Moving can make you easily realize that you have too much stuff. Planning on how you will pack your entire home and transport all your belongings to your new destination can be exhausting. However, it is crucial in making sure you do not leave essential items before your long distance move and you do not spend unnecessarily beyond your budget. We all have that recurring nightmare of opening a sealed box and finding out a delicate item with sentimental value is in pieces.
Do not let this happen to you. Look for a moving company and hire professional movers and packers to help you decide on the best approach to protect your fragile or delicate items. They have experience in handling glass pieces properly and know when to add extra strips and extra reinforcement. They can identify how many small boxes and big boxes, shrink wrap, bubble wrap and other packing materials you will need in wrapping your belongings. This is helpful in ensuring that your things will survive in transit and arrive in your new home in one piece.
Declutter and discard before packing for moving day
Before scheduling movers to visit your home and engaging packing services, it would be easier if you do an evaluation of all the items you own. Do you really need to bring all your clothes with you? Can you leave your old paper items? Can you donate old books to your local library before leaving?
Reduce the number of things you will bring. Decide which items to discard. Identify those which are still in good condition and worth paying for transport to your new home. Pack only those things you cannot live without. Perhaps you can put some things on sale online or through a small community yard sale? Sure, it would take patience and effort to go through each item you own. Trust that this will make packing quick and will be an effective use of your time.
Allot time for general cleaning before packing
A lot of people find it helpful to do a general cleaning of their space in preparation for the packing process. They often locate long lost and forgotten valuable items and fragile belongings lodged in hidden corners of their house.
Now that deep cleaning is done and the space under the bed is clear and has been thoroughly inspected, it’s time to start packing.
Double check areas in your house for small items you might have missed
So, all your bags are packed and your favorite painting is safely stored in a moving container. In the middle of transporting the boxes in your new home, you remember you have forgotten to pack your jewelry box. Small delicate items are easy to miss. It is safe to assume you might have forgotten something. Take the time to go around your apartment one more time.
Where do you put fragile items in a moving truck?
Load fragile items and breakable items in the front of the truck with extra care. Place them last and set aside from other household items. You can also use recycled newspaper for the packaging. Add a few layers of bubble wrap and secure with a lot of tape so that the fragile item will not be moving inside the box while in transit. Placing the boxes of fragile items in front of the car increases the risk of breakage.
Remember to place the heavy boxes of usual household items like clothing and books at the bottom. Lighter and delicate items should be on boxes on top of the boxes of sturdy items. This is how you avoid pressing down on fragile items and avoid the risk of breakage.
How do you protect fragile items when moving?
Expect that moving day will be hectic. If you do not plan ahead, you would not get any chance to provide detailed instructions to ensure your fragile pieces are secured and loaded safely in the truck. A great way to handle this is by labeling boxes of delicate goods as fragile and provide instructions in advance.
Still, the best method is to choose professional packers with a reputation you can trust and with proven experience. You can never be too extra careful especially if you have heirloom valuable items or collectible household items you need to transport.
How are fragile items transported?
Start by identifying and segregating fragile items from other items in your house. Delicate items can range from expensive home appliances and electronics to breakable kitchenware and even important papers and documents.
The following tips can come in handy when you pack fragile items for transport:
- Pay special attention to delicate items. Do not mix them with other heavy household items that are sturdy.
- Use packing paper to fill hollow items of breakable appliances and hollow spaces of wine glasses, mugs, and ceramic pots.
- Use bubble wrap to cushion any impact from loading, unloading and transit.
- Be patient and wrap each breakable item individually. You would not want to find grandma’s china in pieces when you finally start unpacking.
- Buy a lot of packing tape and use it liberally.
- Keep in mind to avoid sudden movements when preparing, loading and unloading fragile items.
What type of transport is suitable for transporting fragile goods?
The tricky part is when you are moving from another state or another country. When your delicate belongings will be in transit for a long period of time, it’s easy to imagine worst case scenarios. Engage a company that can ensure that they will be keeping your instructions in mind from start to finish.
Generally, most boxes are transported through a moving truck for local moves and same city moves. You can ensure that your fragile goods are safe by ensuring they are packed well and strategically placing them on top of heavier boxes.
It is important to remember not just to pack fragile items with extra bubble wrap but also to avail of special handling services for shipping and transporting fragile items if it is offered by a service provider.
What are some tips for packing fragile items?
Keep in mind that although you need to have a clear picture of your schedule and deadlines, packing fragile items should not be treated as a sprint but a marathon. Most fragile items are expensive. It would be a shame if they were destroyed because they were not packed with care.
You and your movers can use the following tips in packing fragile items:
- As a rule of thumb, pack delicate items first and load them last
- Label fragile items clearly and provide instructions in advance.
- Place delicate things back in their original packaging. These things often come with special padding and even styro foam.
- Avoid hollow spaces when packing.
- Buy enough bubble wrap, furniture pads and other wrapping materials for extra protection.
- Use thick and rigid boxes and carton boxes.
- Include a layer of support and padded dividers to separate glass items such as wine glasses and chandelier.
- Put the heaviest items in small boxes.
- Use extra strips of tape to secure the bottom of the box and taping to seal generously and avoid the contents from accidentally spilling out.
- It is important to keep in mind that the unpacking process post-move for these items should also be easy.
Coordinate and communicate with your movers especially in packing fragile items
Open channels of communication and clear instructions are important during the packing process. Talk to your movers beforehand. Let them know the degree of care you are expecting in the handling of your boxes. Ask them how they plan to ensure your fragile belongings are safe in their boxes. Let them know while packing if you require extra reinforcement for a certain box or item.
Conclusion
Just thinking about how your most precious belongings can survive the move can cause a lot of anxiety. Packing, especially for long distance moving, is an art and a science. So when you find professional packers who wrap your things with extra layers of attention and are willing to go above and beyond for customer services and customer happiness, tip generously. Such packing skills are hard to find. Remember, securing the safety of your valuables while moving is not an easy feat. For a stress free packing, Community Labor Partnership can provide help. Inquire by calling (888) 314-5128 and let them make your move worry free.
