure that all your boxes are as full as possible when you seal them up. Open space creates sagg and when boxes are stacked the extra space can cause shifting inside them which is bad news. If you don't have enough items to fill the box to the brim, put filler in to negate the empty space, packing paper or peanuts work well for this as well. Another thing to keep in mind is the weight of the box in total, you will want to keep your smaller boxes under 30 lbs, and the larger boxes to under 50 lbs for ease of moving and to make sure the structure of the box stays intact and doesn't fall apart due to the stress put on the box.
4. Close them with care!
Get good packing tape and don't skimp, this could lead to disasters as you move and shove your boxes around the moving truck, your new home, or into your storage shed. Its better to use long pieces of tape and wrap them far around the box to create more leverage. Also try and use a cross on each box to help secure the tape from both sides and give the box a bit more structural integrity.
Good luck with all your future packing endeavors!
When your done with organizing, packing and stacking all of your boxes, you can head on over to www.findgoodmovers.net and find a great moving company near you at a price that won't break the bank!
