And, mind you, once you make up your mind that you will tackle the tough job on your own, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Your personal Packing Timeline should remind you that you are supposed to pack up the kitchen with priority. Why? A kitchen often proves to be one of the most difficult rooms to pack for moving, so you want to start packing from those tough-to-pack premises first while you still have the energy and motivation.

All in all, there are two major challenges when packing a kitchen for a move: 1) it simply contains too many items to begin with, and 2) most of those kitchen items are super-fragile so they need special packing techniques to survive the relocation unscathed.

Sooner or later, you will get to pack your kitchen knives and when you do, you’re likely to wonder about how to safely pack knives for moving due to their sharp, open blades. Despite the dangers of packing knives for a move, you should be able to tackle the packing task safely by following the practical tips below.

So, what’s the safest way to pack kitchen knives for moving?

Dangers of packing kitchen knives for moving

Before you begin to pack up your kitchen knives, it’s important that you understand the risks of handling sharp knives of various sizes and lengths.

1. Risk of injuries

Be very careful not to get a finger cut when you’re packing your kitchen knives.

You should keep in mind that there’s always a danger of getting injured – most often an accidental cut on one of your fingers or on your palm – while packing up or unpacking sharp kitchen knives with open blades.

During the packing process, you have to be extra careful not to cut yourself with any of the kitchen knives. Needless to say, rule #1 when packing knives for moving is to only hold those cutting tools on their handles

Another way can hurt yourself when packing kitchen knives for a move is to accidentally drop a sharp knife onto your feet. You can easily avoid such an accident by first wearing closed shoes and then managing the packing action in the middle of the kitchen table so that it won’t be possible for a knife to fall down on the ground.

2. Risk of property damage

Another danger associated with improper packing of kitchen knives for moving is the possible infliction of some sort of property damage. How?

When the knives are packed incorrectly inside a cardboard box, they can cut through the cardboard, which in turn can cause extra damage to an adjacent box or a piece of furniture while the problematic container is being transported inside the moving vehicle.

Be mindful that an open blade (or blades!) sticking outside a moving box can cause various types of property damage with various levels of severity.

What to Pack First When Moving

Necessary materials for packing knives

Of course, you’re going to need to have the right materials in order to pack your knives safely for the upcoming relocation.

What are the supplies you’ll need to pack sharp kitchen knives?

• Packing paper. You’re going to need many sheets of wrapping paper to ensure the safety of those blades. Make sure you’re using white, soft packing paper that’s both ink-free and acid-free.
• Bubble wrap. The sheets of bubble wrap will create soft padding around the sharp blades and edges of kitchen knives, thus forming a protective layer that should guarantee the safety of the entire packing operation.
• Small or medium boxes. You’re going to need one or two small or medium cardboard boxes depending on the number and size of kitchen knives you’ve decided to move with you.
• Packing tape. Get a roll of quality packing tape for all your packing needs. If you have a knife block, then you may need a bit of painter’s tape to secure the knives onto the block prior to packing.
• Markers. A black marker pen should be enough to label properly the boxes.

Packing Paper vs Bubble Wrap

Preparation before packing your knives

There are a few preparatory steps before you can actually begin wrapping up your knives. These pre-pack tasks will ensure the safe and quick completion of the packing job – exactly the thing you’re after, right?

1. Inspect all knives before packing

Make sure you’re not taking any knives you won’t really need after the move.

It makes little sense to pack and move knives that you won’t use for various reasons. So, take a few minutes to inspect each knife carefully in order to determine whether it’s really worth packing and moving it in the first place.

If a knife has a broken handle or a chipped blade, then you may decide to leave it behind.

If a knife has served you well for many years but it’s seriously worn out, then the house move is a good pretext to replace it.

Generally speaking, consider throwing away any knives with some sort of damage on them that has rendered them unusable.

After all, isn’t a brand-new set of kitchen knives the perfect gift for the new home?

2. Clean the knives

This is a pretty simple step – it’s not a good idea to pack dirty knives so take a moment to clean the ones you’re about to pack up.

If a particular kitchen knife is stained rather than dirty, then you should consider throwing it away… unless it has some sort of sentimental value for you.

3. Organize the knives by size

This sorting step will facilitate the entire process of packing kitchen knives for moving. All you need to do is sort out all the knives you’re taking with you according to their size.

How will that help you to pack your knives more efficiently?

Having knives with similar or identical lengths will enable you to wrap and bundle the kitchen cutting tools much more quickly and safely. The resulting paper bundles will be tighter and more secure.

Bread knives and chef knives are usually similar in size, as well as utility knives and paring knives on one side, and boning knives and filleting knives on the other side.

4. Prepare the boxes

The cardboard boxes you plan to use for your kitchen knives should only be used for that very purpose. In other words, you’re not recommended to pack anything besides knives inside those containers for safety reasons – in case a blade does manage to cut through the paper + bubble wrap bundle.

Place pieces of crumpled paper on the bottom of the boxes to form a soft cushioning layer that will add an extra degree of protection.

How to pack knives for moving: Step-by-step guide

By now you should be ready to pack your knives safely for transport. Follow the detailed packing steps below to do it quickly and easily as well.

• 

  Packing paper and bubble wrap will be your best allies when packing knives.

  Step 1. Position the stack of packing paper in the center of the kitchen table – that will be your packing station. In case the table is unavailable, then you can use the kitchen counter for the purpose.

• Step 2. Take one knife from a group of similar kitchen knives and position it at an angle close to the edge of the top sheet of paper.
• Step 3. Grab three paper sheets at the same time from the edge of the stack and roll the sheets over the kitchen knife several times until the kitchen item is completely wrapped in packing paper.
• Step 4. Position another knife from the same group to the one that’s already covered in paper. Make sure the open blade of the second kitchen item is placed in the opposite direction of the first piece.
• Step 5. Continue to roll the wrapping paper over the second piece until it is also completely covered by the soft packing material.
• Step 6. Add to the bundle a third knife of a similar size. This time, ensure its blade is positioned in the opposite direction of the second cutlery piece.
• Step 7. Roll the paper over the third kitchen knife until it gets completely covered in white, ink-free wrapping paper.
• Step 8. Consider adding a fourth and even a fifth knife if the space allows it. If not, you should follow the necessary steps to finish and secure the paper bundle.
• Step 9. Complete the paper bundle by tucking in the ends of the stack.
• Step 10. Use pieces of packing tape to secure the paper bundle.
• Step 11. Add one final layer of bubble wrap over the secured paper bundle. Again, use tape to fix the bubbly plastic material – this way, no knife should be able to cut through the multiple sheets of paper.
• Step 12. Transfer the ready bundle into the box.
• Step 13. Start rolling up another paper bundle of similar kitchen knives. Remember to alternate the directions of the blades of the knives you add.
• Step 14. Keep repeating the above packing steps until you’re done. All in all, you should get between 3 and 5 bundles altogether depending on how many knives you’ve decided to move to the new home.
• Step 15. Arrange the paper-plus-bubble wrap bundles in the box, then fill in any gaps between them using pieces of paper – newsprint is fine too.
• Step 16. Close the lids of the box and tape them shut securely.
• Step 17. Label the box KNIVES and KITCHEN.

How to Pack a Kitchen When Moving

How to pack a knife block for moving

If you have a knife set that’s arranged in its own knife block, then you can use a cute packing tactic and pack the entire block, together with the kitchen knives.

Here’s how you should do it:

• 

  Packing the entire knife block is the easiest and fastest way to pack knives when moving to a new home.

  Step 1. Secure each individual knife in its own block slot using pieces of painter’s tape. Avoid using regular packing tape since it’s likely to leave unpleasant tape residue marks. The idea is to make sure the knives won’t slip out during transport.

• Step 2. Wrap the entire knife block in several sheets of packing paper. Secure the paper with the help of packing tape.
• Step 3. Add a couple of sheets of bubble wrap over the initial paper layer. The bubble wrap will provide an extra level of protection for the entire kitchen item. Use pieces of tape to fix the plastic material in place.
• Step 4. Transfer the wrapped-up knife block into a pre-padded box. It’s OK to pack it inside a box together with other bundled kitchen knives.

While you should be able to pack your kitchen knives for moving on your own, you must observe the safety measures described above. If you feel nervous about getting hurt while handling the sharp blades of those kitchen knives, or if you’re running out of time, then do the sensible thing and hire professional packers to help you out.

Professional Packers Guide

The post How to Pack Knives for Moving: Safety Above All appeared first on The Moving Blog.

Without a doubt, the biggest change you’ll notice immediately after the move is the more limited space inside the new place. And this alone may be a bitter pill to swallow for you, especially when you’ve lived in a big house with a spacious garden outside until that moment.

Also, you will need time – sometimes much more time that you are willing to spare – to adapt properly to the new lifestyle changes that apartment living offers. Hopefully, you will be a highly-adaptable person and you won’t be bothered too much during the post-move adaptation period.

Pay attention to these 7 practical tips for moving from a house to an apartment to make the house-apartment transition much smoother and less stressful for you and your family, including any pets you’re taking with you.

1. Downsize and declutter

The most important thing you need to understand when you’re moving to an apartment from a house is that space management in the new place should be treated as a serious business simply because it is just that.

In the majority of cases, the living space AND the storage space in the new apartment will be (much) more limited, so you have to be very careful about how much stuff you bring into the new home.

So, what’s the very first step when moving into an apartment from a house? Reduce drastically the number of belongings you intend to move, of course.

• Inventory all the things you currently own in the house.
• Go through the inventory sheet and mark all the items that are not really worth packing and moving for one reason or another. Be ruthless about it.
• Prepare for packing and moving only the things you do like and you do plan to use in the foreseeable future.
• Make an effort to get rid of all the useless stuff you won’t take with you – sell, donate, give away, or discard the things you have decided to leave behind.

How to Get Rid of Stuff Before Moving

2. Plan your apartment space (floor plan)

Again, the major challenge when moving from a spacious house into an apartment will be the restricted living space in the destination place.

And yes, decluttering your things prior to the move will boost effective space management but you’re also strongly advised to create a detailed floor plan of the new apartment – something that will aid you tremendously in making the right decisions throughout the relocation.

How will a floor plan of the new apartment help you out in your mission to make the house-apartment transition as painless as possible?

A detailed floor plan will help you

• use more effectively the limited space in the apartment because you’ll know in advance the sizes of any furniture pieces and the dimensions of the rooms.
• make up your mind about which furniture pieces to move to the apartment. In some cases, it’s much better to NOT take any large and heavy furniture pieces with you.
• avoid unpleasant situations where bulky furniture items just won’t fit through the small doors or narrow corridors of the destination apartment.
• know way in advance where the bigger items will be placed in the new home through the apartment layout you’ve prepared.

SEVEN (7) Tips for Moving into a Studio Apartment

3. Understand the apartment lease

The importance of reading and understanding the terms and conditions of your apartment lease cannot be stressed enough.

Keep in mind that there are several key points you should look for and understand fully before you sign the apartment lease.

• 

  Make sure you read and understand the terms and conditions of your apartment lease before signing it.

  Lease Term. This is the duration of the lease – usually, it is one year but it can be more or less in your case.

• Rent. How much is the rent? When is it due each month? And what would happen if the payment were late?
• Security Deposit. Most landlords require a security deposit to cover any potential damage to the apartment. Make sure you understand the amount of the security deposit and what might cause you to not get it back when you decide to move out of the apartment.
• Maintenance and Repairs. The lease should specify who is responsible for repairs and maintenance.
• Policies. Find out your landlord’s rules for noise, pets, guests, smoking, and so on. Make sure you are OK with these rules before signing the apartment lease.
• Utilities. You just have to know which utilities you’ll be responsible for – in some cases the utilities are included in the rent.
• Dispute Resolution. The apartment lease must outline the process for resolving any possible disputes between you and the landlord or property manager.

4. Create a moving budget

Proper budgeting for the move will help enable you to avoid spending more money than you absolutely must and to cut packing and moving costs whenever possible.

When you’re following a detailed MOVING CHECKLIST, like you should, you will know that the all-important task of creating a moving budget has to be completed at the very beginning of your pre-move preparations.

But what to budget for when moving from a house to an apartment?

• Moving company fees. Regardless of whether you’re moving locally or across the country, hiring professional movers comes with a price tag. Request moving cost estimates from the best movers in your area to know how much your mover will charge you.
• Extra moving services. Each extra service you request from your moving company – packing, unpacking, furniture disassembly and/or reassembly, temporary storage, and so on – will cost you more money.
• Additional insurance. If you’re moving high-value items, then you must purchase proper moving insurance (Full Value Protection), either through your mover or from a third-party insurance company.

Additionally, you should be well aware of the costs associated with apartment living. Create a separate budget for the immediate post-move expenses you are expected to cover when moving into an apartment:

• monthly rent,
• security deposit,
• utilities,
• renter’s insurance,
• urgent household items for the apartment,
• stocking up on groceries, and so on.

What to Budget for When Moving Out

5. Pack up your things by yourself

When moving from a house to an apartment, one of your top priorities should be to keep your moving expenses to their absolute minimum. Thus said, one excellent way to save money on your local or long-distance move is to pack up your things by yourself to the best of your abilities.

Professional packing is the most expensive add-on service you can request from a moving company so whenever possible, you should try to protect and box up your belongings to cut packing and moving expenses.

Hopefully, you will have inventoried and pared down your things by now, so the only thing left for you is to follow a good PACKING TIMELINE – a detailed to-do checklist that’s been prepared especially for the tough task of packing for a move.

