Any tips for packing boxes for movers?

[mlktwins]

Hi all!  I am packing up my dad to move in a little over a month.  We are hiring movers for the furniture and most of the boxes.  I am taking his computers, maybe tvs, artwork, and breakable knick knacks.

I have never used a mover before so any tips for packing boxes?  I have a friend who just moved and she gave me a ton of U-haul boxes of various sizes, paper, bubble wrap, etc.  I know to label everything really well.  Is it going to matter to the movers what size boxes I use?  I know to put less heavy stuff in the bigger boxes?  I also have at least 10 bankers boxes.  Do those need to be taped closed (I don't want to do that)?  Any tips welcome!
 

[prairiewindmomma]

Label your expensive good stuff with false labels.

The reality is that even with complete replacement insurance, you will be asked to provide a purchase receipt and a long list of other information to make your claim. The claims department is a separate office wing from the moving scheduler and the amount of delay, smoke and mirrors, etc makes it a complete wash. If you have a valuable item that you are going to list on an inventory, photograph it well, document the tagged box number, check it on and off of the inventory sheets, and if the box appears damaged on arrival video opening it in front of the movers and save the broken box. Still, your claim may be delayed like ours and still not closed...

Not that I am bitter. ?

Do you know what didn’t get lost or stolen or broken from our move? The box with the wii and games I labeled “precious moments figurines”.

We have had really awesome moves and really awful ones. This last one was pretty bad.

[prairiewindmomma]

Imagine your bankers boxes being stacked onto a dolly, thrown into place on a semi moving truck, shuttled around, lifted back up on a dolly and tossed into place in stacks in the new place. You want those puppies taped, and be prepared for all of the edges to be crushed. Mine were. ?

[mlktwins]

Prairiewindmomma, you are scaring me -- LOL!  Was someone there with the movers to supervise the move?  I'm asking because me and my DH are going to be at the house watching the movers protect and move everything to the truck and then watch them unpack the truck and move it to the apartment.  Will this make a difference?  DH and I just cannot handle all the heavy lifting anymore (we are 50+) and I'm not hurting myself for this move.  The move is less than 15 miles from his house.  The movers will need to do some stairs at the old place, but elevators at the new place.  The doorways and halls in the new apartment are wheelchair accessible so are wider than normal.

We will have his house a few more months to finish clearing it out and getting it ready to sell.  I can leave any breakable stuff (that he cares about - antiques, artwork, etc) at his old place until after the move and then take it myself.  It will be mostly furniture (his desk and a baker's rack have loose glass on top and I will be packing and taking those in my van), books, files (think current bank statements, old taxes), clothes (I am bringing the hanging stuff), lamps, towels.  His kitchen is already paired down to food that he will eat this week and maybe a box of other food (like coffee, cans of soup, etc).  We are keeping things to a minimum this last month before the move.  He will have tv's, a small stereo, boxes of DVDs and CD's (not too many though), his Wii and games (is keeping those to play with the boys when they come over).

Thanks so much for your input!  New territory for me...

 

 

[Sherry in OH]

Movers prefer standardized box sizes over random boxes.  They stack more compactly and are thus less prone to shifting during transport.  U-haul boxes are good.  If your friend did not provide dishpack boxes or other heavier weight boxes, you may want to buy a few.  They provide extra cushioning for dishes and glassware.  

Clearly mark boxes containing fragile and heavy items on all four sides of the box and on the top. Use plenty of bubble wrap, paper, and textiles for cushioning.  Items should not shift when you pick up the box. Although it may be tempting to repurpose newspaper as packing material, buy a box of clean newsprint paper. It is easier to work with and you don’t have to worry about ink stains.  Also have various sizes of ziplock bags on hand.  Place small parts in labeled bags for packing.  These bags can be packed with the items the parts belong to, or in a separate ‘small parts’ box depending on your preference.

Wrap everything that could break or crack. If in doubt, double or triple-wrap. Use bubblewrap for CDs, DVDs, and Wii games.  You can wrap several together.  This will minimize shattering of plastic cases.  Pack in small boxes.   

