How to Pack Boxes for Moving

Tips And Tricks


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January 21st, 2022



How to Pack Boxes for Moving

In the U.S, according to experts, the percentage of people that move every year equates to 14% of the population. That’s around 40 million Americans every year! That’s a lot of moving, and with moving being pretty stressful, you want to make sure you get things right - and as streamlined as possible! One of the stressful things about moving is getting all your belongings packed properly in moving boxes. There’s the right way to pack all your stuff and the wrong way. Understanding this difference is essential in order to keep your belongings in ideal condition and manage them in an organized manner. So, in this article, we’re going to go through all the aspects on how to pack boxes, in particular, packing boxes for moving, and what not to do! But first, here’s the quickfire answer as to how to pack boxes for moving, then we’ll dive into more details... How to pack boxes for moving - Accurately assess your needs, gather the right quantity and quality of boxes, packing materials, and equipment. Pack heavy first and light on top, ensure you stack boxes correctly, label by contents and destination room or space - and use this as an opportunity to declutter. Contact Knollwood Self Storage with Mayflower Properties for your moving supplies. That’s the quick answer, but there’s more to it than just that, so read on for more hints and tips! Often, using specifically collected boxes and other ideal equipment to make moving easier can be of great help as well. So, before you carelessly dump your belongings into random boxes, consider the following tips on how to effectively pack moving boxes before shifting.

Collect all your packing supplies

Along with gathering your packing boxes, a number of other packing supplies are also available around most homes to make packing your stuff much easier while keeping them in ideal condition. Below are some recommended packing supplies:
  • Bubble Wrap
  • Packing Peanuts
  • Cushion Foam
  • Packing Paper
  • Packing Tape
  • Permanent Markers
  • Packing Boxes
  • Room labels
  • Smart move tape

Assembling the packing boxes

If you have bought brand new boxes from Knollwood Self Storage or any Mayflower Properties storage location, they’ll need to be organized and assembled. Begin by unfolding your collapsed packing box into its final cubed shape. Fold the small flaps into the center from the bottom. After, you will fold the bigger flaps on top of those. Then place two to three strips of packing tape where the flaps join in the center in order to close the box. In boxes that are larger or where heavier items are going to be placed, it makes sense to add more tape to strengthen those areas before using the box - even strapping around the circumference of the box to support the sides. Make sure all the packing tape is firmly sealed.

Packing the boxes for moving

Classify the items into separate groups depending upon their size and weight. Try keeping belongings from different rooms of your home separate.
  • Set up a layer of packing peanuts onto the bottom of the box.
  • Wrap the non-delicate, heavy items first using some packing paper or bubble wrap and put them at the bottom of the packing box.
  • Wrap the lighter items using packing paper or bubble wrap and separate them from the heavier items at the bottom of the box using cushion foam.
  • Place lighter ones on the top of the cushion foam and up to the top of the packing box, ensuring there isn’t too much volume of lighter items.
  • Before you finally close your box, remember to cushion the entire package. Stuff crumpled packing paper or packing peanuts in the unfilled, empty spaces in order to prevent your goods from getting damaged.
  • The filled packing box must not weigh more than 30 pounds or more than what you can lift with ease. Under-packed boxes are likely to collapse during the shifting process, whereas over-packed boxes can tear apart and damage your belongings.
  • Firmly close the box and then seal it with durable packing tape.
  • Label each packing box with its contents and it’s destined room or space in the new home.

Pack boxes to cube out your moving truck

Take special care while you load your moving truck. There are a number of essential things to keep in mind when it comes to packing a moving truck. This includes properly stacking your packing boxes. Using professional packing boxes makes shifting simple yet efficient due to their specific design which cube out a moving truck perfectly, leaving no empty space. This enables you to save time, money and space while moving.

How stacking works

Some trucks come with box storage area over the cab, this is often where your sofa might fit, but if not - or you’re doing a self-move, then try to stand your sofa on its side inside your chosen moving truck and remove its cushions, an empty space about three feet wide, two feet deep by about four feet high is easily created. You can easily fit a pile of packing boxes in that space, enabling you to effectively pack a stack of six or more boxes. It’s extremely important to pack your boxes properly in order to minimize strain and reduce the likelihood of damage to your items during transit. Not packing your moving boxes in a correct manner also means more effort at the other end dealing with a messy box of contents!

Packing box mistakes to avoid

Keeping that in mind, one should make sure to avoid some of the most common mistakes that people usually make while packing up boxes for a move. Some of these are listed below.

Not making an accurate assessment of your needs

This includes underestimating your needs which is a trap many of us fall into when packing to move. So, before you begin packing that very first item, you need to make sure that you have the right types of packing boxes; both in quantity as well as size. Many people fail to carry out an accurate assessment before packing and end up either having to stuff too much into each box or having to place items inside boxes that are not the right size for them. While it’s one of the most common packing mistakes that packers make, it’s also quite easy to avoid. To make an accurate estimate about how many boxes you need for packing, you need to take inventory of how huge your space is and how many items you have. You also need to consider your packing style.

The wrong materials

We’ve all bought that roll of tape that just doesn’t stick at all. And we’ve all put heavy items in boxes that were just too thin for it. And maybe we’ve also collected way too many of the small boxes that never get used, or too many large ones that are just too big to carry when loaded. Assess your quality and ratios of materials carefully. For example, if you have a lot of workshop tools that don’t have their own boxes, you may want to consider buying toolboxes, or strong perspex containers to pack these in.

Not getting rid of extra stuff

No matter how long you’ve lived in your current house, there are always things that you can get rid of. Organizing the items that you no longer need or want is one of the most effective ways to make packing a much easier task. It will even save you time and money; avoiding getting rid of unnecessary items means that you are wasting both. Before you begin packing, inspect all the rooms in your house and pull out all the items you don’t wish to take along with you to your next house. This includes everything from paperwork and clothes to furniture and decoration pieces. Then classify these items into three piles: Recycle, Donate and Throwaway. Try to donate as much as you possibly can, the remaining you can recycle or throw away accordingly. This is a tried and tested technique used by many and for most it works and will make both packing and unpacking your belongings much easier for you.

To finish

We hope this guide has been useful in providing some tips on how to best use a packing box, and how to pack boxes for moving. We hope that with our help you have a safe, enjoyable and stress-free moving experience. And don’t forget to check out our website for more helpful information, or contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

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