• Start packing up your things as soon as you possibly can – by far, it is the most time-consuming task on your moving checklist.
• Prepare the necessary packing materials in advance so that you don’t lose precious time during the packing process.
• Consider getting free moving boxes to further lower your packing expenses.
• Initiate the packing job from the storage areas in your house – basement, attic, garage, closets, and spare rooms – as those are the premises that are the hardest to sort and pack for a move.

6. Hire professional apartment movers

Moving into an apartment from a house presents a few extra challenges, especially if you happen to be moving into a high-rise apartment in another part of the country.

Trust experienced apartment movers with your house-to-apartment move.

The first obstacle is the STAIRS. Having to carry heavy furniture pieces and boxes up the stairs is a job that’s better left to experienced apartment movers. As an extra challenge, the elevator in the building may not be out of order at that moment or you may be moving into an apartment building with no elevator at all.

The second possible hurdle may be the ELEVATOR. While it does sound convenient to be able to use an operating building when moving into an apartment, the building elevator will first have to be reserved and then properly padded with furniture blankets for extra protection.

Experienced apartment movers will make your move so much easier by taking care of the most stressful tasks for you, including the dreaded task of packing if you don’t have enough time or you just don’t feel confident enough to complete it on your own.

But above all, they will handle the heavy lifting on the day of the move so that you and your family can breathe a sigh of relief that you’ll stay 100% safe from any possible injuries. As a bonus, you won’t need to ask your friends for a big favor either.

Use our Moving Cost Calculator to get in touch with the best apartment movers in your area.

7. Change the address and transfer the utilities

Your personal moving checklist will guide you well while you’re getting ready to move into an apartment from a house. Nevertheless, keep in mind that two of the most important pre-move tasks you will have to tackle prior to the move are to change your address and transfer the house utilities.

Change the address

Technically speaking, you could initiate the change of address (COA) procedure after you move into the apartment. However, it’s better to do it before you move out of the house to ensure that you continue to receive your important pieces of mail without any problematic interruptions.

Luckily, it’s easy to change your address before you move out of the house – you’ve got 4 options to do it as soon as you find some free time in your moving calendar:

• Change your address in person by visiting the nearest post office;
• Change your address online by visiting the official USPS website;
• Change the postal address by phone; and
• Change the address by mail (of course!).

How to Do a Change of Address When Moving

Change the utilities

The second super important task that you should remember to take care of is to change your house utilities. Soon enough, you won’t live in the house anymore, so you wouldn’t want to continue to pay for services you won’t use, would you?

If you’re moving into the new apartment as an owner, then you must change the utilities to your name. On the other hand, if you’re moving into an apartment as a renter, then it’s likely that you won’t have to do anything except work out the details in the apartment lease with your landlord or property manager.

Either way, you will definitely need to disconnect the current house utilities before you move out of the house. Follow the link below to learn the best way to do it.

How to Change Utilities When Moving House

Bonus advice: Focus on the positive aspects of apartment living

For better or worse, you’re moving from a house to an apartment and there’s no going back now. Fortunately, apartment living after a house offers a number of benefits, so it’s time for you to focus on all the positive aspects of apartment living.

The major benefits of apartment living are:

• Less Maintenance. One of the significant advantages of apartment living is the reduced maintenance required. Generally, the property management handles repairs and sometimes even certain utilities.
• Security. Many apartment buildings offer enhanced security features, including gated access, security systems, and surveillance cameras.
• Amenities. Apartment complexes often provide various amenities such as a gym, swimming pool, community centers, playgrounds, and laundry facilities.
• Location. Apartments are often located in more central, urban areas, which means easier access to public transportation, businesses, restaurants, and cultural activities. This convenience can save time and commuting costs.
• Flexibility. With shorter lease terms, apartment living allows for greater flexibility. If you have to move for a job or personal reasons, you can do so with relative ease and without the hassle of selling a house.
• Simplicity. An apartment often has less space than a house, which can simplify living. There’s less to clean, less to maintain, and less to clutter up with unnecessary possessions.

Moving Into an Apartment for the First Time: Checklist and Tips

The post 7 Tips for Moving From a House to an Apartment appeared first on The Moving Blog.

The truth is that the air-bubbled material provides the best overall protection for breakable items as it forms soft padding around them.

If you’ve made up your mind to pack up your things by yourself – as opposed to hiring professional packers to do it for you, then there’s no such thing as using too much bubble wrap during the home-packing process.

In fact, you’re encouraged to use as many sheets of bubbly plastic material as possible in order to guarantee the well-being of your fragile belongings until you reach the new home.

But here’s the catch: using too much bubble wrap during the house packing task will definitely be advantageous but it will also cost you more money. And this can be problematic, especially when you’re moving on a limited budget.

So, one excellent solution is to get hold of free bubble wrap for your packing needs. After all, what’s better than using good-quality bubble wrap without paying for it?

Read on to learn where to get bubble wrap for free when packing for moving.

Benefits of using free bubble wrap

All in all, there are two major benefits of using free bubble wrap when packing for a move:

1. You will save money

Saving money is the obvious bonus of not paying for the quantities of bubble wrap you manage to get hold of before you begin to pack up your things. But how much money will you be able to save in the end?

It’s hard to know for sure because you won’t know exactly how much protective plastic material you’re going to use. Nevertheless, it’s useful to know the approximate prices of brand-new bubble wrap:

• A 15-foot roll of Enviro-Bubble wrap (15’ x 16’’) costs around $5.
• A dispenser box of Enviro-Bubble wrap (150 ft. x 12 in.) costs roughly $20.
• One bulk roll of Enviro-Bubble (250 ft. x 12 in.) costs approximately $30.

2. Your decision will be good for the environment

Using second-hand bubble wrap is an environmentally friendly choice because it conserves resources, saves energy, reduces waste, and lowers pollution. By choosing to reuse bubble wrap, you help minimize your ecological footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.

It’s important to know that when you do your best to keep packing materials – such as cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper – in use for as long as possible, not only will you be saving money but you’ll also extract the maximum value from those supplies before recycling or disposing of them properly.

Ultimately, your decision to reuse bubble wrap will reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills or the natural environment.

Packing Paper vs Bubble Wrap

Get free bubble wrap from retail stores

Keep in mind that local retail stores can be a great source of acquiring free bubble wrap for your packing needs. After all, those local businesses get frequent shipments of goods (some have daily deliveries), so they are very likely to have enough free packing supplies to spare – not only bubble wrap but also cardboard boxes of various sizes.

Is there free bubble wrap near you? Yes, there is.

These are some of the retail stores you should consider checking out for free bubble wrap:

• Electronics stores;
• Home appliances stores;
• Furniture outlets;
• Supermarkets and grocery stores;
• Office supply stores.

Follow these steps to learn the best way to approach those businesses and ask them if you can get free bubble wrap from them:

• Get in touch with the largest retail stores in your area and ask to speak with their respective managers.
• Explain briefly why you’re calling and ask politely for any quantities of bubble wrap AND cardboard boxes that the store can spare.
• Inform the store managers that you’re flexible with your time (hopefully, that’ll be the case) and that you can go there during less busy hours for greater convenience.
• Be ready for rejections and don’t get discouraged if it does happen. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with your request – you’re only trying to save money on your local or long-distance move. So, shake off any rejections for free packing materials – free bubble wrap in this particular case – and move on to the next local business.

If you don’t like the whole idea of contacting store managers and asking for free bubble wrap – maybe you’re too shy or get stressed easily, then there’s another option to acquire bubble wrap for free you can explore. What is it? Just visit the recycling areas near big retail stores and check for any packing materials in good overall condition.

A word of caution: Be selective when it comes to free packing supplies. Yes, it’s great to get the materials you need without paying for them, but it’s more important to make sure their condition is OK and they are safe to use. When it comes to bubble wrap, in particular, do reject any plastic materials that are visibly dirty or you suspect that they might not be infestation-free.

Get free bubble wrap online

Another way you can find bubble wrap for free is online. But where exactly, you should ask?

1. Specialized giveaway websites

Luckily, there are a number of websites you go to where you should be able to find free packing materials for your needs, including free bubble wrap.

• Freecycle. Freecycle should be your best bet when it comes to scoring free bubble wrap. The non-profit organization is dedicated to keeping still usable items away from landfills and that honorable mission of theirs should play right into your hands. All you have to do is register with Freecycle (it’s FREE, of course) and do a local search for bubble wrap. And then, all you have left is to keep your fingers crossed that somebody near you is willing to give their supply of perfectly usable bubble wrap to anyone who needs it. Since you’re already there, it won’t hurt to check Freecycle for free moving boxes near you as well.
• Craigslist. You should be well familiar with Craigslist but what you may not know is that the website has a FREE section as well where you can search for free stuff near you. So, how do you search for free bubble wrap on Craigslist? It’s simple: pick your area, head to the FREEBIES section, and type bubble wrap. With some luck, you should be able to find people in your immediate area who offer bubble wrap and maybe other packing supplies too, such as cardboard boxes.

2. Local community groups (Facebook Marketplace)

Another place you can find bubble wrap without paying for it is in local community groups on social media. The best example is, of course, Facebook Marketplace.

It’s easy to check such local community groups for free packing materials. Simply join such a group for free and publish a brief post that you’re looking for bubble wrap and possibly even for moving boxes. And then, anyone who has more packing supplies than they need is likely to answer your call for help.

Basically, it’s a win-win situation for everybody there isn’t a single reason why you shouldn’t try your luck scoring packing supplies for free using local community groups.

Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline For Moving

Get bubble wrap for free from friends, family, and neighbors

Bubble wrap is essential when packing fragile items for moving.

One of the best ways to get free bubble wrap for the house-packing task is to ask your best friends, your family members, good neighbors, or close work colleagues if they happen to have any quantities of the transparent plastic material with regularly spaced air-filled bubbles on it.

The thing is that you just never know who might have a sizeable stash of bubble wrap in their garage or basement, placed in long-term storage with little chance of being actively used in the foreseeable future.

The great news is that your good friends will be willing to help you out during that transitional period simply because they know how tough it can be. This is especially true for those of your pals who have moved house before – they will understand best what you must be going through.

You can choose among several options when it comes to asking friends, family, or neighbors for packing supplies, namely bubble wrap:

• In person. This is by far the best way to ask if your friends can spare any quantities of bubble wrap for you. Keep in mind that your close friends will already be well familiar that you’re getting ready to move out so they are likely to have already offered you any packing materials they have, or even their packing labor too.
• Over the phone. This is the next best thing after meeting your pals in person. One good tactic is to ask your buddies for packing supplies in general and not go for bubble wrap only. This way, you’ll increase your chances of securing other necessary materials for packing as well.
• Social media post. Publishing a social medial post on Facebook or Twitter is an excellent way to reach all your friends at once. That way, it’ll be much easier for your social media friends to comment below the post if they want to help or if they have another idea about how they can be useful. Although a bit impersonal, using your favorite social media platform to your advantage will give you maximum outreach and the best chance of success in that specific case.

How to Pack Without Bubble Wrap

Get free bubble wrap from recycling centers

The good news about the plastic materials used primarily for protecting fragile items is that it’s very durable and it can be used over and over again. Even if the plastic sheets are slightly torn here and there, bubble wrap can be used for cushioning or space filler inside cardboard boxes as long as it’s not dirty and its air-filled bubbles are intact.

And this is exactly why you can try your luck getting your hands on perfectly usable sheets of bubble wrap at local recycling centers. And if there is such a center nearby, it may be worth the trip to go there and see whether you can have various packing supplies for free, including bubble wrap – the best protective material of them all.

Be mindful that finding free bubble wrap takes time – time you may not have the luxury to spare. Sure, it must feel nice to get something for free but your time can turn out to be much more valuable in the end. The truth is that during a house move, it’s a fine balance between time and money, and so you’re the only one who which one is more precious in your case.

If you just can’t afford to lose any time searching for free bubble wrap and free packing materials in general, then you should either buy your supplies new or hire professional packers who will arrive with their own quality packing materials.

Get a free quote from the best movers in your area to learn how much the extra service of professional packing will cost you.

The post Where to Get Bubble Wrap for Free appeared first on The Moving Blog.

One such item in your home will be the TV set. Now, provided that your TV is in decent condition (it’s not broken and it’s not too old), then you should definitely want to take it with you. And why wouldn’t you?

Modern TVs are quite expensive, so it won’t make any sense to get rid of yours as long as it’s working just fine.

Therefore, when you transfer the packing hub into the living room, your (big) flat-screen TV will be one of the extra fragile items you will have to protect for the upcoming move. Keep in mind that all electronic devices are rather delicate and susceptible to transportation damage, and your TV set is no exception.

Read on to learn the best way to pack a TV for moving. The packing steps below will show you what you should and shouldn’t do when packing a TV for a move.

Why are flat-screen TVs difficult to pack and move?

The truth is that large flat-screen TVs are really hard to protect for a move. Why? Here are the major reasons why you shouldn’t expect the task of packing your TV set for a move to be a piece of cake.

• Dimensions. The majority of modern LED TVs are big – they have large screens for a better viewing experience. And that’s great… until those hi-tech electronic pieces have to be moved safely from one home to another. The most common TV sizes available today are 32”, 43”, 55”, and 65”.
• Weight. While new TVs are much lighter than old ones, they can still be too heavy to handle on Moving day. LED TVs can weigh up to 60 pounds for 65-70-inch models while older plasma TVs weigh anywhere between 80 pounds and 100 pounds.
• Fragility. TVs are delicate pieces of electronics and, not surprisingly, their most vulnerable parts are their flat screens. A seriously damaged TV screen often means having to buy a new TV altogether since screen repair costs are usually too expensive to be worth the trouble. So, your main focus should be on effective ways to protect the screen of your TV during the packing task.
• Cost. Latest TVs can cost up to a few thousand dollars (depending on their brand and screen size), so you definitely don’t want to see your TV damaged in any way during the relocation. Due to the inevitable moving expenses, your budget will most likely be already stretched as it is so you should do all in your power to keep your TV perfectly safe throughout the move.

