Packing for a move: three items that need special treatment
Preparing for a move means packing a lot of belongings, from clothes and shoes to furniture and appliances. Many of these items are simple enough to pack using cardboard moving boxes, but there are a few that need a little special attention. They may require special techniques or packing supplies; ask your removalist if you're having a hard time finding any of these.
Books
On one level, packing books is simple. Place hardbacks in rows standing upright, just as though they were on a bookshelf. For paperbacks, lay them flat in the box and stack similarly sized books on top of them. However, there are a few key points to keep in mind when packing books. First, you will probably want to use smaller boxes than you're using for other items such as clothes. Books are comparatively dense, and a large box full of books could be too heavy to carry safely. If you have older or more valuable books that you want to protect, wrap them in tissue paper between sheets of thin card. You can also buy special padded sleeves for moving books.
Dishes
The key to packing dishes, glasses and other fragile items is to stop them from moving while in transit. This means filling as much of the empty space in the box as possible with a soft material like bubble wrap or packing paper. Wrap each plate individually, then line the box with packing material and place the plates in it on their sides before filling the empty spaces. While it's tempting to recycle old newspaper for the task, the ink it's printed with can transfer to the surface of the dishes or glasses. Your removalist may be able to supply you with these kinds of packing supplies; alternatively, see if they can get you special packing boxes for glasses, which have rigid vertical compartments to stop glasses from colliding with each other.
Mirrors and framed art
When moving mirrors, art, or similar large, flat objects, you need to prevent the item from flexing; you'll also have to protect its surface from scratches. Your removalist may be able to supply you with suitably sized moving boxes; otherwise, wrap the item in a layer of bubble wrap, then use large sheets of cardboard to add rigidity. Wrap the resulting parcel tightly with packing tape or plastic wrap. If the item has sharp corners, you may also want to add card corner protectors to stop it from scratching other objects in transit. Although some of these processes can take a little longer and require a few extra supplies compared to just throwing an item in a box, the supplies should be simple to get from your removalist, and that extra effort will help make your move quicker, easier and less stressful.
To learn more, contact a removalist.
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