While everyone moving house knows the necessity of the box, many people do not know how to choose suitable boxes and correctly pack their items. This simple knowledge can make your packing process less daunting and ensure your items get to your new home in one piece.
Packing a Box For Moving
Moving boxes come in different shapes, sizes, and layers of thickness, and they are not usually a one-size-fits-all solution. Equally important is how you obtain the boxes based on your budget. Here are some packing box tips and hacks to keep in mind when packing.
1. Take an Inventory of Your Items
Before you purchase packing materials, it is necessary to know the items you have to pack. Doing this will give you an estimate of the packing materials you need.
The simple rule is to get more packing materials than you need. Aside from obtaining the boxes, you’ll need other materials for wrapping the items and cushioning the boxes, such as:
- Packing peanuts
- Packing paper
- Bubble wrap
- Packing tape
- Scotch tape for holding paper and bubble wrap
2. Purchase the Right Boxes
If you’re packing on a budget, you can minimize costs by treasure hunting. You can find cheap boxes on Nextdoor, Craigslist, and Facebook marketplace. Grocery stores can also give you free boxes.
It is essential to buy high-quality double-ply cardboard boxes for your valuable and fragile items. You can get them from moving companies, office supply stores, or Uboxes Store on Amazon.
3. Set Aside Items for the “Open Me First” Box
Gather essential items you’ll need immediately after you arrive at your new home. You may include clothes, toiletries, towels, trash bags, cleaning supplies, etc. Separate these items from the rest of your belongings. Later, you can pack them in a box you label “Open me First.”
4. Pack and Label Boxes by Room
Labeling boxes according to the rooms they belong to will make unpacking easy. You’ll be able to identify the particular room each box belongs to. You can do this by using color codes or writing each room on the boxes.
uBoxes Smart Moving Tape can make labeling easier. This tape comes with over 800 labels and different color codes for each room.
5. Pack Heavy Items in Small Boxes
To ensure the boxes don’t break under the weight, it is advisable to pack heavy items in small and medium boxes. The optimal weight a moving box can hold is 40lbs.
Packing heavy items in small boxes also makes it easy to move the boxes. Items like dishes and books may not seem heavy individually but can be when packed together.
6. Pack Light Items in Large Boxes
On the other hand, large boxes are suitable for packing light items as you can pack many belongings without making the box too heavy. Lightweight items to pack in large boxes include pillows, towels, clothes, teddy, and many more.
7. Pack Fragile Items in Dish Barrels
The ideal box for packing fragile items, particularly kitchen wares, is a dish barrel. This box is eco-friendly and double-walled for maximum protection, and they are strong enough to withstand external contacts that may damage fragile items. Kraft Double Wall Corrugated boxes on Amazon are a good option to try out.
8. Pack Glassware with Dividers or Cell Kits
The best way to pack your glassware is with cell kits and dividers. Cardboard dividers and cell kits create separate compartments in the box for each breakable item, preventing them from colliding. You can purchase and assemble cell kits or build dividers using cardboard sheets.
9. Packing Clothes and Hangers with Wardrobe Boxes
Wardrobe boxes are uniquely built for moving clothes with hangers. These boxes come with a metal hanging bar at a height that keeps your clothes from touching the bottom of the box.
You don’t have to worry about your clothes squeezing or hangers tangling with wardrobe boxes. You can obtain sturdy wardrobe boxes from the Banker Box Store on Amazon.
10. Pack Large Mirror and Frames in Picture Boxes
While it is tempting to stack large picture frames, mirrors, and framed paintings in regular boxes, it’s best to use picture boxes to pack each item separately. These boxes are made to fit the framed items leaving little space for cushioning, and it secures the items from shifting and breaking in transit.
11. Pack Flat Fragile Items Vertically
Stacking Flat items like plates and small picture frames on each other increases the chance of the items getting damaged in transit. Instead, pack them vertically, placing packing paper between the standing plates. You can add tea towels, packing peanuts, and other cushioning materials for extra protection.
12. Pack Heavy Items at the Bottom of the Box
When moving non-fragile items, you may need to mix heavy and light items to maximize packing space. Pack heavier items first before placing light items on them in such situations. Fill any gap with packing materials or soft clothes to cushion the box.
13. Create Handles in Boxes for Easy Lifting
Make the boxes easy to carry by cutting curvy rectangle shapes on either side. You can use the X-ACTO knife to avoid destroying the cardboard. Also, be sure not to cut too close to the top of the cover to avoid a rip-off.
14. Shake Boxes Gently before Sealing
After packing items in the box, it is essential to ensure they are secured before sealing the box. The best way to confirm it is to lift the box and shake it gently.
You shouldn’t feel any movement if the items are well packed. If you feel any movement, you can keep adding packing materials until you feel no movement. Then, it’s perfect to seal the box.
15. Label All Boxes
Aside from labeling items by room, you can protect and identify boxes much more when labeled according to the items they contain. The simple way to do this is to write the items’ names and indicate whether the items are fragile or non-fragile.
16. Arrange Boxes Level by Level
When stacking boxes in the truck, arrange the boxes level by level from the heaviest to the lightest. This creates a base that prevents the boxes from tipping over and secures lightboxes from crushing under pressure. Additionally, keeping heavy boxes at the bottom will reduce your effort in lifting the boxes.
17. Stack the Boxes in a Brick-like Pyramid
Stacking boxes on each other along their widths will make them fall easily. Instead, arrange boxes like bricks, forming a pyramid to make them sturdy.