Books also go in small moving boxes.  If you are concerned about scuffed covers, wrap books in paper before boxing. Valuable and delicate books should be wrapped individually. Paperbacks can be wrapped in bundles.  Fill empty spaces with crumpled paper.  Try to pack books one shelf at a time and label the boxes with the contents (‘1^stbookcase, top shelf,’  ‘dictionaries,’ or ‘fiction, A-C,’ is more useful when unpacking than 20 boxes labeled books).

After you pack the books, remove shelves from the bookcase and take out the shelf pegs.  Place the pegs in a labeled container and transport them yourself.  That way they don’t get lost or buried in the bottom of a random box. 

The tops of the banker’s boxes must be secured.  Tape is easiest, but if you really don’t want that, you could wrap the boxes in a few layers of cling plastic.  If you have time, go through the papers and shred everything that isn’t vital. Before fastening the lid, place newsprint paper over the top of the contents then fill any remaining spaces with crumpled paper.

Remove shades and bulbs from lamps.  Pack each shade in its own box – cushion it with crumpled paper.   Wrap each lamp base with several layers of bubble wrap.  Wrap bulbs separately.  Place in box and cushion with paper, or towels and other textiles.

Check with your movers regarding the padding of furniture.  They usually provide moving blankets.  You will probably need to buy mattress bags or boxes.  For a local move, you may need to pay extra if you want sofas and other soft furnishings wrapped in plastic.

[Myra]

I also suggest writing on the box which room you want the movers to place the box in your new place.  I suggest using different color markers for each room and make the room obvious i.e. master bedroom, kitchen, master bath, basement, etc. 

It can get overwhelming when movers are quickly bringing in boxes and so this seems to help during the confusion

 

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

No, they do not send a supervisor...at least in our last three moves.  One person will generally be the "head" person--in our last two moves, that was the driver, but part of the chaos is that you have multiple people bringing items in that you are supposed to mark off of an inventory sheet, and there's no chance to see what is going on in other rooms.

In the last move, a number of broken items were dumped in the garage (I was inside checking off boxes others were bringing to me) and because they were piled behind other boxes, it wasn't discovered until after it was left.  

Seriously, walk through every room and look at every piece of furniture and every box before they leave because the time and place to note damage is then. 

 

[TechWife]

One thing I have done is make the movers bring every box to the room it will belong in. They like to ask if they can unload the boxes into the garage for us to get when we are ready. The answer is “no,” because I am paying for a move, not a truck unloading. If the boxes go past me, I can see if they are damaged. Also, have them hand you screws etc. as they take things apart and put them in labeled zip locks. Make sure they put everything back together so that they are accountable if they loose something. 

Get the specialized dish boxes and the specialized wardrobe boxes, they are worth the money. Also, get special boxes for any glass tabletops you have.  If they will be moving something unusually expensive, ask if you need extra insurance for that item. 

[mlktwins]

On 10/24/2018 at 10:11 AM, Sherry in OH said:

Movers prefer standardized box sizes over random boxes.  They stack more compactly and are thus less prone to shifting during transport.  U-haul boxes are good.  If your friend did not provide dishpack boxes or other heavier weight boxes, you may want to buy a few.  They provide extra cushioning for dishes and glassware.  

Clearly mark boxes containing fragile and heavy items on all four sides of the box and on the top. Use plenty of bubble wrap, paper, and textiles for cushioning.  Items should not shift when you pick up the box. Although it may be tempting to repurpose newspaper as packing material, buy a box of clean newsprint paper. It is easier to work with and you don’t have to worry about ink stains.  Also have various sizes of ziplock bags on hand.  Place small parts in labeled bags for packing.  These bags can be packed with the items the parts belong to, or in a separate ‘small parts’ box depending on your preference.

Wrap everything that could break or crack. If in doubt, double or triple-wrap. Use bubblewrap for CDs, DVDs, and Wii games.  You can wrap several together.  This will minimize shattering of plastic cases.  Pack in small boxes.   

Books also go in small moving boxes.  If you are concerned about scuffed covers, wrap books in paper before boxing. Valuable and delicate books should be wrapped individually. Paperbacks can be wrapped in bundles.  Fill empty spaces with crumpled paper.  Try to pack books one shelf at a time and label the boxes with the contents (‘1^stbookcase, top shelf,’  ‘dictionaries,’ or ‘fiction, A-C,’ is more useful when unpacking than 20 boxes labeled books).

