There are a lot of advantages to packing your own boxes over hiring a professional packer. Sure, those people do it for a living and, as a result, know a lot of things that the average person who only moves a handful of times throughout their lifetime wouldn’t know. But today we have the Internet and blogs like this that can give you so many tips and ideas for better packing that before you know it, you’ll be able to pack your moving boxes like a pro.
Step One – Get Packing Materials
To do anything right, you’ve got to have the right tools for the job. When you need to pack moving boxes for a move across town or on the other side of the country, you need to make sure you have all the right packing materials. Here is a list of the must-have items you’ll need:
- packing tape with a dispenser so you won’t have to fumble with the sticky tape
- black markers to mark with names, rooms or specific items
- newsprint or tissue paper for wrapping breakable items
bubble wrap or foam peanuts for really fragile items or a long-distance move - sturdy moving boxes in a number of different sizes for different types of items
Step Two – How to Pack Fragile Items
Your grandmother’s dishes, the cake topper from your wedding, collectable items that you’ve had since you were a kid: there are a lot of precious items that must be protected when you are moving in Massachusetts. When packing dishes or other breakable items, always wrap each item separately. For dishes or other breakable things that will be packed together, add an extra sheet of bubble wrap or newsprint between each item for cushioning.
If there is any empty space leftover in the box, make sure to fill it with packing material, such as foam peanuts. After you pack moving boxes, always write “fragile” on any boxes that contain breakable items an use arrows to show which way the box should be carried or stored to prevent damage. If you will be using movers, use the words “top load” along with the arrows and fragile markings to ensure the box will be loaded correctly.
Step Three – How to Pack Heavy Items
As you go through your houses an pack moving boxes, you will suddenly realize that you have a lot of heavy things. Heavy items should be packed into smaller boxes for easier lifting and moving. The heavy item should be placed in the bottom of the box and a layer of padding should be added before a lighter item is placed on top.
Do not ever put fragile items in with heavy items for any reason. This hold true for when you rent a Penske truck and pack it up to transfer your belongings to a new home or Affordable Storage in Fall River. Heavy items should be put in the truck first on the bottom and lighter boxes with more fragile items should be placed on top. You wouldn’t want to see what your special vase from your great-aunt Minnie would look like at the bottom of a moving box avalanche.
Step Four – How to Pack Dangerous Items
It is important to separate any items that could be dangerous in any way separately from other items. Knives from the kitchen should be packed properly to ensure that someone doesn’t cut themselves when unpacking them. Use old towels or purchase a knife roll, which will help keep your knives working better longer.
Other items that should NOT be packed in a cardboard box include things that are flammable, batteries, charcoal, pesticides, paint thinner, nail polish remover and paint. If you are using a moving service, you won’t be allowed to pack and ship these items. However, even if you rent a Penske truck and just move yourself across town, you shouldn’t pack these items either. If you must transport them to your new home, make sure the lids are on securely an move them in your private vehicle as you would when you purchased them new.
Step Five – Packing Strategy
It might seem like the best packing strategy is to just pack one room at a time. And while that makes complete sense for specialty rooms, such as bathrooms and the kitchen, but some items will be more difficult to pack than others. Here are just a few examples of items that will need extra care and consideration:
The home office can be a minefield of tough-to-pack items. Your computer, printer and other electronic equipment is sensitive and must be packed carefully to avoid damage. If you have the original packing, go ahead and use it. However, most people don’t save the original boxes after they’ve had these items for a few months, so be prepared to look for alternatives. Make sure to back up any important files on an external hard drive just in case anything happens to your computer while moving in Massachusetts.
Wine glasses are even more fragile than regular kitchen glasses. Make your glasses extra secure by stuffing some newsprint inside the globe of the glass loosely, wrap the glass in layers of tissue paper or bubble wrap and secure the wrapping with tape. Make sure to place glasses upright in a cardboard box that has multiple layers of insulation cells and fill any empty space with extra packing paper or foam peanuts. Add an extra layer of bubble wrap on top of the box before you close and seal it.
Lampshades are extremely delicate and can be difficult to replace, particularly if you have antique or hard-to-find sizes. Lampshades can be nested together and placed inside a large box when you pack moving boxes. Consider adding a sheet of plain tissue paper between each shade and add some packing paper in the box before closing the lid. Do not pack anything else with your lampshades, even if it seems lightweight. Stack your lampshade box on the top of the stack inside the moving truck to ensure it doesn’t get crushed.
Step Six – Label Boxes and Make a List
As you are packing boxes, go ahead and write family members’ names on them or the room they will go in, but make sure you keep a list of boxes as you go so you know what you’ve got. Another method is to number each box and just write down the contents of each box next to the number on the list.
Having a list will make it easier to find things when you unpack, especially if you will be storing your belongings at Affordable Storage in Fall River before you get into your new home. There are a lot of situations where you might need to move out of your current home before your new home is ready. Affordable Storage has a lot of storage options available that can help you make your move a lot easier.
Step Seven – Contact Affordable Storage in Fall River
At Affordable Storage, you can rent a storage space or rent a Penske truck to help with your move. Storage options are available also for cars, trucks, ATVs, motorcycles and RVs. Affordable Storage has extra wide gates that can accommodate semi-trucks and large moving trucks, plus extra wide doors are available on each unit.
If you are moving in Massachusetts, give Affordable Storage in Fall River a call. You can get quotes on storage facilities and make a reservation to rent a Penske truck. Family owned and operated, they have been in business for over 20 years. Stop by and visit the state-of-the-art facility located in Fall River to see all the options and opportunities for residential and commercial storage.