When you are getting ready to move, those common questions can be major stress inducers: who will do the moving, what are you taking and what are you going to toss, what are you going to pack everything in, etc. These are all fairly common considerations, and yet sometimes we forget about the simplest things until it is too late. When it comes to moving and packing, especially with fragile items, a simple mistake can be costly.
In an effort to help you keep all of your precious items intact, here are a few moving and packing tips for those items that require a bit more care.
Packing:
Pack a box leaving the least amount of room between items as possible – the more room there is in a box, the greater the chances of things banging together and breaking. That being said, don’t pack too many items in a box as this can make the box heavy and hard to carry – thereby resulting in fumbles and dropped boxes.
Use protective materials such as paper, towels, bubble wrap, etc. to protect items during both transport and when storing. Just make sure that whatever you use will not damage your belongings (ie. plastic can damage different items – it retains moisture – and newspaper can leave ink on others).
Think about the environment. Many packing materials result in a hefty garbage run once a move is complete. Try to use reusable containers or recyclable materials whenever possible – this not only saves you money when it comes to getting rid of those materials, it is also far more environmentally friendly.
Storing:
Always store fragile items in a container of some sort. Think about it: if you leave a crystal vase in a storage unit or in the garage on a random shelf or on top of a stack of boxes, all it takes is one bump and that family heirloom really is history.
Never place boxes or containers containing fragile items at the bottom of a stack. If you are stacking boxes to organize and make the best use of space, start with the heaviest on the bottom. If a box containing fragile items is on the bottom, and gets crushed by heavier boxes on top, those breakables are not going to stand a chance.
When it comes to packing and storing fragile items, take the time and your belongings will make it where they are going without incident.
For more moving and packing tips, or to find out all about the best packing materials to use for all of your belongings, please contact Bradford Moving and Storage today by calling 1 (800) 263-3281. We’ve got you covered!