Packing Timeline for Moving

What supplies do you need to pack your TV?

One thing is clear: you won’t be able to protect your TV properly if you don’t have the necessary packing materials. So, your very first step is to gather the TV packing supplies you’ll need for the job.

• 

  Furniture blankets and sheets of cardboard are the two most critical supplies when packing a TV for a move.

  A TV box. The best way to protect your fragile TV set is to transport it in its original box. TV boxes are specially designed to offer the best possible protection for TVs – not only are they made of thick cardboard, but they also match perfectly the size of the TV and have specialized Styrofoam inserts that keep the device both padded and immobilized inside the carton.

• Cardboard sheets. You will need several large sheets of clean, strong cardboard. The good news is that it’s easy to find – just break down a couple of big cardboard boxes and you’re good to go.
• Foam sheets. If possible, get a couple of foam sheets for the TV screen – they are soft and will serve as the first layer of protection for the fragile element.
• Bubble wrap. It’s always a good idea to have sheets of bubble wrap close by during the packing process. In this case, the bubble wrap will add extra protection for your prized possession.
• Packing paper. You’ll need the packing paper to wrap the TV remote, the cables, and any other TV accessory you’re taking with you.
• Furniture blankets. Secure several thick moving blankets that will help you create a soft padding layer around your big electronic device.
• Masking tape. Have a roll of painter’s tape – it’ll be very useful when you fix padding directly onto the TV case because, unlike regular packing tape, masking tape does not leave any marks when it’s removed.
• Packing tape. One roll of high-quality packing tape should be enough for the job.

How Many Boxes Do You Need When Moving?

How to prepare your TV for packing and moving

When you’ve gathered the required packing supplies, it’s time to prepare your TV set for packing. Follow these steps to do so.

• TAKE a few photos of the way your TV is wired up with other electronic devices – peripherals such as a sound system, a game console, or a video player. A few quick shots can save plenty of time after the move while you’re trying to hook up the TV correctly.
• SECURE the power cord. If the TV power cable is detachable, remove it, fold it gently, secure it with a cable tie, and pack it with packing paper. If the power cord cannot be removed from the unit, fold it, secure it with a rubber band, and tape it to the back of the TV using painter’s tape.
• UNPLUG and LABEL all cables. There’s nothing complicated here – simply unhook all cables from the TV set and label them correctly with the help of pieces of masking tape. Then, fold those cables carefully, secure them with a cable tie or a rubber band, and wrap them up in soft packing paper.
• DISMOUNT the TV from the wall mount. If the electronic unit is mounted on the wall on a wall mount, then detach it carefully from the bracket and place it gently onto the floor to be padded and packed safely. Make sure you have a helper to complete this step. Also, remove the wall mount and pack it into a furniture blanket.
• REMOVE the TV stand and pack it up. If your TV is resting on a piece of furniture with its stand, then all you need to do is detach the TV stand safely. Again, have a person help you during this step to prevent any type of damage. Wrap the stand in wrapping paper.
• CLEAN your TV set. Your TV may be somewhat dusty and you wouldn’t want to take that dust into the new home. Use a soft damp cloth to remove the accumulated dust from the case of the unit. Also, use a high-quality screen cleaner and a soft microfiber cloth to clean the large flat screen of the device.

How to Pack Electronics for Moving

How to protect the TV screen

As explained above, the screen of your TV will be its most delicate part so you must make sure you protect it in the best possible way. A scratched TV screen can definitely ruin your viewing pleasure, let alone a more serious type of damage such as a crack along its surface.

Also, insufficient or improper protection of your TV set can lead to various sorts of distortion on the screen (discolored, lightened, or darker areas), often the result of external substances such as moisture, dust, or smoke entering the display panel.

Here’s the best way to protect your TV screen prior to packing the unit:

• Position the large piece of foam sheet over the TV screen to form the first layer of protection. The soft padding will be gentle on the screen surface and won’t damage it in any way. Secure the foam using pieces of masking tape.
• Place a big sheet of thick cardboard over the entire screen so that the cardboard piece matches exactly the dimension of the TV display. If the cardboard sheets you have are not big enough, then you should attach two or more pieces together to make them the right size. Then, secure the hard cardboard on-screen protector with the help of some masking tape.

Always use masking tape (aka painter’s tape) for the purpose and never regular packing tape. Painter’s tape is gentle on delicate surfaces and won’t leave any hard-to-remove marks after it’s peeled off.

How to pack a flat-screen TV inside a box

Original TV boxes offer the best level of protection for your flat-screen TV.

We’ll take a look at two separate cases when packing a TV for a move: 1) when you do keep the original TV box the electronic unit came in when you first bought it from the store, and 2) when you have no idea where that TV box is and therefore will pack the device without a box.

There’s also an in-between scenario when you don’t have the original TV box but you’re willing to find another box that will fit the size and shape of your TV set.

Now that you’ve protected the TV display adequately, here are the steps you need to follow to pack a TV inside a box:

• Prepare the TV box to accommodate the large electronic unit. Inspect the box closely for any type of damage. If the cardboard container has been in storage for years, then it’s a good idea to strengthen its bottom and side edges using strong packing tape. Place a few sheets of bubble wrap along the bottom on the inside to form a soft insulation layer.
• Contact the largest electronics store in your city or town and ask them if they happen to have a suitable box for your TV model. Do this in case you don’t keep the original TV box but still want to transport your TV inside a cardboard container. It’s worth the effort – a single phone call can make your work much easier and you’ll be glad to know that your TV will be transported in the safest way possible.
• Transfer the flat-screen TV into the cardboard box really carefully. Don’t let the unit just drop into the box – instead, slide it downwards slowly until it lands softly onto the bottom.
• Place the original Styrofoam inserts properly to immobilize the TV inside the box. Sometimes you will have to fix those inserts onto the TV before you slide it into the carton.
• Fill in any sizeable gaps inside the TV box with pieces of crumpled paper, discarded sheets of bubble wrap, or even pieces of old clothing. This is especially important in case you haven’t used any Styrofoam inserts.
• Remove the batteries from the remote control and wrap the TV accessory in soft packing paper. Then, place it on the top of the TV inside the box.
• Add the paper-wrapped power cord to the box, if applicable.
• Do the shaking test together with your helper. You should both lift the box off the ground and shake it gently. If you feel the TV shifting inside, be it even slightly, add more padding materials inside the carton to fix it.
• Close the box and seal it shut using packing tape.

How to pack a flat-screen TV without a box

Packing a TV for moving without a box is still possible but it requires a special two-layer packing technique.

You shouldn’t worry too much if you don’t have a suitable box to pack your TV set into. The thing is that you can pack your TV without a box using a special packing technique explained in detail below.

The major concept of packing a TV for moving without a box is to create two protective layers: 1) a soft layer (furniture blankets + bubble wrap) that will be the first line of defense for the electronic device, and 2) a hard layer (cardboard) over the initial soft one that will keep the TV set from any damaging external forces.

The method of packing a TV without a box relies on the fact that you have already protected the fragile display as described above (foam + cardboard).

• Wrap the whole TV in several thick furniture blankets. Use packing tape to secure those padding blankets but be careful not to use tape on the TV surface itself.
• Wrap the TV set in anti-static bubble wrap – the plastic air-bubbled sheets should be placed over the moving blankets. Secure the bubble wrap with packing tape.
• Use cardboard sheets to form a final hard-shell protective layer around your TV. Make sure the front, the back, and the sides of the units are all covered in pieces of thick cardboard. Use plenty of packing tape to fix the sheets in place.

Packing a TV for a move without professional assistance can be somewhat risky, especially if you’ve never had to pack a TV for moving before. If you feel nervous about packing your TV all by yourself (remember that professional moving companies won’t take responsibility for any damage during transport if packing was done by their customers), then you’d better get in touch with the best movers in your area and get free moving quotes to see how much they will charge you for the job.

The post How to Pack a TV for Moving: Professional TV Packing Tips appeared first on The Moving Blog.

In addition to worrying about your regular furniture units, you’ll also need to make a decision about any IKEA furniture pieces you may own. IKEA furniture pieces are both fun and affordable, and they do have a special appeal of their own, particularly when you’ve assembled them with your own two hands.

The very first question you should answer is whether it’s worth the trouble of moving your chipboard furniture all the way to the new home. You’re going to have to take a few factors into consideration before you can reach an informed decision.

And if you do decide to move your IKEA furniture with you, then what’s the best way to protect it so that it survives the upcoming move unscathed? Bear in mind that moving IKEA furniture to a new home is a bit different than moving solid-wood furniture. Why? Particle board furniture is far less sturdy than solid-wood furniture, meaning that there’s a higher chance of it being damaged during the relocation.

How to pack and move IKEA furniture safely? Follow these 7 steps to find out.

Step 1. Double-check if moving your IKEA furniture is worth it

First and foremost, you do a risk assessment before you rush to pack and move your IKEA furniture to the new house.

Is it worth moving IKEA furniture at all? There are a few things you need to know before you can make the right choice in your particular case:

• IKEA furniture is not renowned for its strength and sturdiness. Why? It’s made from particle board – an engineered product that’s manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic resin which are pressed and extruded during the production process. Basically, this means that your ready-to-assemble furniture may not survive the move, especially if it has to be disassembled at the old home and put back together in the new one.
• IKEA furniture is fairly affordable, at least in most cases. What this means is that if you happen to be moving across the country, you’re likely to pay more money for the transportation of your pressboard pieces than to purchase brand-new IKEA furniture after the move. Do the math and see for yourself – if the numbers don’t work in your favor, then packing and moving your IKEA furniture cross country doesn’t make any sense.
• IKEA furniture seldom has any sentimental value, so it should be much easier for you to just discard your particle board pieces without any regret. If you had priceless antique furniture in the house, then things would have been completely different.

Should You Move Your Furniture or Buy New After the Move?

2. Determine whether you have to disassemble the IKEA furniture

Should you disassemble IKEA furniture when moving?

The correct answer to this question will depend primarily on what types of IKEA furniture items you own. Here’s what you should know when trying to figure out whether you should move your IKEA pieces as they are or you should dismantle them first to make things easier for yourself.

• Moving IKEA furniture without disassembling it first is the easiest option provided that the units can pass safely through all the doorways, hallways, corners, and even staircases in your home. Measure up the pieces and if they can be taken out of the home safely, then all you’ll need to do is wrap them up in protective blankets.
• Moving IKEA furniture as it is may be easier in terms of time and effort but it’s not likely to be the safest option you have. Note that the screws, bolts, and dowels that keep the pieces together in flat-pack furniture can become somewhat loose when the units are being moved around and the particle board elements could break or crack due to the added strain.
• There are risks involved in moving IKEA furniture to a new house either way but as a rule of thumb, you should consider disassembling the large ready-to-assemble furniture units such as dressers, beds, and bookcases for safer and easier handling. However, you can still leave smaller units such as drawers and nightstands fully assembled as a way to speed up the relocation process at both ends.

What to Do When Furniture Will NOT Go Through the Door

3. Take photos of your assembled IKEA furniture

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words and when you’re moving your IKEA furniture to a new house, you’re likely to find out that this adage is truer than you might think.

Before you get down to business (understand disassembling the large IKEA pieces you own), you’re strongly recommended to take multiple photos of the items as they are – that is, fully assembled. Why? It’s easy to guess that you may need to use those reference photos in the new home during the reassembly process.

So, use your digital camera to take not only full-size photos of the furniture pieces from a distance but also close-up pictures of the way the segments of each unit are attached to each other. Have numerous shots of the spots that contain any fastening elements to serve as a guide when you’re putting them back together in the new place.

Keep the photos safe throughout the house move – it’s best to upload them to an online storage cloud service such as Google Drive, for example.

Do’s and Don’ts When Moving Furniture

4. Follow the instructions to disassemble partially your IKEA furniture

You’re going to have to have the correct disassembly instructions before you begin to take apart safely your large IKEA furniture.

Follow the IKEA assemble instructions backward in order to disassemble your IKEA furniture safely.

There are several things you need to keep in mind when it comes to using instructions to disassemble your IKEA pieces:

• IKEA furniture needs to be disassembled in a specific order simply because it has been assembled the same way. Failure to follow the pre-set order might lead to damage – somewhat unlikely but still possible depending on the concrete IKEA furniture model. So, don’t take any risks.
• Use the assembly instructions to disassemble your big IKEA furniture units. How? It’s simple: just work your way backward – from the last page of the assembly instructions booklet to the first.
• Don’t worry if you can’t find the assembly instructions for your IKEA furniture pieces. Just visit the IKEA website and search for the furniture model: IKEA Assembly Instructions.
• Needless to say, the assembly instructions you use to disassemble your IKEA furniture units will help you put back together those pieces once you find yourself in the new home.

How to Disassemble Furniture When Moving

5. Label each disassembled furniture piece

As soon as you begin the disassembly process, one important thing you should do is to label each furniture element as you take it apart. Proper labeling of your IKEA furniture is critical because it can save plenty of valuable time after the move.

Don’t write directly onto the furniture components – instead, stick small pieces of painter’s tape onto the items and label them accordingly. Make sure you use painter’s tape and not regular packing tape since the latter is likely to damage the surface of your IKEA furniture.

Similar to labeling moving boxes, you just have to use a labeling system that will make sense during the reassembly time. To keep things simple, you can choose to use the following furniture labeling pattern:

• from top to bottom, and
• from right to left.

