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How to Pack for the Movers
Tips to simplify your move - Sept. 5, 2010
You are finally making the big move, found a new house in a great neighbourhood, booked a mover and now you are left with the task of packing. There are a few important tips that you will need to keep in mind that will end up saving you a lot of time and stress during the move. There are 3 steps to consider when you are packing. The first thing you should do is head out and buy all the packing materials you will need, such as: boxes, tape, packing paper and some bubble wrap for good measure. Secondly do not put off your packing until the last few days. If you start early and do a little bit each day you will be thanking yourself later. Lastly keep yourself organized, make a list and systematically move through your house packing similar items in each room.
Here is a broken down list of recommended items to help smooth out your packing process:
Packing paper and bubble wrap: News print works great for packing but will sometimes it will smudge ink on your items. A quick wash will take care of the ink, however you can skip the hassle and purchase packing paper from your moving company. Use the bubble wrap for more fragile items such as dishes, glasses, mirror ect.
Boxes: You can find free boxes at lots of different stores. A couple of examples are at your local liquor store, or super market. Just make sure you grab strong boxes that are not damaged and can be sealed. You may also wish to purchase some boxes especially made for moving such as wardrobe boxes and picture cartons. These boxes will cost you some money but they will help to ensure the safe transport of your items.
Magic markers: Grab a few large black felt tip markers for labelling all of your boxes.
Tape: Clear packing tape workers best especially with the use of a tape gun to help speed things up.
Great, now that you have everything together it is time to start packing. As mentioned earlier try to start as early as possible. By doing a little bit of work each day you will turn your packing job into a much simpler task and avoid the nightmare of doing it all in one or two days. As you begin packing make sure you do it in an organized fashion moving from one room to the next. By packing each room individually you will also have a much easier job unpacking and save you from a lot of confusion later. Begin in rooms that you use infrequently such as the garage, attic, or other storage areas and work your way through the house, finishing at the kitchen. As you pack each room leave an extra box or two for items that need to be left out until moving day.
The kitchen is the hardest room to pack and will be the most time consuming. Liquor store boxes can be of huge help here especially the boxes with dividers in them. When you pack your delicate items first layer some packing paper on the bottom and then begin packing with the heavier items on bottom and lighter items on top. You should be crunching up packing paper and placing it in between every article. Flatware such as your plates can be placed together with sheets of paper wrapped around each plate. For cups make use of your dividers and lots of packing paper. You want to avoid and use all of the extra space so nothing is able to move. The boxes should be packed snugly but not so tight as to put pressure on the articles within. Larger, less delicate, kitchen items such as: small appliances, pots and pans can all be packed together with a few sheets of paper wrapped around each for protection. Anything that will be easily scratched should have extra protection just to be on the safe side. If you are not sure how well an article needs to be packed it is always best to default to the careful side of things. Finally food items should all be carefully sealed especially if they will be travelling a long distance or in storage. Typically placing some tape over the top of cereal boxes or salt and pepper shakers will be enough to keep the contents secured for the journey.
A few last tips to remember:
Do not pack up anything explosive or combustible even aerosol cans can be dangerous.
Heavier items should be packed into smaller boxes to help keep the weight down and avoid the possibility of the box buckling.
Light items can be packed in to large boxes to help save trips.
Books, records and plates should be stood on end when packed to further protect them from damage during you move.
There you have it, don't worry it will not be as hard as it sounds. If you really don't want to do the packing yourself you can always hire a moving company. Best of luck!
-JM
Hello Everyone
Sept. 1, 2010
Hey this is Javon Marlow here sending out a big hi from Vancouver. I will be starting up a small blog here with and emphasis on anything moving related.
I have spent a good portion of my working life with moving companies. I have being around the block from being the fresh employee on the scene to starting my own small moving business.
I look forward to sharing my experiences and hopefully helping some of you with your move.
-JM