Packing Tips
Art Meets Science to Get This Chore Right
There’s no doubt about it. Packing is a chore, and in this case the old adage does not hold true: a little bit of knowledge is not a dangerous thing! Here are our helpful tips to get packing with a little art and a lot of science to get it done right.
Follow these 6 moving tips and get a jump start on effective and efficient stress-free moving prep.
Start Early
Don’t wait until the week before you move to start packing your things. Packing takes a lot longer than you may think—especially if you want to pack properly to ensure that your items are transported securely.
There are even some items you can pack a couple of months before a move. For example, pack up out-of-season clothes, holiday decorations, china, stemware, and books.
Pack by Room
Pack similar items together. It’s best that boxes are filled to the brim to keep them from collapsing. After you’ve filled a box, label it with what it contains and an arrow indicating which side is up.
And of course, if it’s fragile, write that on the box as well.
Pack Securely
For a secure box, you should tape the seam on the bottom, and run a piece of tape perpendicular to that seam. Pad the bottom and sides of the box with paper. Depending on what you’re packing, you should wrap each item with paper.
When you’ve filled the box to capacity, tape it shut and label it with its contents.
Be sure that you label the sides of the box, not the top of the box.
Stand Your Plates on Edge
No one wants to open the box marked plates only to find your china or dinnerware in pieces. That’s why they need to be packed in a particular way to ensure that they will arrive in one piece.
Breakage is far less likely if you stand your plates on edge inside the box. You also need to wrap each plate in paper and include plenty of stuffing on the bottoms, sides and in the corners of the box. Put so much stuffing inside the box that the plates don’t have any room to shift around at all.
Pack Small Items in Large Boxes
And Large Items in Small Boxes
Conventional wisdom does not prevail here. So, pack small items in large boxes and large items in small boxes. Books are the only exception. If you fill a big box with a bunch of small books, the weight is going to pile up and the box is going to be too heavy to carry.
Also, pack heavier items at the bottom of the box and lighter items toward the top of the box.
Label Your Boxes Clearly
Label them by the room and with a general description of the contents it contains. The label should be on the sides of the box, not on the top.