By having the assembly instructions with you and having the individual pieces all labeled correctly, you shouldn’t have any problems when it’s time to put back your furniture pieces in the new place.

Another important aspect of the IKEA furniture disassembly job is to keep all small fastening elements – screws, bolts, dowels, hinges, etc. – in a safe place such as inside a sealable plastic bag. When you’re done disassembling a unit, use a permanent marker to write down on the plastic bag the name of the furniture piece those small elements have come from.

How to Protect Furniture When Moving

6. Wrap your IKEA furniture in moving blankets

It’s time to protect your IKEA furniture pieces no matter if you’ve already disassembled them or you’ve decided to keep them as they are. Whichever way you decide to go, you shouldn’t let the furniture items leave your house without being well padded with the proper packing materials.

Basically, the easiest way to protect IKEA furniture is to wrap each disassembled piece in thick furniture blankets or regular bath towels. Once you do it, use pieces of tape to keep the pads in place.

Sometimes it makes sense to bundle a few smaller furniture elements together to save space and packing materials, so feel free to do it as long as you use a few sheets of packing paper between the pieces to avoid direct wood-to-wood contact.

In case you’re moving an IKEA piece as it is, without disassembling it, then you’re going to have to wrap the entire unit in thick moving blankets to keep them from getting chipped, scratched, or dented during the actual transportation.

Also, if you happen to keep the original cardboard boxes that contained your IKEA furniture when you first bought it, then you should use them to protect the pieces on the road.

How to Move Heavy Furniture by Yourself

7. Move the IKEA furniture with utmost care

Follow these furniture moving steps and you’ll be soon reassembling your IKEA furniture in the new home.

Once you pack up your IKEA furniture pieces, it’s time to transport them safely to the new place.

The first step is to take them out of your home without any damage. In case you have already disassembled fully some of the IKEA units, then you shouldn’t have any problems with this step.

However, if you’re moving some of your IKEA furniture items without having them disassembled first, then you should ask a few friends to help you take those large pieces to the truck outside. Once inside the vehicle, use straps or pieces of rope to secure the furniture units so that they don’t shift around during transit.

Also, you should consider using a moving dolly to make things easier and safer when moving furniture to another home – not only IKEA but other types of furniture items as well.

Keep in mind that some professional moving companies will not move ready-to-assemble furniture unless it’s been disassembled first. The main reason is that IKEA furniture and IKEA-like furniture do not usually survive a house move due to their decreased strength and durability.

Be sure to contact the best furniture movers in your area if you do need professional help moving your IKEA furniture or your non-IKEA furniture.

How to Move Furniture to Another State

The post How to Pack and Move IKEA Furniture: 7 Steps appeared first on The Moving Blog.

Coffee mugs and tea mugs happen to be one of the most frequently used kitchen items. In fact, they are often used multiple times every single day since coffee and tea are the most widely consumed drinks after water. And you won’t part with your favorite mugs simply because you’re moving to a new place, right?

When you transfer the packing action to the kitchen, you’re going to have to be very careful how you go about protecting your porcelain mugs so that they remain intact during the actual relocation.

Luckily, these 10 packing steps will show you the best way to pack mugs for a move.

1. Understand why mugs are tricky to pack and move

Interestingly enough, mugs are not as easy to pack as they seem for a couple of reasons:

• Fragile. Mugs are made from porcelain, meaning that they are fragile and can break easily if too much pressure is applied to them during the actual transportation or you just happen to drop one accidentally on the floor while packing those delicate kitchen items. You’re going to have to treat mugs as very fragile things simply because that’s exactly what they are.
• Sentimental value. Mugs are tricky to pack and move not only because of their apparent fragility but also because of the sentimental value they often hold. What this basically means is that even though porcelain mugs are inexpensive to replace, they almost always happen to be cool gifts from special people. Oftentimes, such cups contain funny quotes, or words of wisdom and inspiration, or personalized messages or images that are meaningful to their owners.

All in all, finding a few of your mugs broken due to improper packing won’t bring you 7 years of bad luck but it could bring a few tears to your face if the broken porcelain cups turn out to be your favorite ones.

2. Sort out your kitchen mugs

The next step when packing mugs for moving is to determine whether there are any porcelain cups that are not worth packing and moving to the new home’s kitchen. Bear in mind that it won’t make much sense to lose precious time packing any items (in this case porcelain mugs) which you won’t ever use again.

Follow these steps as part of your assessment of which ones to take with you and which ones to leave behind:

• Arrange all the mugs you have onto the kitchen table.
• Take a closer look at each cup and look for any signs of damage such as chipped bits, cracks, stains, and so on.
• Consider the sentimental value of each mug as well. In most cases, you’re likely to take with you a partially damaged cup simply because it is a gift from a dear friend or you have great memories associated with it.
• Sort all your kitchen mugs into 2 groups: TAKE and LEAVE BEHIND. Now, what should you do with all the cups you’ve decided not to move with you?

3. Discard the mugs that are not worth it

Some mugs just won’t be worth the trouble.

You know that you’re going to pack up the porcelain mugs that you’ve determined as worthy to make the relocation trip. However, what should you do with the cups that you will not move with you for some reason or another?

• Gift. Consider giving away to friends some of the mugs you have, especially when they are new and you know some of your pals will most likely like them. Why should you throw away something that another person will enjoy?
• Donate. Some charities may accept unused porcelain mugs, so if you have a bunch of cups you’ve never used, then consider contacting a few charitable organizations to see if they would want them.
• Sell. If you do have new mugs stored away somewhere in the kitchen and you’re planning on organizing a moving sale before you move away, then you should try to sell them together with the rest of your unwanted stuff.
• Throw away. Simply throw away in an eco-friendly way all the mugs that could not possibly be reused anymore.

How to Pack a Kitchen When Moving

4. Get the right packing materials

You just have to have the proper packing supplies to be able to protect all the breakable items found in your kitchen, including the mugs you’re about to pack up and move to the new home.

• Cardboard box. One medium-size cardboard box should be enough for your porcelain mugs – if not, then you should use two medium boxes instead of packing all your fragile items into one big one. If possible, purchase a dish barrel – a double-walled box made from thick cardboard that’s designed to provide a greater degree of protection for various kitchen breakables such as dishes, glasses, mugs, and so on.
• Packing paper. You’re going to need soft white packing paper as the first protective layer.
• Bubble wrap. You should use pieces of bubble wrap as a secondary protective layer for your favorite mugs – the ones you would really hate to see damaged after the move.
• Packing tape. Get a roll of high-quality packing tape which you will also use for reinforcing the cardboard box (see below).

Packing Paper vs Bubble Wrap

5. Reinforce the mug box

This step is about making sure that the box or boxes you use to transport your porcelain mugs won’t break during the move. If a box containing fragile items did break on Moving day, then the breakables inside it would most certainly get damaged and that’s something you would like to avoid at all costs.

One easy way to minimize the chance of a box breaking under the load of whatever is inside it is to reinforce the cardboard container using packing tape.

• Use tape to reinforce the bottom and all sides of the box you’re going to use to pack your mugs.
• Place wads of crumpled paper along the inside bottom of the container as a way to create a soft padding layer that will serve as a cushion for your breakable kitchen mugs against shocks and vibrations.

How to Pack Plates for Moving

6. Wrap packing paper around each mug

Let packing begin.

The preparation stage is complete, now it’s time to protect each porcelain mug individually with the help of wrapping paper and even bubble wrap, if necessary.

Here’s the best way to pack mugs for moving:

• Position the stack of wrapping paper on the kitchen table;
• Place a porcelain mug onto the middle of the stack of paper. Make sure the cup is completely dry before packing it up – if it’s not, dry it out;
• Get two sheets of paper from any corner and tuck them inside the mug. Do the same with the other paper corners as well until the outside of the cup is completely covered in soft wrapping paper;
• Secure the paper layer around the mug with tape to keep it from unwrapping by itself during transport.

How to Pack Glasses for Moving

7. Place bubble wrap around your best mugs

In most cases, adding a couple of sheets of wrapping paper around each mug will be enough to protect the breakable items during the relocation. As you will see below, the wrapped-up cups will be protected additionally once they are arranged inside the cardboard box.

Nevertheless, you are likely to have favorite coffee mugs or tea mugs that you wish to survive the move in perfect condition. And this is exactly why you should add an extra protective layer over those special kitchen mugs before you transfer them into the carton.

Here’s how to protect your best mugs using an extra layer of bubble wrap:

• Take one sheet of bubble wrap and wrap it over the initial paper layer of a mug that you love – a mug that has a special sentimental value for you;
• Use a piece of tape to secure the bubble wrap around the porcelain cup and keep it in place.

10 Delicate Tips for Packing Fragile Items When Moving

8. Transfer each mug into the box

This step should be pretty straightforward – all you have to do is take the already protected mugs and transfer them, one by one, into the already reinforced and padded cardboard box.

Arrange carefully the paper-packed or paper-and-bubble-wrap packed mugs onto the bottom of the box, right onto the wads of paper that you have placed beforehand as another level of protection.

Position the porcelain cups snugly one next to the other. Thanks to the padding around each cup, the breakables cannot come into direct contact with each other, which in turn will increase greatly the overall safety of this specific packing method.

When you’re done with the first row and there are more cups to fit, lay a sheet of bubble wrap over the initial row and start another one.

Be careful not to apply too much pressure when arranging the mugs inside the box. If the place does not allow it, don’t force any pieces inside it – instead, use another cardboard box but not before you reinforce it and pad its bottom adequately.

9. Pad the mugs inside the box

Do all in your power to protect your favorite coffee or tea mugs.

One of the final steps when packing mugs for moving is to ensure that they cannot move inside the box while the latter is being transported between the two homes. This is a safety measure that will minimize the chance of damage to your kitchen breakables during the move.

When you’re done arranging the porcelain cups inside the container, use pieces of wrapping paper to fill in any gaps you can see between the packed items. This way, the mugs won’t be able to shift around inside the box and should remain perfectly intact despite the shocks and vibrations from the actual transportation.

Feel free to use newspaper instead of wrapping paper for filling in the gaps created inside the box after packing your mugs for a move.

Lift the box off the ground and shake it gently – can you feel anything moving inside it? If yes, add more paper to immobilize completely the fragile items. If not, then you’ve done a great job packing your porcelain mugs for the upcoming move.

12 Brilliant Packing Tips and Tricks for Moving

10. Label the box appropriately

The final step to packing up mugs for moving is to label the box once you’ve closed the carton and sealed it up with packing tape.

Why is labeling your boxes important?

First of all, it will warn the people who are handling your boxes whether or not there are any fragile items inside the containers. In other words, the FRAGILE sign should automatically mean PLEASE BE MORE CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING THESE BOXES.

Secondly, your movers will know exactly where to take the boxes that are meant to end up in the kitchen. And this is much better than having all your boxes delivered to and stacked up in the middle of the largest room in the new home.

And finally, you will know exactly where your mugs are when you need them without wasting any precious post-move time opening up random cartons.

So, do the sensible thing and write MUGS, KITCHEN, FRAGILE, and HANDLE WITH CARE on two sides of your cup-filled boxes.

How to Find the Best Movers Near You

The post How to Pack Mugs for Moving: 10 Packing Steps appeared first on The Moving Blog.

Your decision to pack your stuff on your own is a clear indication that you feel pretty confident that you can accomplish the arduous task without having to resort to professional packing services. And in most cases, the reason for such high level of confidence is the fact that you’ve done it before sometime in the past.

As a person with previous house packing experience, you must know quite well the various packing materials: cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, furniture blankets, and even packing peanuts. And yet, it’s quite likely that you won’t be familiar with the packing power of plastic wrap.

The truth is that plastic wrap (aka stretch wrap, shrink wrap, or cling wrap) can do wonders for you during the packing process thanks to its remarkable versatility, great resistance, surprising ease of use, relative affordability, and good recyclability.

Read on to learn the best way to use plastic wrap for moving, including all the advantages of stretch wrap when packing for a move and useful information about where to buy plastic wrap for moving.

Why you should use plastic wrap when moving

It’s no surprise that plastic wrap is an essential packing material and you should definitely consider buying it and using it when protecting your household items for the road ahead.

The thing is that stretch wrap will make the packing job so much faster and safer that you’re likely to wonder why you haven’t used it before that moment. In a way, using plastic wrap for moving will feel like a great packing hack that’ll change for the better the way you view the house packing process in general.

Here are the major reasons why you should use plastic wrap when packing for a move:

• Versatility. Luckily, stretch wrap is very versatile and can be used in many situations when packing for moving: protecting furniture against scratches, keeping dirt and dust away from household items, securing loose cables and wires, keeping drawers, doors, and panels secure, keeping protective pads fixed to the items they are protecting, bundling various items together, and more.
• Durability. Plastic wrap is very thin (roughly 0.0005 inches) but it still offers a great level of strength and tear resistance when wrapped around delicate items for stronger protection. Thanks to its natural resistance, shrink wrap can withstand a lot of pressure, thus keeping your fragile things safe.
• Ease of use. Packing plastic wrap is extremely easy to use. Unlike standard packing tape, stretch wrap has no adhesive side and will not leave sticky residue on surfaces when removed after usage. As the name suggests, cling wrap clings to itself and is later easy to remove without fear of damage to any delicate surfaces whatsoever.
• Affordability. Stretch wrap for moving is fairly affordable, ranging from around $10 (5 inches x 1,000 ft) to roughly $25 (15 inches x 1,000 ft), and more for rolls of heavy-duty stretch wrap. Needless to say, wider rolls of plastic wrap should be used for wrapping larger household items such as furniture and appliances.
• Recyclability. Plastic wrap used for packing is perfectly recyclable after the move so your relocation will still be green when you use the extra thin plastic packing material for various purposes as explained below.

