Careful Packing for a House Move

No one wants their belongings to get lost or damaged while moving to a new home. Fortunately, you can protect your possessions through effective packing. These tips will help you ensure that everything gets to your new homely safely.

Watch your weight! Boxes should never exceed 50 pounds, and should be kept below 30 pounds as a general rule. The heavier the box, the more likely that it may burst or be dropped, potentially damaging the contents or injuring the carrier. Heavy items such as books or dishes should be packed in small boxes. When stacking, always place the heaviest boxes on the bottom and the lightest on top.

Take extra care with fragile items. Fragile items will need special attention when packing to prevent any damage. For some items, you can save space by using towels and T-shirts as padding; however, for some particularly fragile items you should use packing peanuts or crumpled newspaper. Boxes containing fragile items should be clearly labelled as fragile.

Keep small parts together. If some of your belongings have small pieces, such as screws or accessories, make sure to keep these all together. Put these pieces in a clear plastic bag. Label the bag so that you know what the pieces go with, or use tape to attach it to the item that the pieces belong with.

Keep an inventory. Make a list of every box, where it goes, and a summary of its contents. On moving day, check to make sure that every box is accounted for once you reach your new home.