Moving is one of the most stressful times in a person’s life and rightly so, given the amount of packing and planning that goes into such an event. While it can be tough to pack up a lifetime worth of belongings, many people can start to panic when it comes to how you should pack your boxes for them not to break.
Here are a few tips professional packers use to get you started:
1. Don’t wait until the last minute to start packing!
Prepare well in advance.
2. Keep all your packing materials together in a box.
Don’t let them get mixed up with your belongings.
3. Think about how to arrange your items in boxes –
So that they can be unpacked easily when you deliver them to your new place.
4. Boxes:
While it is important to have a few boxes, try and avoid buying them from big retailers like Target/IKEA because they are not designed to withstand the abuse of moving. You should contact your moving company as they are more likely to have appropriate packing boxes, may save you some money and can also give you great advice on packing.
5. Always pack heavy items on the bottom of a box and lightweight items on top.
6. Never over-fill a box
Ideally, you should be able to close the flaps with ease.
7. Wrap breakable and delicate items
Wrap in plenty of bubble-wrap, before packing them into a box.
8. Tape:
Don’t skimp out on tape when packing because this will probably be the thing that holds everything together. You’ll want tape that is made from a sturdy material. Regular scotch tape will not stand up to your needs.
9. Label each box accurately, as you pack it –
Don’t leave this job until later! Boxes labeled incorrectly can get lost or go to the wrong address… not funny when you move cross-country!
10. Get help to move your boxes:
This is not an easy thing to do yourself. It can be quite dangerous if you are not familiar with the task. So think about offering your friends and family a chance to help you or, better still, hire a professional mover.