How to use plastic wrap when moving

The good news is that plastic wrap can be used successfully in various packing situations during the house packing process. Below you will find the major uses of plastic wrap for moving but you yourself can find even more useful applications of clear plastic wrap when packing up your things without the assistance of professional packers.

1. Use plastic wrap to secure padding materials

The most common use of plastic wrap when packing for a move is to secure furniture blankets, bubble wrap, or other types of protective padding materials onto the furniture pieces, appliances, specialty items (a piano or a grandfather clock, for example), or other large household items you’re trying to protect.

The padding materials will have to stay snugly wrapped around the fragile items and that’s exactly why you should use stretch wrap to secure those pads. Unlike packing tape, packing plastic wrap will not leave any sticky residue on any of the delicate surfaces.

As a bonus, the plastic wrap will create an extra outer layer of protection for your belongings.

2. Use plastic wrap to protect mattresses and upholstered furniture

Plastic wrap is just the next level of furniture protection.

Another useful application of plastic wrap when packing for a move is to protect mattresses. In the best-case scenario, you will have a special mattress bag in which you will insert the mattress for safekeeping. But if you don’t have such a mattress cover, then you can easily create one by stretch-wrapping the entire mattress from top to bottom.

Also, plastic film is great for protecting upholstered furniture as long as the upholstery is made of fabric. Do NOT use stretch wrap on furniture pieces with leather upholstery because the leather won’t be able to breathe under the layer of plastic wrap and may “sweat” – that is, form a thin film of moisture.

How to Move a Mattress by Yourself

3. Use cling wrap to protect items against dirt, dust, and moisture

One of the best uses of plastic wrap when moving house is to protect household items against dust, dirt, and moisture.

When it’s wrapped tight around objects, stretch wrap creates a thin yet durable protective layer around the items you’re trying to keep safe during the move. Therefore, no dirt and no dust can penetrate through the plastic coating which basically means your things will reach the new place exactly the way they have left the old one.

The plastic wrap will also keep moisture and water away – something that can be extremely useful if you happen to be moving out on a rainy day. Just be careful not to trap any moisture inside the protective layer.

4. Use plastic wrap to secure furniture drawers, doors, and panels

Clear plastic wrap for moving can also be used to keep furniture drawers, doors, and panels secure during the move.

If a drawer, a door, or a panel of a furniture item happens to open during transport, then that could lead to an accident, which in turn might result in either property damage or a personal injury (or both!). Therefore, it’s critical that no removable part of a furniture piece gets to move while the furniture is being carried around.

Plastic wrap will simply secure the removable element to the main furniture structure. You can also use painter’s tape to the same effect but never regular packing tape due to the sticky residue it’s likely to leave onto the delicate furniture surface.

How to Protect Furniture When Moving

5. Use cling wrap to wrap up drawers together with their contents

Stretch wrap can let you seal the content of a drawer or a bookcase.

Sometimes a few packing hacks here and a few packing tricks there can speed up the packing process significantly.

After all, the task of packing for a move takes many, many hours to complete, so anything you can do to finish it up more quickly is more than welcome.

One awesome trick to speed up packing is to use stretch wrap over the opening of a drawer with its contents still inside, thus turning the drawer into an instant packing box.

Mind you, this packing tactic is only possible when the things inside the drawer are non-breakable – for example, pieces of clothing, bedding, or other soft items that won’t get damaged when they are being shifted around the drawer during transport.

How to Pack Drawers for Moving

6. Use stretch wrap to bundle things together

You’ll be glad to learn that stretch wrap is also good at bundling similar items together during the packing process. Doing so will enhance the overall level of organization you should be aiming at when packing for moving.

• You can stack a few small cardboard boxes and bundle them together using plastic film for faster handling;
• You can bundle together detached pieces of furniture such as legs, boards, etc.;
• You can bundle and secure small items, especially kitchen items such as silverware;
• You can group together and secure items with long handles such as tools or mops;
• You can bundle together soft, lightweight items such as stuffed toys, pillows, etc.

Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline For Moving

7. Use plastic wrap to prevent nasty spills

Plastic wrap can be extremely helpful when you’re packing up your bathroom items. Why? It’s simple: the clear plastic wrap will prevent any spills from bottles of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and so on.

Here’s what you should do to make sure no spills occur when packing up your bathroom products:

• Remove the cap of a bottle, a tube, or a jar, then position a sufficient piece of plastic wrap right over the opening, and finally – close the cap again. This way, all your containers will become leak-proof;
• Insert each bathroom product into a plastic Ziploc bag for double reassurance that there won’t be any nasty spills during transit.

How to Pack a Bathroom for Moving

8. Use stretch wrap to secure power cords and cables

Safety on Moving day is of paramount importance and you must do all in your power to ensure the Big day goes accident-free from start to finish.

When moving electric appliances, one possible risk to the general safety on that particular day is for a person to trip on a power cord, a cable, or a wire that has not been secured. And that’s exactly where plastic wrap can come in to prevent such mishaps from happening.

Use cling wrap to secure power cords and cables to the side (usually the back) of an appliance so that any tripping hazards are eliminated.

9. Use cling wrap to keep rolled-up rugs from unfolding

Plastic wrap can be pretty useful during a move… but you don’t need to go THIS far.

If you’ve decided to take some of your area rugs with you, then you can use stretch wrap during the packing process to protect the carpet rolls.

Here’s what you should do: once you’ve rolled up an area rug correctly (follow the link below to learn the best way to pack rugs for moving), use plastic wrap to secure the ends of the carpet roll from unfolding by itself. Alternatively, you can use pieces of string for the same purpose.

Do NOT plastic-wrap the entire carpet roll for fear of trapping moisture inside. Instead, wrap large sheets of packing paper around the rug roll until you cover it completely.

How to Pack Rugs for Moving

10. Use plastic wrap to secure jewelry pieces

Saran wrap can help you greatly when you’re packing your jewelry for moving.

When you’re packing earrings for moving, one packing method is to use cardboard cards to organize your long earrings. Once you’ve attached the earrings to a cardboard card by inserting their hooks through the cardboard holes, use plastic wrap to secure the bundle and seal the earrings in one place.

Also, when you’ve placed and secured your earrings in an egg carton (that’s right – an egg carton), wrap the entire carton with plastic wrap to seal it, thus keeping each individually paper-packed ring in place.

How to Pack Jewelry for Moving

Where to buy plastic wrap for moving

And now that you know all the clear advantages of using plastic wrap when packing for a move, it’s only natural that you’ll be interested in where to buy plastic wrap for moving.

You can buy plastic wrap directly from one of the large home improvement stores in your town or city, either by visiting those places in person or ordering plastic film online:

• Walmart
• Home Depot
• Lowe’s
• Target

Of course, you can also check out Amazon when you’re looking to buy plastic wrap online.

How much plastic wrap do you need though? It depends on how big the home is and how many items (especially furniture items) you plan to move with you. As a rule of thumb, 1 roll of 5 inches x 1,000 ft and 1 roll of 15 inches x 1,000 ft should be enough for your packing needs when you’re moving out of a 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom home.

When in doubt, it’s always better to buy one extra roll of shrink wrap – after all, you can surely find the plastic film useful even after you’ve moved into the new home.

The post How to Use Plastic Wrap for Moving appeared first on The Moving Blog.

In reality, there are so many things to sort out, protect, and pack for the upcoming relocation that the job often feels overwhelming even before you start working on it. Packing for moving is, without a doubt, the most challenging project during a house move so you must make sure you’re up to the heavy task.

Luckily, some household items are easier to pack than others. One good example is packing your clothes – your pieces of clothing are not fragile in any way, so you shouldn’t actually worry about whether they will arrive in one piece or not simply because they will. They might end up a bit wrinkled up but that’s not a big worry, is it?

While packing clothes for moving, you’ll also reach the point of having to also pack hangers for moving. That’s right – packing hangers for a move seems like a very easy thing to do but there are a few peculiarities about that packing job too.

What’s the best way to pack hangers when moving? These 10 packing steps will show you the correct way.

Step 1. Decide if your hangers are worth packing and moving

With so many things to pack during a house move, you should seriously ask yourself if packing hangers for a move is even worth the time and effort you’ll have to invest in the packing task.

Here are the top reasons why you should pack your hangers when moving house:

• If you have wooden hangers in excellent condition, there isn’t a single reason why you shouldn’t transport them with you to the new house;
• If you own designer hangers, then you should definitely pack and move those because they will be fairly expensive and of high quality too;
• Moving your hangers means that you’ll be able to arrange your clothes in the wardrobe or closet right after you move into the new place.

However, packing and moving your clothes hangers is not always a good decision. Here are the top reasons why you shouldn’t bother packing your hangers for moving in some situations:

• Clothes hangers take up plenty of space, especially when they are not stacked up nicely but rather just thrown randomly into a box;
• Clothes hangers are cheap, especially plastic ones, so it may not be worth the time and effort to transport them to the new home;
• Hangers can easily get broken during a move unless you know how to protect them properly for the road ahead.

Step 2. Understand why hangers are tricky to pack for moving

Packing hangers for moving seems like a pretty straightforward thing to do and in a way, it is just that. However, it can be somewhat tricky, especially if you’ve never done it before.

There are several reasons why packing hangers for a move can be trickier than you think:

• Clothes hangers have the tendency to tangle in each other, partly due to their (metal) hooks and mostly due to their shape. Once they get tangled, hangers can easily get broken or in less extreme cases, bent out of shape.
• Hangers, especially the ones with metal hooks, could easily scratch the surfaces of other items – for example, damage the wardrobe or closet if they are left loosely inside it, totally unprotected.
• Unless hangers get neatly stacked, they will take plenty of space inside a moving box when they are just tossed carelessly and hastily inside the container. And if that happens, the storage space you could have used to pack something meaningful would be simply lost, thus forcing you to use yet an extra box for the purpose.

Step 3. Sort your hangers prior to packing them up

Group your clothes hangers by material before packing them up.

This step is all about sorting out your hangers into 2 major groups:

• Group 1. Hangers you’re moving with you.
• Group 2. Hangers you’re leaving behind.

Step 1 in this hangers packing guide has already given you some clues as to which clothes hangers are worth keeping and which ones are not. In a nutshell, here are the signs that will help you sort out and group all your hangers correctly:

Hangers that are worth packing and moving (Group 1):

• Hangers in excellent or good condition, including brand-new ones;
• Plastic, wire, or wooden hangers of good quality;
• Designer hangers;
• Hangers that are already in use and you’re moving some of your clothes together with them.

Hangers that are NOT worth packing and moving (Group 2):

• Broken hangers, including ones that have been fixed temporarily;
• Worn out or stained hangers;
• Very cheap and non-remarkable hangers (most often plastic ones) that you can purchase brand-new after the move.

Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline for Moving

Step 4. Give away or throw away for recycling all hangers you won’t use

There’s really no point in packing and moving any hangers that fall into Group 2. And this basically means that you’ll be better off giving away or throwing away those clothes hangers depending on their overall condition.

If the hangers you’re not taking with you happen to be fairly OK and can still be useful to somebody else, then do consider giving them away to a person who you know might need them. Another option is to donate those hangers – try second-hand clothes stores or certain charitable organizations that accept clothes. Also, dry cleaners usually accept wire hangers in good condition for reuse.

But if the hangers you’re not moving with you cannot be reused – too old, too broken, or too stained, then your only viable option is to throw them away for proper recycling. Make sure you discard them in the correct recycle bin.

How to Get Rid of Stuff Before Moving

Step 5. Leave the hangers on your clothes (wardrobe box)

Believe it or not, the best way to pack hangers when moving is to pack some of your clothes together with their hangers. And how should you do it?

It’s easy enough: simply take your hanging clothes from the wardrobe or dresser as they are placed on their hangers and transfer them carefully into a wardrobe box of the right size. For your information, wardrobe boxes are specialized containers for transporting hanging clothes – they look like miniature versions of clothes dressers and have a metal bar on the top on which you should hang the clothes.

Clearly, using wardrobe boxes is the easiest way to move clothes on hangers but it’s far from being the cheapest one – depending on its size (small, medium, large), a single wardrobe box will cost anywhere between $10 and $15. Also, wardrobe boxes are rather bulky and will take plenty of space inside the moving vehicle as well.

Step 6. Leave the hangers on your clothes (garbage bags)

Clean, durable garbage bags will enable you to pack up the hanging clothes in your closet in no time.

Another good way to pack hangers together with your hanging clothes is to use a simple yet highly practical trick to speed up the packing process: to pack clothes on hangers in garbage bags.

Here’s how it’s done:

• Take a clean (brand-new), durable garbage bag and poke a hole in the very center of its bottom;
• Tie a small cable tie (twist tie) around the hooks of a group of 5-6 hangers as they are placed inside the wardrobe or dresser. The hanging clothes should be similar in type and size;
• Get the tied hooks through the small bag opening and pull down the plastic bag over the grouped clothes until it covers completely the hanging clothes;
• Secure the open end of the trash bag by either pulling on its drawstrings or taping it with some bits of packing tape.

Using this famous clothes packing trick, both your hangers and clothes will be packed for moving together, quickly and safely.

Step 7. Group and stack your hangers properly

One of the most important steps when packing hangers for moving is to group and stack the items properly so that they take as little space inside a box as possible.

The first thing you should do is group all the hangers you’re moving by size and material. As a rule, not all clothes hangers are of the same size though they come pretty close. For obvious reasons, it would be very difficult to pack together hangers of various sizes, so make things easier on yourself from the start.

