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Moving home- Packing Guide
Start packing early, as packing always takes longer than anticipated. Now is a good time to declutter and take any unwanted items to the charity shop or recycling centre. Car boot sales and websites are also great ways of making some money on your unwanted items and any money raised could go towards your moving costs.
Spend some time considering how you are going to pack your possessions. Walk through each room and do a rough calculation of how many boxes you may need. Begin at the top of the house and move downwards. If you have an attic, it's a good idea to sort it out first. Before you start make sure you have all your packing material to hand i.e. boxes, tape, pen, packing paper, bubblewrap etc. Using the correct size boxes will make life so much easier.
Top Box Pointers:
- Pack directly from the cupboard, do not empty it first or you will have nowhere to put the box.
- Save time and use wardrobe boxes for your clothes. Not only do they speed up packing they keep your clothes in shape so you don't have to iron at the other end.
- It may sound obvious but pack heavier items in the bottom of the box and lighter items on top.
- Always fill the box to the top, avoid half filled boxes as once stacked on top of each other may weaken the ones underneath.
- NEVER make the moving boxes so heavy that they cannot be lifted safely. If they are becoming heavy while you are packing them, try filling the rest of the box with light bulky items such as linen, towels, cushions or soft toys.
- Place heavy & bulky items in the bottom of a box, but remember there is a culmination of weight. One dining plate on its own doesn't weigh very much, but ten together is surprisingly heavy, so keep this in mind while loading your boxes.
- Try to be as organized as possible by making an inventory, this way you can keep track of what you are putting in each box.
- If at all possible try standing things like plates on their end as this way they are stronger, same with glasses. Use plenty of paper, bubble wrap and newspaper as packing or use items of linen or soft toys that you will be taking with you anyway. You might just end up with a box or two less.
- Clearly write which room you would like the box to end up in. If you do this on the tape, the removal team will know that these are your instructions, and also will keep the boxes in better condition, allowing them to be used again and again. "The best way to Recycle".
- Tape is one of the most important accessories so always use good quality tape. Standard celetape is not strong enough to tape up boxes. We can make a very strong box that will take over 20 kilos in weight but if not tapped correctly or not purpose packing tape may fall apart.
- Wrap items individually and place in a box that's been lined with several layers of newspaper and a sheet of bubble wrap. Any breakables should also be wrapped in bubble wrap. Use clean tissue or wrapping paper for the first layer to prevent newspaper print leaving marks. Pillows and blankets are also useful for wrapping valuables and protecting furniture prone to dents and scratches.
- Pack important documents together, such as birth and marriage certificates, and keep them in a safe place.
- When packing just keep checking the weight to avoid any injuries on moving day.
Box Guide
The most popular size box is the old fashioned T or Tea chest box. Years ago this would have been made from wood to transport items but now is made from cardboard for easy storing and transporting. As a general rule boxes should be double walled for extra strength, single walled should only be used for very light items.
There are a number of ways to buy boxes, direct from your removal company or direct online. If you are using a removal company and packing yourself then get two quotes. One quote for supplying the boxes, the other if you provide your own boxes. Some companies will say they offer free boxes but this will always be included in the price as there will still have to pay for the boxes themselves.
If you are buying online, compare the measurements of the boxes and strength and importantly their feedback not only on their site but also independent reviews i.e. www.reviewcentre.com
More than one website claims to be the best value on the web but be careful of the sizes, check the measurements of the boxes, strength, double walled is the one to buy and modular boxes as these will stack easier in the van or storage unit. Just because a moving box is described as large on two different websites does not mean they are both the same size, when we checked a large moving box on one website was the same size as a box described as small on another website.
Top packing mistakes
- Not leaving enough time to pack, preparation and planning is the key to a stress free move. It can be a length process so leave plenty of time so that you are not madly rushing around.
- Packing the keys for your new or old property in a box.
- Furniture not fitting in your new property.
- Not measuring the space in your new home - Moving to your new home and realizing that you do not have enough space for all your belongings can be a real headache. So, prepare a plan to ensure that everything fits from the beginning.
- Weak, small or flimsy boxes- not only resulting in more trips to the van but damage during transit.
- Not labeling boxes - Clearly labeling makes life much easier when it comes to loading and unpacking, your know which boxes goes where and will be able to find item quickly and easily.
- Not loading items appropriately in the moving truck resulting in damage, items not fitting or more time consuming as not knowing where everything goes. The first items in the truck will be the last items off the truck. So, if you have things that you need for the first day at your new home, then make sure they are loaded last.
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