3 Ways to Pack Your Items to Prevent Them From Breaking When Moving

Nothing dampens the excitement of moving into a new home like the horrible discovery that some of your fragile items didn't survive the trip intact. With common sense and a bit of know-how, you can take precautions to protect your precious belongings. Here are three ways to pack items to prevent them from breaking.

3. Wrap Them Up Carefully
Image via Flickr by aiza712

You have several options when it comes to wrapping up your items in preparation for moving. Bubble wrap and newspaper are the classic options, and both work well. The more fragile an item is, the more layers of protective material you want to put around it. You can also use old towels or sponges. Sponges are particularly great for very small items. Just make sure to secure the sponge with a rubber band.

A slightly more tedious — but undeniably effective — way to pack your items to prevent them from breaking is to double-box them. Put the item in a box that is just the right size for it. Place that box inside a bigger box, and fill the space between the boxes with crumpled newspaper or bubble wrap.

2. Pack Them Up Logically

After you carefully pack individual items, it's time to condense by putting them inside your larger moving boxes. Arrange each box with the heaviest items on the bottom so they don't crush the lightweight items that go on top. If any odd spaces remain in the box, stuff them with packing material so sliding around will be minimal during the move.

Once a box reaches its capacity, securely close it. Use enough tape to make sure the box will not fly open during the move and launch its contents all over the inside of the moving truck. If you aren't using new boxes, double-check to make sure that the structural integrity of the box is sound. You don't want a weakling box to spoil your move.

1. Load Them Up Efficiently

You've wrapped everything up and put it in boxes, but the work isn't over yet. Go ahead Google truck rental San Francisco — or whatever city you're in — and find a great deal on a moving truck. It will be an even better deal if none of your stuff gets broken while in that moving truck.

It's great if all of your moving boxes are roughly the same size. This makes them easier to stack and makes the best use of space. Again the principle of putting the heaviest things on the bottom applies. Sort your boxes beforehand so you can load them according to weight. This will mix up the different rooms, so make sure you clearly label every box.

To fill in any gaps between odd-shaped items, use things like pillows and blankets to create cushions. For large, fragile items like mirrors or big-framed pictures, insert them in a space where they're the least likely to get rattled around during the ride.

  Take the time to take the care to protect your fragile items; make sure your pieces don't end up in pieces. It will clear the way for you to enjoy the process of settling into your new home.

Sources:

http://www.wikihow.com/Pack-for-a-Move
http://www.howtodothings.com/travel/how-to-cheaply-pack-fragile-items-so-they-wont-break-in-the-mail
http://www.upack.com/moving-resources/loading-tips.asp