Next, you should group all hangers by material. In other words, you should stack and pack in bundles only hangers made of plastic, and so on. It’s OK to bundle together plastic and wooden hangers of similar size but you should remember to keep wire hangers separately from the rest of the clothes accessories for safety reasons.

Stack neatly one hanger on the top of another in bundles of 10-12 pieces. As mentioned above, do not mix wire hangers with plastic or wooden ones.

Step 8. Use rubber bands or stretch wrap to secure the hangers

Once you’ve created neat stacks of clothes hangers, it’s time to secure them for safe transportation.

One good way to secure hangers is to use long rubber bands.

• Use long rubber bands for the job. If you have a bunch of shorter rubber bands, just tie two or three ones together and it should be OK.
• Get a rubber band around the neck of the bundled hangers, stretch it down and around the bottom bars, and then tie it up again at the neck part to fix the entire bundle in place.
• Use a second rubber band if the bundle of hangers looks and feels flimsy.

Another way you can pack hangers together is to use stretch wrap. Simply go around the stacked clothes hangers twice with the stretch film and you’re good to go. Do NOT use regular packing tape because it is likely to ruin the top finish of the hangers.

How to Pack Winter Clothes for Moving

Step 9. Arrange the bundles of hangers in a cardboard box

Make sure the hangers cannot move inside the cardboard box.

The next step is to transfer the sorted and bundled clothes hangers into a cardboard box.

However, before you do it, place a sheet of clean packing paper along the bottom of the box for extra protection. Then, start arranging the pre-grouped hangers into the box by material, meaning that when you’ve done packing up all the plastic hangers, then start with the wooden ones, and finally, finish it up with your wire ones.

There isn’t any specific way to arrange the bundled clothes hangers into the box – just make sure the hooks of one bundle cannot get entangled with another one. Nevertheless, the most natural way to pack hangers into a cardboard box is to do it flat by stacking them up along the sides of the container. Use pieces of paper to fill in any gaps between the hangers so that they cannot move inside the box.

When done, place a second sheet of packing paper on the top, close the box, seal it with packing tape, and label it accordingly.

Step 10. Avoid these mistakes when packing hangers for a move

Now you know how to pack hangers for moving. As you can see, the packing task is not complicated in any way and you’ve got good options, including packing the hangers together with the clothes – either in wardrobe boxes or in plastic bags.

Nevertheless, there are several mistakes that you could make while packing hangers for a move – judgment errors that will not only lead to lost time, but possibly to broken hangers or sometimes even worse – damaged pieces of clothing.

Here are the top 3 mistakes that you should avoid making when packing hangers when moving:

• Do not leave any hangers inside the clothes dresser or wardrobe if you intend to move the furniture item with you. Having hangers loose inside it may scratch the sides of the furniture piece.
• Do not throw hangers randomly into cardboard boxes. Doing so will increase the chance of them tangling into each other and breaking during transport. Also, the storage room inside the box will not be used efficiently, to say the least.
• Do not combine hangers of different materials – this is especially important for wire hangers. Always groups hangers by material to prevent any damage during transport.

Packing for a move is a huge project and you may not be able to handle it on your own, especially when you’re moving in a hurry. Consider hiring professional packers if you’re running out of time or you feel rather overwhelmed by the great number of household items to protect for the road ahead.

The post How to Pack Hangers for Moving: Just Hang In There appeared first on The Moving Blog.

If you love books, then you’re sure to have tons of volumes in your home. And if that’s the case, then it’s very likely that you also have a bookcase where you store your books and where have them on display for both easy access and decorative purposes.

Having a personal library in your home is an awesome feeling and you must be very proud of your own book collection. However, when the time comes for you to move to a new place, then you’ll have to decide what you’re going to do with your books and the bookcase itself.

Depending on a number of variables, moving a heavy bookcase to a new home can prove to be either a very good decision or a rather poor one. But if you do make up your mind to move the large furniture piece with you, then you’ll definitely need to know how to protect and transport your bookcase to the new house.

Read on to learn how to move a heavy bookcase by yourself – that is, without hiring the services of furniture movers.

Is it worth moving your bookcase?

Make an informed decision about whether or not you should move the bookcase at all. Here are a few pointers that should help you decide what’s best for you and your budget:

• Check the current condition of the bookcase. Is it still in excellent condition or is it already fairly worn out or even damaged in some places? Make a rough calculation of how much time it may continue to serve you well – after all, there isn’t much sense in paying to move the large furniture piece only to replace it shortly after the move.
• Take into account the overall value of the bookcase. Does it have any sentimental value for you – an antique piece or a family heirloom? You should always take with you furniture with a high sentimental value despite the higher relocation cost.
• Determine whether you’ll have enough space for the big bookcase in the new home. It won’t make much sense to transport the heavy piece of furniture many miles across the country only to realize that there isn’t any room for it in the new home.
• See if your bookcase will fit into the interior design of the new place. If the furniture unit won’t match with the rest of the furniture that’s already in the new place, you may want to save the trouble of hauling a heavy item across the country.
• Factor in the workmanship of the piece. If your bookcase is a beautiful piece made from high-quality materials, then you should definitely move it with you despite the higher relocation costs. On the other hand, if the bookshelves are made out of pressboard (IKEA or IKEA-like furniture), then you may as well leave the unit behind instead of paying good money to transport it.
• Be practical when you’re wondering whether to move your bookcase or not. When moving across the country, the cost you’ll need to pay to transport that large furniture item is likely to cost you roughly the same or even more than purchasing a brand-new bookshelf after the move. So, don’t make your move more complicated than it already is.

Ultimately, you’re the only one who can figure out if your bookcase is really worth the money, time, and effort to take it with you during the house move.

In most cases, moving your precious books to the new house is more important than moving your bookcase. Nevertheless, if you do like the bookshelf and you don’t wish to part with it, then it’s time to prepare it for the upcoming move.

Should You Move Your Furniture or Buy New After the Move?

How to pack and move a bookcase: 7 steps

Before you can take out the bookcase and load it up onto the moving truck, you’ll have to protect it first so that it arrives in the new home exactly the way it left the old place.

Here are the steps that will show you how to pack and move a heavy bookcase.

Step 1. Pack all books separately

Books are quite heavy so you shouldn’t just leave them on the bookshelves during the house moving process. Instead,

• 

  Pack up all your books in small cardboard boxes, leaving the bookshelves completely empty.

  Take all books from the bookcase, one by one, and decide right there on the spot whether you want to keep them or discard them.

• Form two piles of books on the floor – a KEEP file and a DISCARD You might also create a third pile for the volumes that you’re really not sure what to do with. You can revisit the NOT SURE pile later to solve the mini dilemmas.
• Figure out what to do with the books that you won’t be moving to the new place. Bear in mind that you’re doing the right thing – purging your book collection will be beneficial in the long run since it’ll create space for new editions in the new home. Feel free to gift some books to friends or family, or consider donating some volumes to the local library or various charitable organizations.
• Pack safely the books you’re surely moving with you. Packing books for moving is not complicated in any way, you just need to follow 3 major packing principles: 1) always use small boxes to pack books, 2) never pack books with their spines facing you for fear of damaging their spines, and 3) don’t make book boxes heavier than 40 pounds for safety reasons.

How to Pack Books for Moving

Step 2. Empty the bookcase completely

Once you’ve packed up all the books from the bookcase, it’s time to remove any other miscellaneous items displayed on or stored inside the furniture piece. The idea is to empty the bookshelf completely so that it becomes as lightweight as possible.

Remove any framed photos, figurines, souvenirs, etc. from the bookcase and pack those fragile items separately using plenty of wrapping paper and bubble wrap for extra protection. In the end, the furniture piece should remain totally bare, with nothing on and inside it.

Step 3. Disassemble the bookcase

This furniture disassembly step is critical when moving a heavy bookcase to another home. In most cases, your bookcase will be too big and too heavy to move as it is so you’re going to have to disassemble it safely to its main components.

• Remove any glass shelves or glass doors from the bookcase. Be careful when handling the glass elements and be sure to wear thick gloves to keep your fingers and hands protected against bad cuts. It’s always a good idea to have somebody to help you with the bookcase disassembling task.
• Use a screwdriver to loosen up or remove altogether the fastening elements (most often screws) that keep the hinges of the glass doors into place. Remove those glass doors carefully and place them on the floor.
• Remove any wooden doors from the bookcase using a screwdriver to unscrew their hinges from the main structure.
• Detach the sideboards to make the main structure much smaller and lighter to move out of the home. Start by removing the top sideboard with the help of a screwdriver – just unscrew the bolts on either side of the top sideboard. Then, release the sideboards of the bookcase by unscrewing them at the bottom.
• Use a pencil to mark all bookcase sideboards you have disassembled safely. Write their exact position in the bookshelf structure – top, bottom, right, or left.
• Remove the legs of the bookcase if the furniture piece happens to have any. In most cases, you’ll need to either unbolt the detachable legs or unscrew them.
• Keep all small fastening elements (bolts, screws, nuts, washers, dowels, etc.) in a sealable plastic bag to prevent any of them from getting lost during the move.

How to Disassemble Furniture When Moving

Step 4. Wrap all bookcase components in blankets

So far, so good.

This step is all about protecting all the bookcase elements that you have managed to disassemble from the main furniture structure.

• Place cardboard cut-outs over the glass doors in a way that those cardboard sheets match their sizes, and then wrap the glass components first in bubble wrap and then in furniture blankets. Do the same with the glass shelves, if any.
• Wrap all the wooden boards, doors, and legs you have taken apart into thick furniture blankets. Those furniture pads will create a soft, protective layer around the delicate components and will keep them from getting damaged while in transit.
• Use pieces of packing tape to secure the furniture blankets around the disassembled parts but be careful not to let the tape touch their delicate surfaces directly.
• Finally, wrap furniture blankets around the bookcase structure that has remained after you’ve removed the major components from it.

How to Protect Your Furniture When Moving

Step 5. Move the bookcase out of the home

Moving your bookcase out of the home and loading it up into the vehicle can range from being fairly straightforward to moderately challenging depending on how many helpers you have and the level of disassembly (partial or complete) you’ve managed to achieve.

• Scenario 1. If you’ve managed to disassemble completely your bookcase, then you must have also wrapped up each bookcase component in thick furniture blankets. If so, then all you need to do is carry those protected furniture pieces out of the home with the help of your friends.
• Scenario 2. If you’ve disassembled partially the bookcase, then you should move the remaining bookshelf structure with the help of a furniture dolly. Tilt it slightly to one side, slide the low, 4-wheel platform under the furniture, then straighten it up onto the dolly while making sure it’s centered well for greater balance. Use straps or a piece of rope to secure the partially disassembled bookcase onto the dolly so that it can be safely wheeled out of the place.

In case the bookcase is positioned firmly by the wall and you have trouble moving it slightly toward the center of the room, then you must use furniture sliders that are appropriate for the type of flooring in the room. Sliders made of hard rubber or plastic are good for carpeted floors while sliders made of soft felt material are fine for hardwood floors, including tiled floors.

Simply place a furniture slider under each leg or edge of the bookcase and pull the heavy furniture piece away from the wall.

How to Move Heavy Furniture by Yourself

Step 6. Stay safe when moving the heavy bookcase

Moving a heavy bookcase without the assistance of professional movers can be a dangerous task. To prevent property damage and personal injuries, follow these basic safety guidelines when moving the bookcase out of your home:

• Get as many helpers as you can to assist you in packing and moving your bookcase. While there, your friends can also help you pack and move other furniture items as well.
• Wear a comfortable pair of shoes of rubber anti-slip soles to avoid the possibility of bad slip-ups while you’re moving the heavy bookcase. A pair of sports shoes should be OK for the job.
• Clear the exit path of any obstacles such as randomly scattered cardboard boxes. Walk the intended pathway to make sure nothing will be in your way while you’re carrying the big furniture unit.
• Do use a furniture dolly if your bookcase is only partially disassembled or it has not been disassembled at all for some reason or another. Nevertheless, keep in mind that furniture dollies are not meant to be used on stairs.
• Do use furniture sliders so that you can slide the heavy bookcase effortlessly across the room without any fear of floor damage. A set of 4 furniture sliders is fairly inexpensive and can be extremely useful and effective on Moving day.

10 Safety Tips for Moving Furniture: Safety Above All Else

Step 7. Load the bookcase onto the truck

The last step to moving a bookcase cabinet to another home is to load it safely onto the moving truck.

Moving a big and heavy bookcase sounds like a job for the pros.

The best way to do is, of course, is to use the loading ramp to get the large furniture item inside the vehicle.

• Check whether the loading ramp is well secured against the back of the truck. Also, make sure there are no wet spots, dust, or mud along the ramp to prevent accidents.
• Stay at the front of the furniture dolly and keep pulling it up as you go up the ramp. At the same time, have your most reliable helper at the back, pushing the loaded 4-wheel dolly up at the same time.
• Secure the big bookcase cabinet once you’re inside the vehicle. Use rope or straps to tie it down to the side of the truck so that it does not shift during transport.
• Position cardboard boxes around the furniture piece to secure it even more on the road.

How to Load a Moving Truck Like the Pros

Packing and moving a heavy bookcase is not an easy task in any way – not only will you have to disassemble the large furniture unit, either partially or completely, to make it smaller and lighter, but you’ll also need to pack safely their components, take them all the way to the vehicle, and then load them up safely.

When the job of moving your heavy bookcase seems daunting enough, then do yourself a favor and get in touch with reputable and experienced furniture movers.

The post How to Pack and Move a Heavy Bookcase appeared first on The Moving Blog.

