Moving into a new home can mark a milestone in anyone’s life — perhaps you’re packing for a relocation from a cramped urban apartment to a home in a neighborhood featuring tree-lined streets, or going to an exciting new city because you’ve just received the job offer of your dreams.
The act of packing, however, is a different story, as any good moving company can tell you. Many people simply throw everything into boxes that they’ve gotten from the supermarket, increasing the chances of loss or breakage. Packing is definitely a tedious, time-consuming activity, so let’s look at several tactics that professional movers use to streamline the process and safeguard your belongings.
An experienced moving company will tell you that the most common mistake that do-it-yourself movers make is over-packing boxes. Putting more than 50 pounds into any one container is an excellent way to ensure that things get broken and may even result in injuries of those trying to move the boxes. Using sturdy, clean boxes, placing heavy items at the bottom, and tightly sealing the tops so that they’re flat are the three main basics of packing for portability and protection of contents.
Labels and Inventory
Clearly labeling each box will make unpacking substantially easier, and you’ll streamline the process even further if you inventory each box and its contents the way that a moving company would. All that you need to do is to number each box and provide a corresponding list of the contents in an average-sized notebook. Although you might think that you’ll remember what’s in each box when it come time to unpack, you’ll be glad to have this reminder when the time comes.
Special Care for Liquids
Liquid items have significant potential to come uncapped during the relocation process and cause damage to surrounding items. Be sure close each lid as tightly as possible before securing it firmly with tape and placing it in a waterproof bag before sealing the bag and packing it upright in a sturdy box. Be sure to mark the box with arrows indicating which way is up.
Check with your moving company about which types of liquids they won’t be able to legally accept. The law forbids movers from transporting flammable items.
What Not to Pack
Keep valuables and hard-to-replace documents such as birth certificates and deeds with you. Professional courier companies are available if it isn’t possible for you to transport these items in your car.
