Relocating to a new place sounds exciting, for sure. But, it can be a bit of a hassle, as well, if you fail to pack your stuff, not so properly. Efficient packing and stacking are crucial to make your move swift and smooth. It could save you space, decrease the cost of the overall relocation process, and also help you find your stuff easily when you unpack in your new haven. Read on to learn a few packing and stacking tips that no one else would tell you.
How Much Does It Cost?
It’s not only the cost of the material but also several other factors that can increase the cost of packing. For instance, the type of material you use, its quantity, and how efficiently you pack your stuff within the package. All these factors contribute to the increasing cost of packing and thereby make you pay a lot more than you expected. And not to mention, apart from bearing the packing costs, you’d also be paying for the moving services, thus increasing the overall load on your pocket.
However, you can optimize your packing costs with the right materials and efficient packing (we shall discuss it later in detail). For example, when packing your glassware, you should be choosing a hard box packaging to ensure they do not break due to external impacts. On the other hand, for packing your clothing, you can use your duffle bags and other luggage. The key here is to reduce the cost of packing, to assist you in saving for better transportation and storage.
What Materials To Choose?
When choosing the material for packing, apart from the cost, there are a few other things that you ought to consider. Your prized paintings and other decoratives would need soft and smooth packing material to avoid causing abrasive damage. At the same time, they may also need to be protected from impact damages, therefore a hard casing is also important.
Similarly, when deciding for other items such as your bedding, kitchenware, and upholstery, you may need to prioritize the cleanliness and hygiene of your items during transit. For example, if you are moving a large area rug, Travis Burns from Moving Buddies says to use duct tape to wrap plastic garbage bags around the rug, which will protect it during the move from dust and mites. Likewise, when packing your sensitive kitchenware, you may need to wrap them in sanitized plastic wraps before packing them into boxes.
How Much Cushioning Is Needed?
Putting soft and absorbing materials when packing your fragile items can protect against damage due to clinking and also absorb any external shocks. But, how do you decide the cushioning effect you need? A good way to try is to test-wrap your items in different cushions (styrofoam, plastic peanuts, or bubble wrap) and hit the object lightly. By simply comparing the loudness of the sound you can estimate which one will offer better cushioning. The one that reduces the noise is better!
Apart from providing shock absorbency, cushioning products are also crucial for maintaining moisture inside the package. Since moisture can damage certain items, and also lead to molding, it is best to choose the material that creates a buffer and absorbs moisture. But, at the same time, you may also need to make sure that your belongings do not come in direct contact with these cushions. The cushions usually contain a layer of adhesive or varnish on the top for a smooth finish, which can hamper the aesthetics of your belongings. Especially if you’re packing a prized painting or your victory souvenirs.
Which Way To Stack For Efficient Packing?
Most important of all is the way you arrange your items inside the package. It is perhaps the way you stack your items after packing them, that would save you from unnecessary expenses and hassle during unpacking. For instance, after wrapping your Smart TV with a bubble wrap, you’d need to put it inside a hard casing as well, to ensure it does not move during transit. And is also safe from bumpy shocks. However, if you disassemble the parts of your TV set, you can save a lot in terms of casing and also pack the items more efficiently.
Likewise, when packing your items, think of ways to use the available boxes in the best possible ways. For instance, you can put your old towels and other such soft clothes with the breakable items in a box. It’d use the space more efficiently, along with providing the cushioning effect to the fragile items. Thus, also saving you from the cost of wrapping materials. Notably, you need to ensure that you balance the weight of the item within the box to minimize tumbling during the transit.
How To Track Package Contents?
Lastly, you’d need to keep track of the items you’ve packed inside the boxes. This is even more significant when several of your packages are look-alikes. But, you can start your way by labeling the boxes. For instance, you can number each box and keep a note of the contents in that box.
Essentially, when you are packing smaller items, you need to list the items that you put inside each box. And by labeling each box, either with a number, or a name, you can find your belongings more easily. Thus saving you the unnecessary stress as well as, the time during unpacking. Alternatively, you can also put up the list on the box, and when stacking your boxes, make sure you stack the heavier ones at the bottom. This would protect the lighter and delicate items and also improve packing efficiency. And, since the smaller items are the toughest to track, this could help you find the boxes with the lighter and smaller items first.
Improper packing not only endangers your belongings but also the accompaniments. If you pack your items too loose, you risk breaking them or other items in its vicinity. If you pack your items with deteriorating materials, you risk causing chemical or aesthetic damage to your items. Therefore, when packing your items before you start moving, make sure that you pack your items in the best possible way.
