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Packing Guides

Packing is a vital part of a successful move and it's one of the hardest things to get right.If you built them from a flat-pack then they might be too big to get out of the door or down the stairs.Remember that each box should be light enough to be carried by a single person.This will make it much easier for you to unpack essentials in your new home.You could include a change of clothes, night-clothes, toys, toiletries, light-bulbs, drinks, a kettle, tea/coffee, cups, a torch, a telephone - whatever you need to get through the move and possibly even a night with no unpacking!It's a good idea to dig out original instructions for these items and put them in individual bags with all the screws and nuts etc.Using refuse sacks, bags and old boxes to pack your prized possessions is no guarantee of protection.If you really can't face packing up your home yourself then you can always opt to pay your chosen moving company to do it for you.Firstly, cushion the bottom of the box with bubble wrap or paper.Some people use color coding for this and stick colored stickers on the doors of each room in the new house.The truth is that most of us will pack for ourselves.If it takes two, it'll just take longer.

If this is the case, you need to dismantle them and get them ready to be loaded with plenty of time.Scissors and a craft knife * Something to wrap and protect fragile items such as bubble wrap, newspaper, packing paper etc.As a guideline you should be looking to have a store of the following packing materials: * Strong boxes of various sizes - if you'll be packing books, get hold of book boxes.For example, fridges and freezers need to be thoroughly defrosted and washing machines drained before they are transported to avoid water leaks.Every time you pack a box or container, write the room it comes from/should go to in big letters on the top.Read the manuals for large appliances - they often contain information about necessary steps to secure them.Before you start packing boxes you need to take your moving book through each room of the house and look at large items of furniture.This will avoid boxes breaking and will also make sure that they can be easily lifted.These don't hold hundreds of books but hold enough to guarantee that each box can be carried by one person!This is NOT something you want to be doing the night before your move.You also need to take care with your large and valuable appliances and goods.Some of them will even unpack for you at the other end!But don't presume this is the case.It's better to take a moves" class="kblinker" title="More about military »">military approach and tackle one room at a time.It's absolutely essential to mark boxes that contain fragile items with a clearly visible and large FRAGILE!Cardboard degrades and the last thing you need is to see everything that you carefully packed fall out of the bottom of a box before it even gets to the removal van.If you're packing yourself, your movers have no quality control and will often refuse liability for damage.If you have a garden/yard or garage take some time early on to think about what you'll be moving.Identifying the destination room of each container will also help your movers - they can simply place stuff where it should go rather than piling it up in any old room.This is a worthwhile option.Their doors and loose inside pieces such as shelves and drawers also need to be tied up or taped down to stop them moving in transport.The first thing you need to do is to think about packing materials.Bear in mind that they will generally be stacked on top of each other and they need to be stable enough to cope with this.This is where you need to be organized.The worst part of packing is the beginning.The first box you should prepare is your 'Essentials' box(es).Marker pens so you can identify what's in what box.If you wander round the house packing bits and bobs as the mood takes you then you won't really get anywhere.Pack these items sensibly - they need to fit together comfortably enough to avoid moving around but not so tightly that they put pressure on each other.Be careful about recycling old cardboard boxes.You should, however, be looking to fill suitcases, travel bags, drawers and the insides of wardrobes etc.Remember that it will cheaper to recycle old newspapers but the ink may come off on items and you'll have to spend time cleaning them afterwards.You can use packing material to fill gaps and should finally put another layer of bubble wrap or paper on top.You can always fill spaces at the top with towels, bedding, curtains and clothes.No matter how small your home, you can guarantee that you'll look at it and not know where to begin.This not only tells your movers to take care but also minimizes damage, as the boxes are exactly the right size for the item.If you don't have the original boxes try to find ones that are of a similar size and pack any gaps with tightly wadded paper.If you have a turntable, remember to tie down the player arm!You'll fill this as you go along and it should be loaded into the van last and unloaded first.If you're starting way ahead of schedule you'll find that you won't pack everything in the room all at once as there will be things you'll continue to use before your moving day.You can often hire or buy special packing cases and materials from your mover.It's useful to try to keep similar kinds of items together when you pack but also important to make sure that the weight of your boxes is evenly distributed.Put these bags in a single box that is clearly marked so they can be easily found.All the movers have to do is match the marker or sticker color on the box or item with the color of the room.It's important to be as thorough as possible here otherwise you could find accident claims virtually impossible.You can put whatever you think you'll need in here - it's really useful if you're just too tired to unpack after the move.Then wrap every item in at least one layer of your chosen packing material.Before you start to pack check the terms and conditions of your moving company and see what they say about packing.We may all think we can pack but when faced with boxing up our entire possessions for a move to a tight deadline then it can quickly become a daunting process!Even if you hate making lists, now is a good time to make one.They may also expect you to provide a list of valuable items for insurance purposes.Rolls of packing tape.You also need to talk to your mover about things they can't move - generally these will be flammable or hazardous materials but some movers won't transport houseplants!We can make the whole process easier by being organized about it and doing as much of it as possible in advance.Screwdrivers and other tools to dismantle any furniture as necessary.You have to do everything you can to make sure that your movers take due care and attention.But, it's your responsibility to pack these items carefully.This adds ballast and also maximizes your use of space.Give it a number.

Write the number in your moving book and a brief description of the contents.You'll feel so much better once you can tick things off as completed!Boxes should be filled to capacity at all times.The chances are that if they got where they are, you can get them out again.If you're at all worried about valuable items or those of sentimental value then physically transport them yourself.If you can, pack electrical equipment such as TVs and stereos in their original boxes.Most things will just go straight in the vehicle or in boxes but things such as lawnmowers and power tools need to be thoroughly drained of any petrol etc.Don't simply assume that you can make do with what you have in the house.This can just be a cheap notepad but it's going to be your bible through the move and will make your life much easier.That doesn't matter - you'll feel better and achieve more if you take a structured approach.Don't be tempted to overfill boxes with heavy things - it's far better to place a few heavy items at the bottom and then pack the rest of the container with lighter things.At this point you need to get a moving book.