Four Tips Before You Start Packing For A Long-Distance Move

If you are planing a long-distance move and you plan on doing your own packing, there are few things you should know before you get started. The following are a few tips to make the work easier and reduce potential damage to your belongings.

Invest in a Packing Tape Dispenser

This makes the job easier, but make sure you get the larger type of dispenser that is designed with a handgrip. A moving supply company will have these large, durable types. There is more than one type of packing tape available, examples include paper and brown acrylic tapes, but the clear, acrylic packing tape is best because it can serve other purposes besides sealing a box. One application is taping over a label for protection.

Packing Glass and Other Fragile Items

Most people will think to use newspaper to wrap glass items, and this is a good start, but for a long-distance move you need to take an additional step of adding popcorn Styrofoam to the boxes for added protection. For any items that are more susceptible to breaking you should use bubble wrap instead of newspaper.

Take Inventory of Your Boxes

It is common for people to write down a word or two on the outside of a box to indicate what is inside, but this isn't enough. After a long-distance move, you will likely be living out of boxes for a while. Living like a refugee. It takes time to settle into a new place. This also means it will take time to unpack. You will want to find certain items quicker than others. Take an inventory of each box and write down the most significant items inside and assign a number to this box. Write down the number in your inventory record, and write this number on the box so you can easily locate it after moving.

Don't Use Too Many Differently-Sized Boxes

Moving supplies are sold by companies that should have a large variety of boxes available. There are two things to keep in mind. The fewer size boxes that you have, the easier your packing will be. You should avoid using large boxes except for the lightest items. Larges boxes, for example, are good for clothes or lighter, oddly-shaped items. However, when packing books, smaller boxes should be used. Never put so many books in a box that will create a problem when lifting the box.

When moving a long distance, your household items will be subjected to a lot of vibration. In addition, boxes can move about and sometimes fall inside the moving truck, but with proper packing, you will be able to minimize damage to your possessions during transit to your new home. You will find the four tips above helpful as you prepare to pack for your move.