Packing tips

If you plan to pack your items yourself

1. Box sizes matter
When you pack books for moving, pack them or other heavy items in small boxes. Light items, like linens and pillows, can be packed in bigger ones. Packing large boxes with heavy items makes it more difficult to move the boxes efficiently but also carefully.

2. Heavier items on the bottom, lighter items on top

3. Don't leave empty spaces in the boxes
Ever seen or played with those Russian Dolls? Similar to the setup of the Russian Dolls, pack smaller boxes into bigger boxes. Also, fill in gaps with clothing, towels, or packing paper. This will limit the overall trips of grabbing boxes as there will be fewer boxes overall to pack into the truck.

4. Keep specific room items together
This will make your packing quicker and unpacking a piece of cake. Additionally, label each box with the room it's destined for and a description of its contents. This will help you, as well as our movers, know where every box belongs in your new place. Numbering each box will also ensure all boxes have arrived safely.

5. Tape your moving boxes effectively
Use a couple of pieces of tape to close the bottom and top seams. Next, use the mover technique by making a couple of wraps completely around the boxes, top to bottom. This can be where stress is concentrated.

6. Moving expensive art
You should never wrap oil paintings in regular paper as they will stick. Making an X with masking tape across the glass will strengthen it. It will also hold framed pictures together if it shatters. Wrap the pictures in paper or bubble wrap and put them in a frame box with a piece of cardboard between each framed piece for extra protection.

7. Don’t rush packing up the kitchen
When packing plates, pack paper around each dish, then wrap bundles of five or six together with more paper. Make sure to use plenty of bunched-up paper as padding above and below. Cups and bowls can be packed inside one another with paper in between. Wrap three or four in a bundle and packed in barrel boxes. When you pack glasses use a box with cardboard dividers to help protect the glasses and wrap them in plenty of layers of paper.

8. Get your wardrobe in order
You can pack folded clothes in cardboard boxes and/or suitcases. Hanging clothes you can use a special wardrobe box and hang your clothes right in it. This makes it easy for unpacking! Protect your shoes from each other by wrapping shoes individually to keep sharp heels or buckles from damaging other shoes. As well as keeping dirt from one pair of shoes from dirtying up the rest of your shoes. Pro tip: you can pack socks into shoes to help them hold their shape and use straws to keep necklaces from tangling.

9. Learn how to pack a TV for moving
Some people treat TVs like any other piece of furniture, wrapping them in quilted furniture pads. Plasma TVs, however, require special wooden crates for shipping if you don't have the original box and can be ruined if you lay them flat. Double-box your TV. Box your TV in one box then place within another box and pad with packing paper.

10. Small space for moving?
Mock your moving space:

1. Mark the dimensions of the space on your floor and wall with painter’s or masking tape. This way you can pack your boxes within the tape to ensure everything will fit in your moving truck.
2. Create a scale version of the space and your larger items on graph paper.

11. Create an inventory list
While you’re packing, assign each packed box with a number. On your list, write down the corresponding number and a brief description of the item(s) and/or what’s inside the box. When unloading you can check your list to make sure nothing went missing during the move. In the unfortunate case something did, you’ll know what it was right away.

12. There are certain items you should not pack together
What should not be packed in the moving truck? Some things can be hazardous during the moving process. Therefore it’s best to move them separately or dispose of them before moving. Tools, painting equipment and cleaning chemicals should be packed together in marked boxes. You can use plastic totes to prevent messy or dangerous leaks. Pack bottles and medications together and keep them separate from other belongings. Other items to pack separately:

• Fire extinguishers
• Ammonia
• Chlorine granules
• Heating agents
• Paints and varnishes
• Auto batteries.