For example, you won’t have to worry too much about moving soft items such as clothes, blankets, quilts, sheets, and even shoes. Why? All these soft goods are not breakable and are almost guaranteed to reach the new home perfectly intact.

On the other hand, there will be many highly breakable items in your home that you’ll need to pack up as well – glassware, kitchen plates, electronic devices, artwork pieces, lamps, jewelry, and so on. Most furniture pieces can also be rather delicate and will require proper packing materials to survive the move.

And then, there are some household items – such as area rugs, for instance – that seem easy to pack but are, in fact, quite tricky to protect properly for a move. And when you’re moving expensive rugs between two homes – such as Persian rugs – then you do want to make sure that the floor coverings will stay 100% safe during transit.

Here’s how to best pack rugs for moving regardless of whether the carpets are fairly inexpensive or super-valuable.

What to do before packing rugs for moving: 3 steps

Before you rush to pack all rugs in your home, there are a few things that you’ll need to do first to ensure a smooth packing process from start to finish. It’s important to be well prepared for the packing task ahead of you instead of starting to pack up your things without a good idea of what you’re actually doing.

Step 1. Decide if the rugs are worth moving

The very first step to packing rugs for moving is to answer the critical question of whether those area rugs are worth moving at all. Needless to say, you shouldn’t waste your time and money to transport any common area rugs that you can’t use in the new home for one reason or another.

The decision of whether you should pack and move a rug should be taken on a case-by-case basis. Answer these example questions to make the right choice:

• Do you like the rug? Is it pretty?
• Is the rug fairly new?
• What’s the overall condition of the rug: excellent, good, acceptable, or bad?
• What’s the quality of the rug?
• Does the rug have any sentimental value for you?

If you come to the conclusion that some of your area rugs are definitely not worth the time, money, and effort to move to the new home, then you should give them away or dispose of them in accordance to the local recycling guidelines.

But if you do decide that there are some rugs you just have to take with you, then it’s time to go to step 2 which is all about securing the proper packing materials.

Step 2. Get the required packing supplies

Luckily, you will only need a few basic packing materials to protect your rugs during the move.

• 

  Clean the area rugs before packing them up for transportation.

  Kraft paper. The harder brown packing paper will do a good job of protecting your area rugs during transport. A roll of 100 feet of Kraft paper costs around $15 and you can use the packing materials for packing up plenty of other items in the home too.

• Twine. You’re going to need twine strings to tie up the ends of the rugs once they are properly packed in a roll. Twine is inexpensive – you can buy a ball of cotton household twine (roughly 400 feet) for about $3.
• Packing tape. You can use your regular packing tape to secure the packing paper onto the rugs so that the bundle won’t get undone during the relocation.

Step 3. Vacuum the rugs

The third step when moving rugs is to clean those carpets so that you don’t transport any dust, dirt, or debris with them to the new home. If you have a cat or a dog, then your area rugs are likely to have some hairs on them too, so it’s really a good idea to vacuum the carpets before you pack them up for transport.

If any of the rugs happen to be stained but you still want to take them with you, then consider having them cleaned professionally before packing them. When pressed for time, you can still take them to professional cleaners after the move.

Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline for Moving

How to pack area rugs for moving: 5 steps

First of all, we’re going through the best way of packing area rugs for moving. Such small rugs are very common and can be found in almost any home.

Once you have decided which areas rugs you’re moving and have cleaned them well to avoid introducing dirt and possible hairs into the new place, it’s time to protect the carpets so that nothing happens to them in the meantime.

Step 1. Identify the direction of the nap

The fibers of a rug have a certain direction that’s called a nap (rug pile). To pack a rug safely, you’re going to have to figure out the correct direction of the nap. But how can you do it?

Have your hand slide along the top surface of the rug. When you go in one direction (either left to right or right to left), the hand will glide smoothly along the rug pile and you won’t feel any resistance from the fibers at all. However, when you go the other direction, the palm of your hand should feel the friction along the carpet and it won’t slide smoothly along the surface.

Therefore, when your hand is moving smoothly along the nap, then you’re going with the grain of the rug and when your hand is moving with difficulty along the surface of the carpet, then you’re going against the grain of the rug.

Step 2. Turn it upside down

Once you’ve determined the direction of the nap, the next step is to turn the rug upside down so that the fibers are facing the floor.

The reason why you should do this step is that the backing of the rug will be put under additional strain if the fibers are facing you while you’re folding the rug for moving. And such extra pressure may stretch or crack the backing of the rug.

So, remember to place the area rug upside down prior to folding it.

Step 3. Roll the area rug

Roll your rugs in tight bundles to keep them safe on the road.

Begin to roll the area rug into a tight roll but be careful to do it against the direction of the nap. And since you’ve already determined the direction of the grain in Step 1, there shouldn’t be any confusion about which way you should fold the rug for moving.

Keep rolling the carpet slowly and evenly in order to create a firm and tight bundle. Ultimately, the better you roll the area rug, the easier it’ll be for you to carry it outside the home and load it onto the truck.

Step 4. Tie up the rug

When you finish rolling up the area rug into a tight bundle, you should secure the carpet roll at each end with a piece of twine. The idea here is to ensure that the rolled-up rug won’t unfold by itself during the transportation phase.

Use pieces of twine and never packing tape for the purpose because tape may easily damage the delicate surface of the area rug.

Step 5. Wrap the rug in paper

This final step of packing an area rug for moving is all about physically protecting your carpet during the house move.

Once you tie up the carpet roll at its ends, wrap the bundle well with sheets of hard Kraft paper. Then, use pieces of packing tape to secure the protective paper and you’re done.

Remember not to use plastic wrap to protect your carpet for the upcoming move. While a plastic cover will definitely keep dust and dirt away, it will most likely trap moisture inside and will prevent the fabric from breathing, which could ultimately cause mold to develop.

Moving by Yourself? Don’t Make These Costly Mistakes

How to pack oriental rugs for moving: 7 steps

If you happen to own an oriental rug, then you’ll surely want to take it with you when moving to another home. The reason is simple enough: hand-made oriental rugs are quite expensive so you won’t want to part with yours just like that.

Keep in mind that oriental rugs – most often Persian rugs – are never rolled up like ordinary area rugs (see above). Because of their large dimensions and their structural fragility, oriental rugs are instead carefully folded in a specific way that makes them more compact and easier to transport while keeping them structurally sound.

These steps will show you how to pack oriental rugs for moving:

Step 1. Turn the Persian rug upside down

Once you’ve vacuumed carefully the large oriental rug so that it’s free of any dust, dirt, and debris, it’s time to fold it properly with the purpose of making it more compact. Most oriental rugs are big in size, so it’s a good idea to have another person to help you pack them quickly and safely

Turn the Persian rug upside down – the rug pile should be facing the floor – the same way you did with the smaller area rugs. It’s best if you complete this first step together with your helper due to the large size and substantial weight of the carpet.

Step 2. Fold the oriental rug into thirds

This step will show you how to fold the oriental rug so that it becomes smaller and easier to roll later on.

Take one corner of the carpet and fold it toward the center in a lengthwise way, approximately to the middle line of the rug. Then, take the other still open end and fold it over the part that you’ve just folded.

The idea here is to have three layers of the rug positioned on top of each other, folded neatly into thirds.

Step 3. Fold the rug onto itself

Proper folding is the secret to packing oriental rugs for moving.

Grab one end of the folded carpet with your hands and walk back over the oriental rug, folding it onto itself. Make sure you’re folding the big carpet against the grain to facilitate the final packing steps.

Stop walking before you reach the opposite end of the rug and leave approximately 3 feet of carpet unfolded.

Step 4. Roll up the folded section

Begin to roll the section of the rug that’s already folded against the grain. Do it slowly, creating a tight carpet roll as you go along. Stop rolling when you reach the part of the carpet that you haven’t folded yet – that is, the 3-feet section of your Persian rug.

Step 5. Roll up the entire rug

Take the 3-feet unfolded part of the carpet and fold it backward until it ends up touching the folded section. Then, fold both sections one over the other to form one tight bundle of carpet.

This method of folding an oriental rug does not put any pressure on the foundation of the carpet, making it the best way to pack Persian rugs for moving. In fact, the packing technique takes advantage of the way carpets tend to roll naturally without sustaining any type of damage in the process.

Step 6. Tie up the oriental rug

Use pieces of twine to tie each end of the newly-formed carpet roll.

Don’t use too much force when tying the strings to avoid possible structural damage to the Persian rug itself. The aim is to simply secure the roll so that it won’t get unfolded when you’re carrying it to the moving vehicle.

Step 7. Wrap the rug in paper

The final step is to wrap the entire carpet roll in hard packing paper (Kraft paper) for extra protection. Once you’re done, use small pieces of packing tape to secure the paper layer over the rug.

Don’t use plastic to wrap your oriental rug for fear of trapping moisture inside the cover which could lead to the formation of mold or mildew.

Packing a rug for moving is not too complicated and you can complete the task either on your own (when packing small area rugs) or with the help of an assistant (when packing large oriental rugs).

Nevertheless, if you feel nervous about the safety of your super-expensive Persian rug, then don’t hesitate to hire professional packers who know exactly what it takes to protect rugs and carpets for a move.

How to Find the Best Movers Near You

The post How to Pack Rugs for Moving appeared first on The Moving Blog.

Of all the pieces of garments you own, your winter clothes will be the toughest ones to sort and pack. Why? Winter clothes tend to take up a lot of space due to their great volume, and space is usually rather limited during a move.

Now, packing winter clothes when moving house is quite similar to packing winter clothes for traveling, but it’s considered to be a more challenging task as a whole. The major reason for it is that, unlike packing a few sweaters and one extra jacket when going on a ski trip, you’re supposed to pack and move all your winter garments during a house move, especially when you’re moving to a cold state.

All in all, you’re going to need to know some neat tricks to save space when packing winter clothes for moving, thus making your house move more efficient. Also, you’ll want to make sure you’re following the best tips for packing clothes in order to ensure your winter coats, sweaters, hats, and gloves reach the new home perfectly intact.

So, what’s the best way to pack winter clothes for moving?

What to know before packing your winter clothes

There are a few important things you should be aware of before you start working on the clothes packing job. In fact, understanding the specifics of the upcoming task will help you speed up considerably the packing process without compromising the overall safety of the house move.

Winter clothes are not fragile at all

The good news when packing winter clothes for a move is that clothes are not fragile and therefore will not get damaged in any way if you accidentally drop on the ground a box full of clothes. Clothes are soft goods so they cannot possibly break the way household items made of glass, porcelain, and wood can.

This fact alone will reduce the pressure you must be feeling when packing up your warm clothes in terms of safety.

Winter clothes can be surprisingly heavy

Most of the clothes you will be packing for moving will be fairly lightweight, which is yet another bonus you should be glad about. However, the heaviest pieces of clothing you will need to box for safe transport will be your winter garments.

Winter coats can be surprisingly heavy because of the thick fur lining most of them have. As a rule, jackets made of thick leather tend to weigh more than jackets made of fabric.

Wool sweaters can also turn out to be heavier than you think, especially when they are crammed into a single large box.

Winter clothes take plenty of space

The bad news when packing winter clothes when moving house is that those garments will take up a lot of space inside the cardboard containers due to their great volume.

And this, in turn, will most likely force you to use more large packing boxes than you’ve prepared and to use proven packing techniques (including special vacuum bags) that will maximize the available storage inside the cardboard containers.

10 Ways to Stay Organized When You Move

What to do before packing your winter garments

Before you actually start transferring your winter clothes into boxes, there are several pre-pack tasks that you should complete first to ensure a problem-free packing experience from start to finish.

Sort out your winter clothes

Some winter clothes may not be worth the trouble to be moved to a new home.

The most important thing you should do when packing winter clothes for moving is to go through those garments and decide on a case-by-case basis whether to move each one or not.

If you’re moving to a warmer climate, then you won’t really need serious winter gear such as heavy fur-lined coats, wool sweaters, and thick hats and gloves. Since the climate in your destination area will be mild year-round, then you’d be better off getting rid of most or even all your winter clothes prior to moving out in order to save precious packing resources and of course – money.

On the other hand, if you’re moving to a cold state, then you’d want to pack and move all your winter garments. In this case, you should only get rid of the pieces that are too worn out or the ones you don’t plan on using anymore.

Sell or donate the clothes you don’t need

There’s really no point in wasting precious time packing and moving your winter clothes if you don’t intend to use them in the near future.

Once you’ve sorted out your clothes, you should have 3 piles of garments:

• the ones you’re taking with you to the new home (to be packed soon);
• the ones you’re NOT taking with you but are still in good condition (to be sold, donated, or given away to friends and family); and
• the ones you’re NOT moving to the new house and that are in poor condition (to be thrown away for proper recycling).

Do the right thing and donate the winter clothes you won’t really need – there are people who will need them more than you do. Alternatively, you can decide to sell some of those winter garments, especially when they are very lightly used or never worn for that matter.

Prepare large cardboard boxes

Keep in mind that you should use large cardboard boxes for relatively lightweight items such as clothes and bedding, and small to medium boxes for fairly heavy things such as books.

So, make sure you have enough large moving boxes before you start packing your winter clothes. Also, some of your winter coats and jackets may be too expensive to risk any sort of damage by folding them up into regular cardboard boxes. In such cases, you should use specialized wardrobe boxes where you’ll be able to hang those valuable winter jackets and coats as if they were stored in your home dresser (wardrobe).

How to Get Rid of Stuff Before Moving

How to pack winter coats for moving

Now you should be ready to pack up your winter clothes. Let’s start with your coats and jackets.

Here’s the best way to pack winter coats for moving:

• 

  Your winter coats become a necessity when moving to a cold state.

