Packing Materials

Packing materials can make any move safer and easier. Packing materials surround your possessions and keep them safe during your move. They can prevent breakage and can prevent injuries you can experience when opening boxes full of broken glass or ceramics. You can often buy supplies from local moving companies or you can visit local department stores or office supply stores.

Although your need will depend on your move and on what you own, most people who move require:

• Boxes. Strong corrugated cartons with covers are necessary to pack your items. Buying from moving services ensures that you have the right size boxes for everything from dishes to mattresses. Boxes from moving companies are also new, which helps prevent some of the problems – such as cockroach eggs – that can be a issue with used boxes from your grocery store.
• Paper. You can use craft paper or tissue paper to wrap delicate glass and ceramics. You can use newspaper as well, but keep in mind that ink from newsprint may create a mess.
• Plastic Bags. Wrap plastic bags around any fragile items that are wrapped in paper. That way, if an item does break, splinters of glass will be contained in the bag and will not harm you. Containers with liquid in them should also be stored in plastic bags to prevent spills.
• Tape. Look for gummed packing tape that is at least 1.5 to 2 inches wide. You will use this to securely close boxes before movers remove the boxes from your home. If you do not want to use tape, you can also use twine or strong string.
• Scissors or a sharp knife.

While not everyone needs these moving supplies, they are easily available from moving companies and do make your move much easier:

• Labels. Labels allow you to identify what items are in each box, and can also be used to inform your movers which items are fragile. If you choose not to use labels, use a pen to mark your boxes.
• Paper Rolls. Corrugated rolls are used to wrap around fragile items such as figurines.
• Fillers. Styrofoam pellets, air-filled plastic bags, foam "peanuts", or Styrofoam "popcorn" are the most common types of fillers. These are packed into boxes along with your possessions to prevent breakage caused by shifting.
• Notebook and pen. You will want to keep a list of the boxes you have packed and are sending along with the movers. Relocation services will keep track of your boxes for you, but doing your own calculation ensures that you get all the boxes that belong to you.

When buying packing materials, always opt for quality. Low-quality materials can cause breakage that can lead to you losing some items in transit. Your moving supplies should keep your possessions secured and padded. Remember: buying quality packing materials costs far less than having to replace possessions broken during a move.