After you pack the books, remove shelves from the bookcase and take out the shelf pegs.  Place the pegs in a labeled container and transport them yourself.  That way they don’t get lost or buried in the bottom of a random box. 

The tops of the banker’s boxes must be secured.  Tape is easiest, but if you really don’t want that, you could wrap the boxes in a few layers of cling plastic.  If you have time, go through the papers and shred everything that isn’t vital. Before fastening the lid, place newsprint paper over the top of the contents then fill any remaining spaces with crumpled paper.

Remove shades and bulbs from lamps.  Pack each shade in its own box – cushion it with crumpled paper.   Wrap each lamp base with several layers of bubble wrap.  Wrap bulbs separately.  Place in box and cushion with paper, or towels and other textiles.

Check with your movers regarding the padding of furniture.  They usually provide moving blankets.  You will probably need to buy mattress bags or boxes.  For a local move, you may need to pay extra if you want sofas and other soft furnishings wrapped in plastic.

Thanks so much!  This is an awesome list!!!  I am going through papers and shredding a lot.  Some older papers will stay at his house until after his move when I have more time to go through them.  I am not taking paper clutter with him -- LOL!  Also, great idea for the shelves and taking the pegs out and into bags.  My friend gave me a ton of clean news print paper (a lot of it still new in the box), bubble wrap, boxes with dividers for glasses, etc.  I will be using old, clean towels for packing boxes too.  The good thing is he isn't bringing any of the china, etc.  Just his set of everyday dishes, silverware, some small appliances, and a few pots and pans from the kitchen.  The glass on his computer desk and credenza will be wrapped and I will bring that over.  Same with the glass he had made for his baker's rack shelves.  I need to ask the movers about mattress bags.

Again, thanks so much for taking the time to write this out!!!

[HollyDay]

Put books in book boxes.  They get really heavy fast. 

Stack plates "on edge" rather than flat.  If they are stacked on edge and get dropped or handled roughly, then (theoretically) only a few would break rather than the whole stack. 

Use household items like extra sheets and towels as packing material around more delicate objects

Personally take ALL your pictures, papers, certificates, diplomas, etc. that you can't replace. 

Label boxes on multiple sides and keep a master list.  For example:  Box 12: living room.  Then on your list write: Box 12/living room: 3 coffee table books, coaster set, blue throw blanket. Box 12: Kitchen.  Then write on your list the contents: canned goods pantry.

Anything you take apart that might not be clear on how to put together....take pictures!!  For example:  mirror on dresser...take a picture before you dismantle it so you have a guide when you go to put it back together.

Put hardware in zip lock bag, label it, and if possible tape it to the furniture, object, electronic device, etc.  If keeping them together isn't possible, then make a master box for all those screws, brackets, hardware things.  Make sure you lable the bags clearly: master bed hardward, dining room table legs hardware

When you take pictures down, tape hardware to back of picture for ease of hanging at new place.  Remember some hardware is sharp and might scratch or tear other items (or car if placing in vehicle)  so take care to protect.

Take anything you will need quickly at new house with you and label clearly:  OPEN FIRST/charging cords, PRIORITY: sheets/bedding, PRIORITY: cleaning supplies....etc.

Take toolkit with you for putting all those things back together, hanging pictures, and fixing whatever comings along that needs fixing. 

Make sure you take a cooler with drinks and snacks.  It will be a long day.  Have trash bags readily available, and paper towels and TOILET PAPER

[marbel]

9 minutes ago, HollyDay said:

<snip>

Label boxes on multiple sides and keep a master list.  For example:  Box 12: living room.  Then on your list write: Box 12/living room: 3 coffee table books, coaster set, blue throw blanket. Box 12: Kitchen.  Then write on your list the contents: canned goods pantry.

<snip>

 

This is pretty much what we did when we moved. We had a spreadsheet with the number of each box, location, and detailed list of contents. We put labels on the boxes (on 2 sides) with the number and wrote the room that box went to.  

It went very smoothly.