  BUTTON UP or zip up a winter coat to make it as compact as possible.

• FOLD the sleeves of the coat in such a way as to form a rectangle. To do that, position the winter piece of clothing on a level surface (the bedroom bed, for example), fold each sleeve backward, parallel to the sides of the coat.
• FOLD the entire winter coat in half so that its front is facing you.
• ROLL UP the folded coat as tightly as possible in an effort to remove any trapped air inside the winter coat roll.
• KEEP the hood of the coat (if it has one) extended until the roll is ready. Keep the hood open and tuck the clothes roll into it.
• USE a couple of elastic rubber bands to secure the tight roll at each side and keep it from unfolding when being transported inside the packing box.
• TRANSFER the rolled-up winter coat into a large cardboard box that’s been lined up with clean packing paper.

Alternatively, there are two other safe methods of packing winter coats for a move:

• Pack coats inside a wardrobe box. If you own some expensive winter coats and jackets that you’d hate to see all wrinkled up due to the move, then you should pack those inside a specialized wardrobe box. It’s very simple: just take such coats out of the dresser and hang them inside the wardrobe box, with the hangers and everything.
• Pack coats inside a vacuum bag. If you’re really worried that you won’t have enough space for your bulky winter coats, then you can shrink their overall volume by using a vacuum bag. A quality vacuum storage bag can help you save up to 80% of storage space once the air is sucked out of the bag.

How to pack sweaters for moving

The good news is that sweaters are even easier to pack for moving than winter coats.

Here’s the best way to pack sweaters for a move:

• 

  Make sure you’re only packing the sweaters you intend to wear in the near future.

  PLACE a sweater on a flat surface – for example, on a table or on the bedroom bed.

• CROSS the sweater sleeves across its back, forming an X.
• FOLD the winter garment into two vertical lines while keeping the X-crossed sleeves inside.
• ROLL UP the sweater tightly by starting from the bottom and going all the way to the neck.
• USE a couple of elastic rubber bands on each end to fix the sweater roll and keep it from unfolding while in transit.
• TRANSFER the rolled-up winter sweater into a large cardboard box pre-lined up with clean packing paper.

When you’re packing extra delicate sweaters (cashmere sweaters, angora sweaters, etc.), wrap the resulted clothes roll in clean and soft packing paper for extra protection. Use pieces of tape over the paper roll to keep it in place.

Again, as was the case with packing winter coats and jackets for moving, you can decide to pack the most voluminous sweaters you own into vacuum storage bags to reduce significantly the volume of the packed winter pieces of clothing.

How to pack winter hats, scarves, and gloves for moving

Packing winter hats, scarves, and gloves for a move is pretty straightforward so you shouldn’t have any problems in completing the task in zero time. There are just a few things to bear in mind when doing so:

• Pack all small winter accessories such as hats, scarves, and gloves into a medium size box pre-lined with clean packing paper.
• Remember to label the box appropriately so that you can identify it quickly after the move.
• Be sure to set aside a winter hat, a pair of warm gloves, and even a woolen scarf for each family member for Moving day if you happen to be moving in winter.

How to pack bulky winter clothes

Consider using vacuum storage bags to reduce the volume of your winter clothes.

As mentioned earlier, winter clothes can be rather bulky and that can easily turn into a serious issue during a house move due to the restricted storage space. And this is exactly why you should seriously consider using vacuum storage bags to pack your winter garments into.

Vacuum bags are also known as compression bags and they have a valve on one side where you should fit either a vacuum hose or a hand pump to suck the air from the storage bags. Without air inside, the collective volume of the bulky winter clothes will shrink greatly, turning the newly-formed compact bundle much easier to fit into smaller spaces.

Most vacuum storage bags on the market today claim to reduce the volume of soft and voluminous items up to 80%. However, you should consider the whole operation successful if you can manage to reach 50% less volume of your bulky winter clothes.

All in all, packing winter clothes for moving is a pretty straightforward task… unless you have very little time to prepare for Moving day. When pressed by time, your best bet is to trust professional packers with packing efficiency that still remains unrivaled.

Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline for Moving

The post How to Pack Winter Clothes for Moving appeared first on The Moving Blog.

However, there’s also a serious drawback of using bubble wrap to protect your fragile items and that’s the relatively high price of the packing material. During your move, you won’t really like the idea of spending money on extras that you can do without and that’s especially true when you happen to be moving on a limited budget.

Your top priority in such cases should be to use smart cost-saving techniques that will allow you to be as thrifty as you possibly can. In other words, you shouldn’t spend money on things unless you really have to.

To minimize your packing costs, you can choose NOT to use bubble wrap to protect the most fragile items in your home. No more bubble wrap when packing for a move. Sounds too good to be true, right?

Right. And yet, it’s perfectly possible – all you need to do is read on to learn how to pack without bubble wrap.

Why you should use bubble wrap

Let’s first say that the idea of NOT using bubble wrap when packing fragile items may seem rather odd at first. After all, everybody knows the major advantages of using bubble wrap when packing for moving:

• Unsurpassed level of protection. The way bubble wrap is made – trapping air between two plastic sheets – ensures the outstanding cushioning property of the packing material. When wrapped around extra-breakable items, the soft air pockets form a thick protective layer that will absorb any harmful external forces such as shocks, vibrations, or even direct blunt hits. As a bonus, bubble wrap also protects fragile items from dust, dirt, and moisture during the actual relocation of the protected things from one home to another.
• Weightlessness. Bubble wrap is a very light packing material which is a big advantage because it won’t add to the weight of the total shipment. As you probably know, long-distance movers will calculate the moving price based on how much your items weigh in total (one of the price-forming factors).
• Versatility. Bubble wrap is also famous for its high level of versatility and flexibility. The air-filled plastic material will wrap tightly around fragile materials of any shape and size, thus forming thick protective bundles that will insulate your breakables from any destructive forces during transport. All you need is to use a bit of tape to secure the bubble wrap bundles, and you’re ready.
• Fun. Popping the air bubbles of the plastic material can be a lot of fun. What’s more, it also has a mild therapeutic effect of relieving the accumulated stress of moving house.

Why you should NOT use bubble wrap

Many people like the idea of using bubble wrap and would not be willing to substitute it for any alternative packing materials.

As you can see, using bubble wrap during the house packing process has many indisputable advantages, especially when you’re moving a large number of breakables. For example, packing most of your kitchen items will require a large number of bubble wrap sheets to make sure nothing gets broken during transit.

However, bubble wrap as a packing material has a couple of disadvantages that you should know about before you rush to purchase a few large rolls of plastic wrap.

Here’s why it may be a good idea to pack your fragile items without bubble wrap:

• Environmentally unfriendly. Bubble wrap is made of plastic sheets, so most of the time, it will be non-degradable. Basically, this means that you will need to be careful how you dispose of the remaining bubble wrap after you’re done unpacking your items in the new home. Of course, there’s also eco-friendly bubble wrap on the market (aka green bubble wrap, Enviro bubble wrap, etc.) but it is more expensive than the standard one.
• Price. The price of bubble wrap will vary depending on where you buy it from. Also, the cost is affected by the amount, size, and manufacturer. Be advised that if you wish to minimize the environmental impact when moving house, you should use biodegradable bubble wrap, which is more expensive in general.

Here are some price examples so that you can get a general idea of how much bubble wrap costs:

• A box of 150 ft. of Enviro-bubble costs around $20 at UHaul;
• A roll of 100 ft. of Enviro-bubble costs roughly $25 at UHaul;
• A roll of 250 ft. of Enviro-bubble costs roughly $30 at UHaul;
• A roll of 60 ft. of green bubble wrap (Duck brand) costs around $11 at Walmart;
• A roll of 200 ft. of clear bubble wrap (Duck brand) costs around $20 at Walmart;
• A roll of 400 ft. of clear bubble wrap (Duck brand) costs around $33 at Walmart.

If these prices seem somewhat affordable to you, remember that it’s the sheer amount of bubble wrap that you will need that will hurt your budget the most.

In your kitchen alone, you will need to use bubble wrap to protect an overwhelming number of breakables – plates, glasses, bowls, cups, porcelain mugs, forks, spoons, knives, and more. When packing the rest of the rooms in your house, you will need bubble wrap to protect art pieces, vases, mirrors, delicate furniture, and most types of electronic devices (use anti-static bubble wrap for your electronics).

As a rule of thumb, any item that you view as fragile should be protected with the air-filled plastic material for added safety. And that’ll most likely mean numerous rolls or boxes of bubble wrap as well.

Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline For Moving

Is looking for free bubble wrap worth it?

Before we give you the full list of good substitutes for bubble wrap so that you don’t have to spend money on the plastic packing material, let’s discuss whether acquiring free bubble wrap for your packing needs is worth the time and effort.

Now, the only way to use bubble wrap when packing fragile items and not spend any money on acquiring the said packing material is to get it for free. Yes, similar to finding free moving boxes, it’s perfectly feasible to find free bubble wrap as well.

In fact, getting bubble wrap for free will be a win-win situation for you – you’ll be able to protect your delicate items in the best possible way AND save money in the process. The only problem is that you’ll have to sacrifice plenty of time you may not really have at your disposal and effort you may not be willing to invest.

In practice, there are several good ways to secure free bubble wrap before you start packing up your fragile possessions:

• 

  You never know which one of your friends will be keeping a HUGE roll of bubble wrap in their garage. Just for you.

  ASK friends, neighbors, and work colleagues if they happen to have any amount of usable bubble wrap that they have in their homes and won’t need in the near future. To reach out to all of your friends at once, consider publishing a Facebook post (Need bubble wrap. Can anyone help?) and asking your pals to share the call for help with their Facebook friends. In the best-case scenario, you’ll end up with more bubble wrap than you’ll ever need, free of charge at that.

• CONTACT the largest retail stores in your city and see if they should have any quantities of bubble wrap sheets that they don’t need anymore. Most of those stores get frequent shipments (sometimes daily) of various products protected in bubble wrap. So, once they have unwrapped those goods and displayed them in the stores, the remaining amount of bubble wrap can be yours for the asking.
• SEARCH for free bubble wrap online at websites that have free stuff sections. Freecycle and Craigslist are the two places online that you have the best chance of scoring bubble wrap for free for your specific packing needs.

Where to Find Free Packing Materials

How to pack without bubble wrap: alternative packing materials

Bear in mind that finding free bubble wrap won’t be an easy task. What’s more, the time you’ll spend searching for that packing material may be a luxury you cannot really afford, especially when you have too little time to prepare to move out.

So, when brand-new bubble wrap is too expensive for you and free bubble wrap is too much of a hassle to get, then you’re only left with one good option: to pack your fragile items without bubble wrap. But since you still have to protect your breakables, then you’re going to have to use good alternative packing materials to bubble wrap that will enable you to keep your possessions damage-free throughout the move.

Packing paper

Wrapping paper is believed to be the best substitute for bubble wrap.

White packing paper is soft enough to create a cushioning layer that will protect fragile items during a move. Wrapping paper conforms easily to any shape and keeps dust and moisture from reaching the items you’re trying to protect.

The good news is that wrapping paper is (much) cheaper than bubble wrap – 200 sheets of clean, white newsprint cost around $10 at UHaul.

The bad news is that you’re going to have to use at least 3-4 (sometimes more!) sheets of paper to protect a single fragile item since one sheet of paper is much thinner than one sheet of bubble wrap.

Blankets

Blankets can be excellent substitutes for bubble wrap.

Thick furniture blankets offer an outstanding degree of protection for fragile items thanks to their soft padding effect. However, moving blankets are more expensive than bubble wrap to purchase and use during the packing process, so you should consider using blankets only when trying to safeguard very delicate items that also have sentimental value for you.

If you have regular household blankets lying around in your home, then you should definitely use them to wrap and cushion breakable items. You’re moving your blankets anyway, so why not use them for padding instead of large sheets of bubble wrap?

Towels

Similar to blankets, towels are great padding materials and can be used as an excellent substitute for bubble wrap.

You don’t need to use brand-new, still unpacked towels that you’ve kept for years since there’s always a chance to ruin a towel or two during the house moving process. However, feel free to wrap extra-fragile items in used yet clean towels that you have in your home.

Bear in mind that, as a rule, towels are heavier than bubble wrap and will increase the overall weight of each box when used to protect breakables. However, since you’re taking those towels with you anyway, you’d better use them as bubble wrap alternatives to reduce moving costs.

Pieces of clothing + bed sheets

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on bubble wrap when you’ve got all sorts of old clothes and old bed sheets lying around the house.

The thing is that most pieces of clothing and bed sheets that you’re thinking of discarding completely during the sorting process can be used effectively as substitutes for bubble wrap. There’s really no point in throwing away potential packing materials, at least not until after the move is over.

Use only clothes and bed sheets that you won’t mind seeing ruined as it can easily happen during a move. Such old fabric pieces can be used not only to wrap fragile items but also to fill in gaps inside cardboard boxes.

Socks

Socks can be used to protect kitchen glasses, especially glasses with super-fragile stems. Normally, you would bubble wrap such stemware pieces but since you’re willing to save money on packing materials, then you can simply insert those glass items inside thick and clean socks and transfer them into pre-padded boxes.

Newspapers

Old newspapers will come at no extra cost for you but you should be careful how you use them during the packing process due to the risk of ink stains. And this is exactly why you should only use newspapers as space fillers inside moving boxes and never as protective layers that will come into contact with your fragile and delicate items.

10 Delicate Tips for Packing Fragile Items When Moving

The post How to Pack Without Bubble Wrap: Never Buy Bubble Wrap Again appeared first on The Moving Blog.